2006 Hackney London Borough Council election, Election for Mayor
Turnout for the Election of Mayor: 34.3% (26.34% in the previous election in 2002)


2006 Haitian general election
General elections were held in Haiti on 7 February 2006 to elect the replacements for the interim government of Gérard Latortue, which had been put in place after the 2004 Haiti rebellion. The elections were delayed four times, having originally been scheduled for October and November 2005. Voters elected a president, all 99 seats in the Chamber of Deputies of Haiti and all 30 seats in the Senate of Haiti. Voter turnout was around 60%. Run-off elections for the Chamber of Deputies of Haiti were held on 21 April, with around 28% turnout.


2006 Haitian general election
According to official statistics, René Préval of the Lespwa coalition led the count for President with 48.8% of the vote, less than the 50% needed to be declared elected on the first round. Préval spoke of fraud, and voting bags and marked ballots found in a garbage dump triggered street protests by his supporters. The United Nations Mission in Haiti spoke of an "apparent grave breach of the electoral process". On 16 February, following meetings between the electoral council and the interim government, it was agreed that blank ballots would be excluded from the percentage calculations, resulting in a total vote for Preval of 51.1%. A second round of voting for President was thus avoided.


2006 Haitian general election, Background
The election process saw many controversies, including threats to boycott by one of the major political parties, ongoing political violence, and one candidate being declared ineligible despite a Supreme Court decision.


2006 Haitian general election, Background
The elections took place as Haiti was under the occupation of MINUSTAH, a multi-national U.N. force established by the Security Council which started operations in June 2004.


2006 Haitian general election, Background
On election day, due to many organizational problems, a shortage of election workers, missing ballots, and extremely long line-ups, the voting hours were extended by at least two hours.


2006 Haitian general election, Background
There are many reasons the Haitian elections were delayed. Due to a lack of funding, election officials were not able to meet the voter registration deadline set for early August. In addition there was considerable unrest in parts of Haiti, particularly the Port-au-Prince slums where there were attacks on the new government, and where the U.N. and the Haitian National Police have been accused of committing massacres and targeted killings of anti-occupation protesters and organizers. However, the inability to register voters in the time allocated was the primary reason for the extensions. There was also concern that only 800-900 voting stations would be placed throughout Haiti, in comparison to the many thousands of stations that existed during the previous election.


2006 Haitian general election, Background
On January 25, 2006, Haiti's election authorities announced that no voting stations would be placed in Cité Soleil, an impoverished area which holds between three and six hundred thousand residents and has been controlled by informal armies professing allegiance to Aristide; registered voters from Cité Soleil had to leave their neighborhood to vote.


2006 Haitian general election, Background, Delays
Elections in Haiti were originally scheduled to take place starting on October 9, 2005 with the municipal election, followed by national elections on November 13, 2005, and a second round on December 18. In August the electoral council decided to move the municipal elections to an undetermined date in late December to allow for more focus to be placed on meeting the (new) November 6 date for presidential elections. On September 7 the dates were again changed, this time for the presidential elections.


2006 Haitian general election, Background, Delays
The first round of voting was moved back to November 20 and the second round on January 3, 2006. On November 18 the date for presidential and legislative elections were postponed for the third time; they were to take place on December 27, with a run-off to be held on January 31, 2006. On November 25, the date was set back yet again, making this the fourth time total; they were to take place on January 8 and February 15, 2006, respectively.


