King Country will head into the Heartland Championship's Lochore Cup semifinals on the back of reclaiming the Bill Osborne Taonga.
The Rams stunned holders and Meads Cup contenders Whanganui 34-17 at Cooks Garden in the final round of the regular season on Saturday, taking possession of the challenge trophy for the second time in 2024.
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King Country became the first team to win the Taonga, lose it and reclaim it in the same season. They lifted the Taonga from Buller with a 54-27 win over Buller in Westport on August 24 but lost it seven days later after a 23-18 loss to Thames Valley in Te Kuiti.
The Taonga has racked up plenty of travel kilometres this season, going from East Coast to Buller to King Country to Thames Valley to Whanganui in the first four rounds. Whanganui had the only successful defence in Round 6, beating Wairarapa Bush 56-17.
The win, set up by two tries each from Fijian wing Apete Matai and No 8 Caleb Foote, also saw the Rams retain the Colin Meads Memorial Trophy but could not lift them into the Meads Cup semifinals.
Instead, they will have to settle for the second-tier Lochore Cup playoffs, where they will host East Coast in Taupo on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm). Horowhenua Kapiti welcome West Coast to Levin for the other semifinal.
Despite the loss, Whanganui still earned a home Meads Cup semifinal, thanks to Horowhenua Kapiti's 41-35 upset of Thames Valley in Whitiangi.
The Butcher Boys face the the Swamp Foxes in Whanganui on Saturday (kick-off 1.35pm), while top qualifiers and unbeaten South Canterbury take on Hanan Shield rivals and neighbours Mid Canterbury (kick-off 3.35pm).
Back-to-back-to-back champions South Canterbury were challenged but ultimately extended their Heartland Championship winning streak to 39 matches with a 43-38 win over West Coast in Greymouth.
Mid Canterbury confirmed their top-four finish with a 47-24 win over Poverty Bay in Ashburton, while East Coast beat Wairarapa Bush 45-32 and North Otago finished a down season with a 55-14 drubbing of Buller in Weston.
HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS - ROUND 8
East Coast 45 Wairarapa Bush 32
Mid Canterbury 47 Poverty Bay 24
North Otago 55 Buller 14
Horowhenua Kapiti 41 Thames Valley 35
South Canterbury 43 West Coast 38
King Country 34 Whanganui 17