Scene set for thrilling Heartland Championship Finals

East Coast Rugby’s fairytale Heartland Championship story is about to have its ending written this Saturday as they prepare to face two-time Meads Cup winners and three time Finalists, Wanganui at Cooks Gardens in the Meads Cup Final.

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A big portion of the East Cape community is expected to be out of town this weekend, as locals head South to support their teams, East Coast in Wanganui and Poverty Bay who face South Canterbury in Timaru in the other Heartland Championship Final for the Lochore Cup on Saturday.

The All Blacks legends whose names adorn the Heartland Championship prizes – Sir Colin Meads and Sir Brian Lochore – will attend the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup matches respectively.

This year is the first time East Coast has made the Heartland Championship playoffs having downed last year’s Meads Cup winners 23 - 17 in the semifinal. The revenge was made ever-sweeter with many recalling that North Otago trounced East Coast 116 – 3 last year. It’s been a long spell between championship playoffs for East Coast – having last played in a Final in the 2001 NPC Division Two Final, and they last won a title in 2000 when they won Division Three honours.

NZRU General Manager Community Rugby Brent Anderson said East Coast’s story even more remarkable given they lost every game in the Heartland Championship last year.

“This is a fantastic outcome and I know that hundreds of Ngati Porou are travelling from around the country to descend on Wanganui on Saturday. It will be an outstanding battle of provincial tribalism and both teams have played some outstanding footy to reach these Finals,” he said.

The Heartland spectacle includes a curtain raiser match between East Coast Legends v Wanganui Legends, kick off at 11am, and the Meads Cup being flown into the ground by helicopter.

In Timaru, South Canterbury is ready to take on Poverty Bay – with both teams eager to claim the Lochore Cup which has eluded Poverty Bay for two years, and South Canterbury have never held it aloft. South Canterbury won the last encounter between the two sides.

Anderson said both Finals set a great backdrop for a hefty weekend of Rugby World Cup quarterfinal action.

“This year’s Heartland Championship has been a great part of showcasing New Zealand rugby during the Rugby World Cup tournament. As part of the REAL New Zealand Festival, it’s been a great addition to the rugby experience of many visitors to New Zealand.

“It’s also been great for the players to be involved in grassroots rugby at a time when rugby is highly visible and popular with many New Zealanders,” he said.

“These games are a pre-curser to the Heartland XV match against New Zealand Marist at Pukekohe next weekend (15 October),” Anderson said.

The Lochore Cup will be refereed by Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri and Ben Skeen takes on whistle duties for the Meads Cup in Wanganui.

The Meads Cup will be broadcast live on SKY Sports 3, from 12.30pm. Extended highlights from the Lochore Cup will be screened on Mainfreight Rugby on Thursday 13 October at 6.30pm on SKY Sport 2, repeated again on SKY Sport 3 at 10pm and on the Rugby Channel at 9.30pm.

Meads Cup Final:

Wanganui v East Coast, Cooks Gardens, Wanganui, kickoff: 12.35pm

Lochore Cup Final:

South Canterbury v Poverty Bay, Alpine Energy Stadium, Timaru, kickoff: 3.05pm