2006 Haitian general election, Background, Delays
The election is being postponed yet again but a date has not yet been announced, although February 7, 2006 is reported to be the likely date for the first round. The municipal elections which were originally set to be held on December 11, 2005, have been postponed to March 5, 2006. When announced officially, they will be the fifth set of election dates for a new government since July. Originally, the hand-over of power to the elected government was set for February 7, 2006, but this date has also been pushed back, without an official new date being given. The first round of elections for president and parliament was finally held on 7 February 2006. Runoff elections for Chamber of Deputies of Haiti were held on April 21.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates
Thirty five presidential candidates appeared in the ballot. Among the more known figures were René Préval, a former prime minister (1994–1995) and president (1996–2000), and a Lavalas member; Guy Philippe, a former police chief and rebel leader of the 2004 Haiti Rebellion.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, René Préval
Préval is a former president of Haiti who served from 1996 to 2000. He is the second president of Haiti to leave office due to the natural expiration of his term. Préval was in exile during the latter years of the dictatorship of Jean-Claude Duvalier but returned to work in charitable organizations after Duvalier's fall. He served as Prime Minister under Aristide during his first term, until the military coup d'état that overthrew Aristide in 1991. In 1996 he was elected president under the Fanmi Lavalas party and served out his term ending in 2001.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, René Préval
Under his previous administration Préval was a big reformer, most notably in the privatization of government companies, and will be expected to continue down a similar path if he is to be elected for a second term. His dealings with the International Monetary Fund have been controversial. The unemployment rate in Haiti was quite high under Préval's previous government, but it did fall down to some of its lowest levels since the fall of Duvalier at the end of his term and continued to fall until the rebellion of 2004.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, René Préval
During his campaign, he sought to distance himself from any former association with the Lavalas party and ran as a candidate of Lespwa. Preval supports the current occupation of Haiti by U.N. forces, saying they "should stay as long as it is necessary", in contrast to Aristide and many members of Lavalas who denounce the U.N. forces and accuse them of carrying out a campaign of repression and violence at the behest of the U.S., France, and Canada. Preval has also sought the votes of Lavalas members on the promise that he will not oppose the return of Jean Bertrand Aristide from South Africa.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Charles Henri Baker
Charles-Henry Jean-Marie Baker (born June 3, 1955 in Port-au Prince) is a Haitian industrialist with US residency. He initially billed himself as an independent and has allied himself with the Komba de Chavannes Jean Baptiste and Evans Lescouflair party. His coalition received 8.24% of the vote. Baker is a former member of Groupe 184, a loose federation of business leaders, church officials and NGOs associated with the US federal government funded USAID and NED, opposed to the Jean-Bertrand Aristide government in 2004. Baker is widely considered the candidate of choice of Haiti's wealthy ruling class as well as the favoured candidate of the international business community.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Leslie François Manigat
Manigat received 12.40% of the vote in 2006. He was previously elected President in 1988 under a corrupt military run election after the fall of Jean-Claude Duvalier's dictatorship. He came to power in what was an extremely low turnout, and just a few months later Manigat's government was overthrown by General Henri Namphy. Manigat spent 23 years in exile during the reign of François Duvalier. In 1979 he formed a political party in Caracas with other exiled political opponents called the Rally of National Progressive Democrats.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Leslie François Manigat
In 1987 the first attempt at a democratic election was unsuccessful as 34 people were killed. Elections were postponed until February 1988 and Manigat won with many political parties boycotting the polls. He had the backing of the military but once in office he sought greater control over the military in an effort, according to him, to crack down on corruption. Following the coup d'état by General Namphy, Manigat worked as guest scholar in Washington D.C., Paris, and Geneva.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Guy Philippe
