2020 Farah Palmer Cup season
Countries	New Zealand
Date	5 September – 31 October 2020
Champions	Canterbury
Runners-up	Waikato
Matches played	39
Tries scored	377 (average 9.7 per match)
Top point scorer	Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury) 80 points
Official website
www.provincial.rugby/farah-palmer-cup/

The 2020 Farah Palmer Cup season was the 14th season of New Zealand's women's provincial rugby union competition since it changed formats in 2006, having not been held in 2010. The regular season began on 5 September with Waikato hosting a match against Northland. It involved the top thirteen rugby unions of New Zealand. The competition is known as the Farah Palmer Cup after former Black Ferns captain, Farah Palmer and it is the fifth season under this name. To cut down on travel, the teams were split into North and South pools for the 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus no promotion or relegation was applied.

Format

The Farah Palmer Cup standings are sorted by a competition points system. Four points are awarded to the winning team, a draw earns two points, whilst a loss amounts to zero points. Unions can also win their side a respectable bonus point. To receive a bonus point, they must score four tries or more, or lose by seven points or less.^[1] Each team is placed on their total points received. If a tiebreaker is necessary, when two or more teams finish on equal points, the union who acquired more competition points against the other tied team(s) gets placed higher. In the case that separation is still not made, the winner of the head-to-head result between the teams will get rights to be ranked above.^[2] This seeding format was only implemented for the 2020 competition.

The regular season consists of two types of matches. Each union play home or away games against each team from their division, making a total of six competition games during the regular season for each union in the North pool, and five regular season games for those in the South pool.^[3] The finals format sees the top two teams from each pool qualify for cross-over semi-finals. The top placed teams in each pool, based on table points, receive a home semi-final. In the first round of the finals, the semi-finals, the top placed North team is to host the second-placed South team, and the first-placed South team is to host the Second placed North team. The final is to be hosted by the top remaining seed.

Standings

Key: JST - JJ Stewart Trophy holders

* - If three or more Provincial Unions are tied on points, the team with the most competition points against the other tied teams advances. In this instance, Auckland and Northland had six points, Counties Manukau had five. Auckland got six points out of their games with Counties Manukau and Northland (1 against Counties and 5 against Northland). Counties got five points against Auckland and none against Northland, Northland got six points (1 against Auckland and five against Counties). That meant it was between Auckland and Northland, and with Auckland beating Northland head-to-head in pool play, they claim the semi-final position.

Regular season

The 2020 Farah Palmer Cup was played across seven weeks. The competition started on Saturday, 5 September 2020, with Waikato hosting a match against Northland at University of Waikato in Hamilton.

Play-offs

Semi-finals Final             1 Waikato 31 4 Manawatu 14 1 Waikato 7 2 Canterbury 8 2 Canterbury 36 3 Auckland 21 Semi-finals 25 October 2020 16:35 NZST Canterbury 36–21 Auckland Try: McGoverne 9', 41', 49' m Bremner 37' Curtis 40+3' Nelles 69' Con: Cocksedge (3/6) 10', 42', 69' Try: Elliot 26' Fitzpatrick 52' Abraham 63' Con: Maliepo (0/3) Pen: Maliepo (2/2) 24', 56' Rugby Park, Christchurch Referee: Lauren Jenner (New Zealand) 25 October 2020 14:05 NZST Waikato 31–14 Manawatu Try: Alley 3' Kalounivale 9' Robins-Reti 33' Fluhler 47', 56' Con: Alley (3/5) 4', 34', 57' Cards: Robins-Reti 42' to 52' Try: Lush 65' c Sturmey 79' Con: Winiata (2/2) 65', 80' Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand) Finals 31 October 2020 14:15 NZST Canterbury 8–7 Waikato Try: Nelles 80+1' Con: Cocksedge (0/1) Pen: Cocksedge (1/1) 31' Try: Simon 66' Con: Alley (1/1) 66' Pen: Alley (0/2) Rugby Park, Christchurch Referee: Rebecca Mahoney (New Zealand) JJ Stewart Trophy The JJ Stewart Trophy is a trophy based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the trophy in challenge matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the trophy. Canterbury started the season as holders of the trophy and as such, were obligated to place the trophy up for challenge in all of their regular season home games. Successful JJ Stewart Trophy challenges were played by Canterbury in Round 3, Round 5 and Round 7 against Otago, Wellington and Tasman respectively. References ↑ "Adjustment to Mitre 10 Heartland Championship bonus points system". Rugby Heartland. 2 September 2016. ↑ "SEMI-FINALISTS DECIDED IN THE FARAH PALMER CUP" (pdf). New Zealand Rugby. Retrieved 1 September 2020. ↑ "2020 FARAH PALMER CUP DRAW RELEASED". All Blacks. Retrieved 7 August 2020. External links Official website