Origins
The Plunket Shield, New Zealand's premier cricket competition for first-class (Major Association) teams, was inaugurated in 1907. In 1910, Lord Hawke donated a cup to go on the line for competition amongst the Minor Associations (District Associations), which eventually became contested on the Challenge basis of the present day.
The format of the competition has changed occasionally over the years, and the competition has even been known, at times, by other names - but to win the Hawke Cup is the pinnacle for most District Association cricketers.
The first official match was played in December 1910, and resulted in a victory to Manawatū over Wairarapa. The first Hawke Cup holder was then decided in the final match of that season, and so the first Hawke Cup winner was deemed to be Southland.
Nowadays, the competition runs on a regular, annual Challenge basis with Districts divided into four Zones. Official results for each match can be found at www.nzc.nz: head to our Archive tab, and scroll through to Seasons to find out more about the match you're interested in.
Previous Winners: 2000/01 to the present
| Season | Challenge Matches | Holder, after each Challenge |
|---|---|---|
| 2000/01 |
Semi-finals Hamilton v Canterbury Country Hawke's Bay v Bay of Plenty Final Hamilton v Hawke's Bay [Note: The format switched back to a Challenge system post this season, Hamilton becoming the 'Holder'] |
Hamilton |
| 2001/02 |
Hamilton v North Otago Hamilton v Hawke's Bay Hamilton v Northland Hamilton v Canterbury Country Hamilton v Manawatū |
Hamilton Manawatū |
| 2002/03 |
Manawatū v Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay v Northland Northland v Canterbury Country |
Hawke's Bay Northland |
| 2003/04 |
Northland v Hamilton Northland v Mid Canterbury Mid Canterbury v Taranaki |
Northland Mid Canterbury |
| 2004/05 |
Mid Canterbury v Canterbury Country Canterbury Country v Nelson Canterbury Country v Hamilton |
Canterbury Country Hamilton |
| 2005/06 |
Hamilton v Taranaki Hamilton v Northland Hamilton v Southland |
Hamilton |
| 2006/07 |
Hamilton v Northland Hamilton v Canterbury Country Hamilton v Taranaki |
Hamilton Taranaki |
| 2007/08 |
Taranaki v Canterbury Country Canterbury Country v Hawke's Bay Canterbury Country v Hamilton |
Canterbury Country Hamilton |
| 2008/09 |
Hamilton v Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay v Northland Hawke's Bay v Canterbury Country |
Hawke's Bay |
| 2009/10 |
Hawke's Bay v Manawatū Manawatū v Bay of Plenty Manawatū v Marlborough Manawatū v North Otago |
Manawatū North Otago |
| 2010/11 |
North Otago v Otago Country Otago Country v Marlborough Marlborough v Hawke's Bay Marlborough v Hamilton |
Otago Country Marlborough Hamilton |
| 2011/12 |
Hamilton v Counties Manukau Hamilton v Wairarapa Hamilton v Nelson Hamilton v Southland |
Hamilton |
| 2012/13 |
Hamilton v Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty v Manawatū Bay of Plenty v Canterbury Country Bay of Plenty v South Canterbury |
Bay of Plenty |
| 2013/14 |
Bay of Plenty v Hamilton Bay of Plenty v Manawatū Manawatū v Canterbury Country Manawatuū v Southland |
Bay of Plenty Manawatū |
| 2014/15 |
Manawatū v Taranaki Manawatū v Northland Manawatū v Canterbury Country Canterbury Country v North Otago |
Manawatū Canterbury Country |
| 2015/16 |
Canterbury Country v Buller Buller v North Otago North Otago v Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay v Bay of Plenty |
Buller North Otago Hawke's Bay Bay of Plenty |
| 2016/17 |
Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau Bay of Plenty v Hawke's Bay Bay of Plenty v Nelson Bay of Plenty v Southland |
Bay of Plenty |
| 2017/18 |
Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau Counties Manukau v Taranaki Counties Manukau v Canterbury Country Counties Manukau v Southland |
Counties Manukau Southland |
| 2018/19 |
Southland v Mid Canterbury Southland v Nelson Nelson v Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay v Hamilton |
Southland Nelson Hawke's Bay Hamilton |
| 2019/20 |
Hamilton v Bay of Plenty Hamilton v Hawke's Bay Hamilton v Canterbury Country Canterbury Country v Otago Country |
Hamilton Canterbury Country |
| 2020/21 |
Canterbury Country v Nelson Nelson v North Otago North Otago v Hawke's Bay |
Nelson North Otago Hawke's Bay |
| 2021/22 |
Hawke's Bay v Manawatū Hawke's Bay v Bay of Plenty |
Hawke's Bay
|
| 2022/23 |
Hawke's Bay v Canterbury Country (Challenge match rescheduled from 2021/22 due to COVID pandemic) Canterbury Country v Southland (Challenge match rescheduled from 2021/22 due to COVID pandemic) Canterbury Country v Nelson Canterbury Country v Otago Country Canterbury Country v Waikato Valley |
Canterbury Country
|
| 2023/24 |
Canterbury Country v Hawke's Bay (Zone 2 Challenge, rescheduled from 2022/23 after Cyclone Gabrielle) Hawke's Bay v Counties Manukau |
Hawke's Bay
|
Records
Nelson holds the record for holding the Hawke Cup for the longest period, and for playing in the most Challenges.
Between 1958 and 1965, Nelson resisted 28 Challenges. Manawatū resisted 15 challenges between 1934 and 1938, as did Southland between 1989 and 1992.
The highest team score is 701, made by Bay of Plenty - twice, in 2013 and 2017.
The highest individual score in the competition is 272 not out, made by Mick Kinzett for Nelson against Marlborough in the 1933/34 season.
The best bowling figures in an innings in a Challenge match are 10/35 by Chester Holland for Whanganui against South Taranaki in 1922/23.
Outside the Challenge matches per se, the best bowling figures in an innings are 10 for 24 by Ben Stark for Marlborough, in a qualifying match against West Coast in 2012/13. Currently, West Coast is not participating in the Zone 3 qualifying competition but may rejoin in the future.