Philippe is best known for his role in the 2004 Haiti Rebellion which overthrew the government of Jean-Bertrand Aristide due to, in part, allegations of election fraud in the 2000 parliamentary elections and other issues. Philippe's involvement can be traced back to 2000 when he was forced to flee to the Dominican Republic after taking part in a failed coup attempt against the first administration of Rene Preval.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Guy Philippe
He had been a police chief in Cap-Haïtien when he was accused again of masterminding another coup attempt against the Aristide government in December 2001, which he denies any involvement in but proof would point otherwise. Throughout 2001-2004 Philippe is said to have worked the rebels that were running a "contra" war in the Plateau Central assassinating Lavalas officials and family members.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Guy Philippe
When unrest/insurgency turned to rebellion in 2004, Philippe publicly announced that he was joining with coup forces and quickly took a leadership role, which he shared with co-leader Louis-Jodel Chamblain, who is considered a notorious war criminal by some. After Aristide was removed from the country in a US registered plane, Philippe and his army put down their guns in favor of the UN peacekeeping force. He has also been accused of drug dealing, and Aristide supporter group claim he is a covert CIA spy, recruited by an agent in Haiti to start the coup. It has been reported that he had secret meetings with opposition groups of Aristide in the Dominican Republic and also with a CIA agent.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Guy Philippe
On July 11, 2005, Guy Philippe announced he would run for president for the Front for National Reconstruction (FRN) party. The FRN is also his guerilla group which was involved in the rebellion of 2004. Early in 2005 the FRN became recognized as a political party. Philippe has been critical of the administration of the interim government, blaming them for the slow process of setting up registration centers throughout the country. Early on he was considered a frontrunner in the race but later fell behind the main contenders. In the end in spite of his international and local rebellion backers, and in spite of appealing to young Haitians to follow him, Phillippe won less than 1% of the vote, demonstrating that he was no popular hero and was only the leader of a false, mercenary rebel group.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Marc Bazin
Bazin is a former Minister of Finance and Economy under the dictatorship of Jean-Claude Duvalier, and has also served as an official for the World Bank. In the 1990 elections Bazin received 14% of the votes, losing out to Jean-Bertrand Aristide. During the temporary coup d'état that replaced Aristide in 1991, Bazin was selected as the Prime Minister.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Marc Bazin
Bazin is a conservative politician who has sought to bring foreign investment into Haiti. For the 2006 elections he is running in an alliance with his MIDH (Mouvement pour l'Instauration de la Démocratie en Haïti) party and the popular Fanmi Lavalas. Bazin has been a bitter enemy of Aristide so it is somewhat surprising that this alliance has formed. There is evidence on the basis of Freedom of Information Act requests in the USA that the United States federal budget funded International Republican Institute (IRI) was involved in Bazin's campaign and has more generally been widely involved in organising political parties in Haiti.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Gérard Jean-Juste
Jean-Juste is a Roman Catholic priest, Liberation theologian and supporter of the Fanmi Lavalas party in Port-au-Prince. He is well known for his close relations with former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Jean-Juste is well loved by many Haitians in urban slums for the liberation theology and the support for the poor and children that he has preached. His church feeds hundreds of homeless children every day and like Aristide he has promoted a government policy of social investment in the poor.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Gérard Jean-Juste
Most recently, on July 21, 2005, he was arrested at a funeral by police in connection with the abduction and subsequent murder of journalist Jacques Roche. While Jean-Juste was at the funeral of Roche, he was assaulted by other attendees before being placed in protective custody by the police. Later he was charged with complicity and intellectual authorship of the murder. Jean-Juste was out of the country both at the time of Roche's abduction (July 10) and the discovery of his mutilated, bullet-riddled body (July 14). On July 28, 2005 Amnesty International named Jean-Juste a "prisoner of conscience". Father Jean-Juste remained in prison while his files were reviewed by judges. Formal charges were made against him based upon public outcry, a strange concept of French law. He was temporarily released for medical treatment in February 2006.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Gérard Jean-Juste
