Canterbury celebrate their victory over Wellington in the 2008 New Zealand Cup Final © Getty Images

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Match Pack: Canterbury claim Cup glory

Tournaments/Tours: Air New Zealand Cup | New Zealand Cup

Teams: Canterbury | New Zealand | Wellington

Defending champions Cantebrury will kick off their defence of the New Zealad Cup crown against North Harbour on August 1.

Elewhere, Ranfurly Shield holders Wellington will play Otago on July 31 in the their first defence of the trophy.

This year's competition will see a full round-robin format with a number of "local derby" matches scheduled for afternoon starts to give travelling fans time to get to and from the games.

These include Northland v Auckland (round 1), Bay of Plenty v Waikato (round 2), Auckland v Bay of Plenty (round 3), Canterbury v Otago (round 7), Auckland v North Harbour (round 8) and Auckland v Counties Manukau (round 12).

Many of the key provincial match-ups will be played on the traditional Saturday night, including Auckland v Canterbury (round 2), Wellington v Auckland (round 4) Wellington v Canterbury (round 5), Waikato v Hawke's Bay (round 6) and Auckland v Waikato (round 13).

Some matches played on the same day as All Blacks tests in New Zealand and Australia (August 22, September 12 and September 19) have been brought forward so that fans will have the opportunity to watch both.

The competition kicks off on July 30 July and ends with the final on November 7.

New Zealand Cup schedule:

Round 1

Thursday, July 30: Tasman v Taranaki, Blenheim, 7.35

Friday, July 31: Bay of Plenty v Northland, Rotorua, 7.35; Wellington v Otago (Ranfurly Shield), Wellington, 7.35

Saturday, Aug 1: Hawke's Bay v Auckland, Napier, 2.35; North Harbour v Canterbury, North Shore, 5.30; Southland v Waikato, Invercargill, 7.35

Sunday, Aug 2: Manawatu v Counties-Manukau, Palmerston North, 2.35

Round 2

Thursday, Aug 6: Northland v Taranaki, Whangarei, 7.35

Friday, Aug 7: North Harbour v Tasman, North Shore, 7.35; Otago v Southland, Dunedin, 7.35

Saturday, Aug 8: Waikato v Manawatu, Hamilton, 2.35; Hawke's Bay v Wellington, Napier, 5.30; Auckland v Canterbury, Auckland, 7.35

Sunday, Aug 9: Counties-Manukau v Bay of Plenty, Pukekohe, 2.35

Round 3

Thursday, Aug 13: Otago v North Harbour, Dunedin, 7.35

Friday, Aug 14: Southland v Manawatu, Invercargill, 7.35; Canterbury v Waikato, Christchurch, 7.35

Saturday, Aug 15: Northland v Auckland, Whangarei, 2.35; Taranaki v Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth, 5.30; Bay of Plenty v Wellington, Rotorua, 7.35

Sunday, Aug 16: Tasman v Counties-Manukau, Nelson, 2.35

Round 4

Thursday, Aug 20: Manawatu v Otago, Palmerston North, 7.35

Friday, Aug 21: North Harbour v Northland, North Shore, 7.35; Southland v Hawke's Bay, Invercargill, 7.35

Saturday, Aug 22: Bay of Plenty v Waikato, Mt Maunganui, 2.35; Canterbury v Tasman, Christchurch, 4.30; Wellington v Auckland (Ranfurly Shield), Wellington, 6.35

Sunday, Aug 23: Counties-Manukau v Taranaki, Pukekohe, 2.35

Round 5

Thursday, Aug 27: North Harbour v Southland, North Shore, 7.35

Friday, Aug 28: Northland v Otago, Whangarei, 7.35; Hawke's Bay v Tasman, Napier, 7.35

Saturday, Aug 29: Counties-Manukau v Waikato, Pukekohe, 2.35; Manawatu v Taranaki, Palmerston North, 5.30; Wellington v Canterbury (Ranfurly Shield), Wellington, 7.35

Sunday, Aug 30: Auckland v Bay of Plenty, Auckland, 2.35

Round 6

Thursday, September 3: Southland v Northland, Invercargill, 7.35

Friday, Sept 4: Taranaki v North Harbour, New Plymouth, 7.35; Counties-Manukau v Wellington, Pukekohe, 7.35