In August officials of the Fanmi Lavalas party threatened to boycott the elections if Jean-Juste, and other alleged political prisoners, were not released. They believe the arrest is an effort to prevent Lavalas from once again winning in elections. In September, the party attempted to register Jean-Juste as a candidate for president, but they were denied. The provisional electoral council said that electoral law requires candidates to register in person.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Gérard Jean-Juste
This situation has continued, whereas some hardline members of the party are still considering boycott, while only a few FL officials supported  Marc Bazin; though the members of the general population who identify themselves as Lavalas supporters will likely vote for René Préval. On February 7, 2005, Jean-Juste formally endorsed Rene Preval.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Dumarsais Siméus
Siméus is a wealthy businessman, owning Simeus Foods in Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. Originally he is from Pont-Sondé in Haiti, where he grew up working the land for his poor rice-farming father. Eventually they moved to the USA so that Demarsais could go to college, and he eventually graduated from Howard University with an electrical engineering degree. Politically, Siméus developed extensive ties to the U.S. Bush administration, including serving on Jeb Bush's Haiti Task Force and making major donations to the Republican Party. His campaign manager, Robert Allyn, worked on the campaigns for George W. Bush. Siméus declared his intention to run for president of Haiti in September 2005 as the candidate for the Tet Ansanm party.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Dumarsais Siméus
There has been some controversy over whether or not Siméus is qualified to run for president. Under the 1987 constitution a presidential candidate must have lived in a real property that they own in Haiti for a period of five years prior to the date of election. Of course Siméus has not lived in Haiti for that length of time.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Dumarsais Siméus
The Supreme Court has ruled, now twice, that Siméus' name should be added to the ballot because he qualifies due to special circumstances, but the election officials have refused because he holds U.S. citizenship and the constitution forbids foreign nationals from running. Following the second ruling, the provisional government dismissed five justices, which many believe was done as punishment. One problem of getting Siméus on the ballot is that it would mean that elections would have to be delayed further than their scheduled January 8 date because the ballots have already been printed. Siméus responded critically to the dismissal of the justices, calling it a violation of the separation of powers.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Dumarsais Siméus
Siméus is a popular figure with many Haitians living in the United States and Canada because he is seen as an outsider who has not (yet) been infected with the corruption that insiders are already a part of. Indeed, this is a major part of Siméus' campaign as he says, "The politics of the last 200 years has failed. The status quo has created a cycle of poverty and violence, illiteracy and economic failure in Haiti, hurting our people, breaking our spirit, threatening the lives and futures of our brothers and sisters.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Dumarsais Siméus
In the past we have had politics of division hate, poverty and greed, politics that tear things down... now Haiti needs to make a change, heading in a new direction of unity, hope and prosperity." Due to the issues with getting on the ballot, Siméus has not had the opportunity to develop a clear strategy in his campaign, but he has touched on issues of economic recovery, providing clean water, and better health care for all. Siméus is the only known candidate who used the internet to promote his candidacy, using a web blog operated at his official site.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Dumarsais Siméus
His company Simeus Food International formerly known as TLC Beatrice Food was bought by private US investment banks that sought to capitalize on the classification of the company as a minority-owned business, he does not own a majority stake in the company, nor does he run the daily operations, he is kept as an honorary Chairman. He has publicly called for the executive members of the US installed Boniface-Latortue administration to be arrested for not letting him participate in the elections after the Haitian Court of Appeals has ruled that he was to be reinstated in the candidate roster.


2006 Haitian general election, Presidential candidates, Ineligible candidates, Dumarsais Siméus
Gerard Latortue sidestepped the ruling by a decree that calls for a commission on nationality to meet the legal standards in the Haitian constitution that bans foreign or candidates with double nationality as is the case of Dumarsais Simeus and George Samir Mourra who are both US citizens by naturalization process. He did not support any of the running candidate since his political partner Gerard Gougues had dropped out of the race to support him, their party Tet-Ansam is a minority party in Haiti.


2006 Haitian general election, Opinion polls
Two opinion polls were taken in November 2005. The first to be released was the poll taken by CID Gallup, a Latin American polling group with close ties to U.S. based Gallup. The second polling was taken by a political consulting firm, The Democracy Group, on behalf of the National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians, a group for the restoration of democracy in Haiti, of which Dumarsais Siméus is a member.


2006 Haitian general election, Allegations of vote manipulation
Although Preval's vote count was initially over 60% of the total—in an election marred by declarations of invalid votes, allegations of fraud, errors and the discovery of perhaps thousands of ballots dumped and burned in Port-au-Prince—election officials of the interim government ordered a halt to the publication of full election results pending an inquiry into possible electoral fraud.


2006 Haitian general election, Allegations of vote manipulation
As the provisional electoral council announced that Preval's vote count had slipped below the 50% required to avoid a second round of voting, thousands of his supporters marched through Port-au-Prince in protest at what they claimed was an effort to manipulate the vote count and suppress support for Preval. At least two of the nine electoral council members, Pierre Richard Duchemin and Patrick Fequiere, have also alleged that the vote tabulation was being manipulated.


2006 Haitian general election, Allegations of vote manipulation
Of the 2.2 million ballots cast, roughly 125,000 were declared invalid. A further 4% of the ballots were blank but were nonetheless added to the count, thereby lowering the percentage of the vote a candidate receives.


2006 Haitian general election, Allegations of vote manipulation
During the protests, at least one man was killed and many others wounded during clashes between U.N. forces and Preval supporters. Witnesses claimed that Jordanian soldiers, who are serving as part of MINUSTAH, shot at the protesters. U.N. spokesman David Wimhurst at first denied that the U.N. soldiers had fired any shots, but then later said that the soldiers fired two "warning shots" into the air.


2006 Haitian general election, Allegations of vote manipulation
Talking publicly for the first time since the voting took place, Preval said "We are convinced there was massive fraud and gross errors that affected the process,". Soon after, many hundreds (possibly thousands) of charred ballots were found in a Port-au-Prince garbage dump.


2006 Haitian general election, Allegations of vote manipulation
On February 14, 2006, the interim government ordered a halt to the publication of full election results pending an inquiry into the alleged electoral fraud.


2006 Hajj stampede
The 2006 Hajj stampede or crush resulted in the deaths of 363 pilgrims on 12 January 2006 during the Hajj in Mecca. It took place on Jamaraat Bridge around 1pm on 12 January 2006, the fifth and final day of the Hajj. Between two and three million pilgrims attended the Hajj in 2006. Earlier, on 5 January at least 76 pilgrims died when a hostel collapsed in Mecca.


2006 Hajj stampede, Background
The Hajj is an annual pilgrimage in Mecca undertaken by able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime. It consists of a series of rites including the Stoning of the Devil (Arabic: رمي الجمرات ramī aj-jamarāt, lit. "stoning of the jamarāt [place of pebbles] which takes place in Mina, a district of Mecca. The stoning ritual is the last major ritual and is often regarded as the most dangerous part of the Hajj, with stampedes occurring in the past.


2006 Hajj stampede, Background
With a history of fatal stampedes and crushes at the Hajj – including a stampede which killed 244 in 2004 – authorities in Mecca had taken steps in the hopes of reducing chances of another stampede, including the issuing of a fatwa extending the permitted hours of the ritual.


2006 Hajj stampede, Incident & casualties
Tens of thousands of pilgrims rushing to finish a symbolic stoning ritual before sunset during the annual pilgrimage tripped over luggage on Thursday, 12 January 2006, causing a stampede which killed 363 people and injured hundreds more.


2006 Hajj stampede, Incident & casualties
Saudi Interior Ministry Spokesman Major-General Mansur al-Turki said that the incident took place at 12:28 [09:28 GMT]. The stampede occurred at Jamarat Bridge, during an event where stones are thrown by pilgrims to three pillars representing the devil to purge themselves of sin.


2006 Hajj stampede, Incident & casualties, Genders and nationalities of casualties
The number of fatalities reached 363, 203 of whom were identified within the first two days. Among deaths were 118 males and 85 females.