Saturday, Sept 5: Tasman v Manawatu, Nelson, 2.35; Bay of Plenty v Canterbury, Mt Maunganui, 5.30; Waikato v Hawke's Bay, Hamilton, 7.35

Sunday, Sept 6: Otago v Auckland, Dunedin, 2.35

Round 7

Thursday, Sept 10: Northland v Counties-Manukau, Whangarei, 7.35; Taranaki v Wellington, New Plymouth, 7.35

Friday, Sept 11: Tasman v Waikato, Blenheim, 7.35; Southland v Bay of Plenty, Invercargill, 7.35

Saturday, Sept 12: North Harbour v Hawke's Bay, North Shore, 2.35; Canterbury v Otago, Christchurch, 4.35

Sunday, Sept 13: Auckland v Manawatu, Auckland, 2.35

Round 8

Thursday, Sept 17: Bay of Plenty v Tasman, Mt Maunganui, 7.35; Counties-Manukau v Southland, Pukekohe, 7.35

Friday, Sept 18: Canterbury v Taranaki, Christchurch, 7.35; Waikato v Wellington, Hamilton, 7.35

Saturday, Sept 19: Auckland v North Harbour, Auckland, 2.35; Hawke's Bay v Otago, Napier, 4.35

Sunday, Sept 20: Manawatu v Northland, Palmerston North, 2.35

Round 9

Thursday, Sept 24: Wellington v Southland (Ranfurly Shield), Wellington, 7.35

Friday, Sept 25: Taranaki v Waikato, New Plymouth, 7.35; North Harbour v Counties-Manukau, North Shore, 7.35

Saturday, Sept 26: Canterbury v Northland, Christchurch, 2.35; Hawke's Bay v Manawatu, Napier, 5.30; Otago v Bay of Plenty, Dunedin, 7.35

Sunday, Sept 27: Tasman v Auckland, Nelson, 2.35

Round 10

Thursday, October 1: Waikato v North Harbour, Hamilton, 7.35

Friday, Oct 2: Bay of Plenty v Hawke's Bay, Rotorua, 7.35; Counties-Manukau v Canterbury, Pukekohe, 7.35

Saturday, Oct 3: Auckland v Southland, Auckland, 2.35; Wellington v Manawatu (Ranfurly Shield), Wellington, 5.30; Taranaki v Otago, New Plymouth, 7.35

Sunday, Oct 4: Northland v Tasman, Whangarei, 2.35

Round 11

Thursday, Oct 8: Hawke's Bay v Counties-Manukau, Napier, 7.35

Friday, Oct 9: Canterbury v Manawatu, Christchurch, 7.35; Taranaki v Auckland, New Plymouth, 7.35

Saturday, Oct 10: Otago v Waikato, Dunedin, 2.35; Southland v Tasman, Invercargill, 5.30; North Harbour v Bay of Plenty, North Shore, 7.35

Sunday, Oct 11: Northland v Wellington, Whangarei, 2.35

Round 12

Thursday, Oct 15: Hawke's Bay v Canterbury, Napier, 7.35

Friday, Oct 16: Manawatu v Bay of Plenty, Palmerston North, 7.35; Southland v Taranaki, Invercargill, 7.35

Saturday, Oct 17: Wellington v North Harbour (Ranfurly Shield), Wellington, 2.35; Otago v Tasman, Dunedin, 5.30; Waikato v Northland, Hamilton, 7.35

Sunday, Oct 18: Auckland v Counties-Manukau, Auckland, 2.35

Round 13

Thursday, Oct 22: Canterbury v Southland, Christchurch, 7.35

Friday, Oct 23: Northland v Hawke's Bay, Whangarei, 7.35; Tasman v Wellington, Blenheim, 7.35

Saturday, Oct 24: Manawatu v North Harbour, Palmerston North, 2.35; Otago v Counties-Manukau, Dunedin, 5.30; Waikato v Auckland, Hamilton, 7.35

Sunday, Oct 25: Bay of Plenty v Taranaki, Mt Maunganui, 2.35

The semifinals are on October 30/31 and the final is on November 7.