2006 Hajj stampede, Incident & casualties, Genders and nationalities of casualties
Casualties include multiple nationalities, with Chinese, Moroccans, Afghans, Ethiopians, Bangladeshis, Algerians, Saudis, Jordanians, Yemenis, Iraqis, Iranians, Syrians, Turks, Sudanese, Maldivians, Egyptians, Indians, Omanis, Pakistanis, Nigerians, Palestinians and nationals from Germany, Belgium, Chad and Ghana.


2006 Hajj stampede, Incident & casualties, Eyewitness reports
"The bodies were piled up. I couldn't count them - they were too many," said Suad Abu Hamada. "Everybody was pushing from behind to get through and suddenly police blocked the entrance and people started falling on each other", said Mohammed al-Farra.


2006 Hajj stampede, Reactions and immediate action by Saudi government
Despite criticism of the Saudi government from the relatives of the stampede's casualties, Saudi officials put the blame on unruly pilgrims for causing the stampede and denied that authorities could have done more to stop the stampede. Saudi interior ministry spokesman, Maj Gen Mansour al-Turki, told the BBC's Newshour programme that the dangers would only increase if crowd controls were tightened further.


2006 Hajj stampede, Reactions and immediate action by Saudi government
"People insist that they want to finish their Hajj in the way they think is right and you have a limited effect in using policemen to control people in this regard," he said.


2006 Hajj stampede, Reactions and immediate action by Saudi government
"You cannot really control them by force because if you do probably you will increase the problem because you will have people pushing you. We had so many police officers today who were injured in this situation."


2006 Hajj stampede, Reactions and immediate action by Saudi government
Seventy ambulances were used by Saudi officials to rush the victims to seven hospitals in Mina and nearby Arafat.


2006 Hajj stampede, Reactions and immediate action by Saudi government
After the casualties had been removed, the Saudi government used bulldozers to clear the area so the ceremony could continue.


2006 Hajj stampede, Learning from the tragedy, Infrastructure
The Saudi government had invested in improving crowd flow at Jamaraat Bridge, by widening it to eight lanes.


2006 Hajj stampede, Learning from the tragedy, Infrastructure
Plans for the bridge to be demolished and rebuilt as a four-storey structure with air-conditioning were approved in 2005. This work went ahead immediately after the January 2006 Hajj and was completed prior to the 2009 Hajj.


2006 Hajj stampede, Learning from the tragedy, Infrastructure
These infrastructure improvements were not accompanied by adequate signage telling pilgrims which direction to travel, a problem given that most Hajjis have never visited before.


2006 Hajj stampede, Learning from the tragedy, 'Illegal' pilgrims
There have been repeated calls to restrict the numbers allowed to attend the Hajj and, in particular, 'illegal' pilgrims. 'Illegal' pilgrims are those who do not hold a Hajj permit, Mecca residence permit or a Hajj work permit. There were reports of up to one million illegal pilgrims in 2006.


2006 Hajj stampede, Learning from the tragedy, 'Illegal' pilgrims
Crackdowns on such pilgrims have become an increasing feature of security arrangements.


2006 Hajj stampede, Learning from the tragedy, Pilgrims' education
Calls continued to be made for better disaster planning long after the 2006 crush, with suggestions to make pilgrims aware of that the stoning ritual can take place at various times as well as training on basic preventive measures for infectious diseases and outbreaks and how to stay safe in large crowds.


2006 Hajj stampede, Learning from the tragedy, Pilgrims' education
By 2009, large bags had been banned during the stoning rituals.


2006 Hajj stampede, Health risks
The annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca has continuous and challenging health concerns. The 2006 Hajj was no different though no reports indicated any specific incidents arising.


2006 Hajj stampede, Health risks, Infectious diseases
Because of heavy congestion, shared accommodation, air pollution, compromised hygiene and heat, the transmission of infectious diseases is high.


2006 Hajj stampede, Health risks, Infectious diseases
Due to climate change, the Middle East has had a rising surface temperature since the 1970s. Pilgrims are expected to spend between 20–30 hours outside during the 5-6-day rituals in an average heat of 43 °C (highest 50 °C). The expected extreme heat and humidity is going to exceed the danger threshold by 20% between the years 2045 and 2053 creating an even more challenging Hajj.


2006 Hajj stampede, Health risks, Infectious diseases
Due to population growth, economic growth and advancement in transport attendance between 2000 and 2010 increased by 46%. Global travel directly amplifies the risk of disease transmission.


2006 Halemba Coal Mine disaster
2006 Halemba Coal Mine disaster refers to the accident of 21 November 2006 in the Halemba Coal Mine, Ruda Śląska, Poland. An explosion of methane and coal dust resulted in 23 fatalities. It was one of the largest mining disasters in Poland. The government declared three days of national mourning.


2006 Halmstads BK season
Halmstads BK participated in 2006 in Allsvenskan and Svenska Cupen.


2006 Halmstads BK season, 2006 season squad
The 2006 season squad. Statistics prior to season start only


2006 Halmstads BK season, Transfers, In
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2006 Halmstads BK season, Transfers, Out
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2006 Halton Borough Council election
The 2006 Halton Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Halton Unitary Council in Cheshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour party stayed in overall control of the council.


2006 Halton Borough Council election, Campaign
18 seats were contested in the election with only Beechwood, Daresbury and Windmill Hill wards not having elections. Labour were defending 12 of the seats, including the seat of the current mayor Peter Lloyd-Jones, and needed to keep 7 to retain control of the council. In total there were 56 candidates, 18 each from Labour and the Conservatives, 11 Liberal Democrats, 4 Green party, 2 Citizen Party of Halton, 2 independents and 1 from the British National Party.


2006 Halton Borough Council election, Campaign
Labour defended their record in control of the council saying that they had the third lowest council tax rate in North West England and were regenerating the area.


2006 Halton Borough Council election, Results
The results saw Labour retain control of the council after holding 11 of the 12 seats they had been defending and gaining one from the Liberal Democrats. However the Labour mayor, Peter Lloyd-Jones, lost his seat to the Conservatives in Ditton ward by 29 votes. Lloyd-Jones considered making a legal challenge to the results as exactly 29 ballots had been spoiled and he said there were "irregularities at the opening of the Hale Bank polling station". Overall turnout in the election was 26.02%.


2006 Hamburg Masters
The 2006 Hamburg Masters was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 100th edition of the Hamburg Masters, and was part of the ATP Masters Series of the 2006 ATP Tour. It took place at the Rothenbaum Tennis Center in Hamburg, Germany, from 15 May through 22 May 2006.


2006 Hamburg Masters
The top two seeds, world number one Roger Federer and number two Rafael Nadal, both withdrew from the singles draw before the tournament started with fatigue. Lukáš Dlouhý and Robin Söderling came in as unseeded replacements.


2006 Hamburg Masters
The men's field was therefore headlined by ATP No. 3 and 2005 Madrid Masters,  2005 Paris Masters and Miami finalist Ivan Ljubičić, Kremlin Cup and New Haven winner  Nikolay Davydenko, and Indian Wells runner-up and Stockholm, Bangkok winner James Blake. Other top seeds competing were 2004 French Open champion Gastón Gaudio, Fernando González and Tommy Robredo.


2006 Hamburg Masters, Finals, Doubles
Paul Hanley /  Kevin Ullyett defeated  Mark Knowles /  Daniel Nestor 6–2, 7–6(10–8)


2006 Hamburg Masters – Doubles
Jonas Björkman and Max Mirnyi were the defending champions, but lost in quarterfinals to Fabrice Santoro and Nenad Zimonjić.


2006 Hamburg Masters – Doubles
Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett won the title, defeating Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor 6–2, 7–6(10–8) in the final.


2006 Hamburg Masters – Singles
Roger Federer was the defending champion but withdrew due to fatigue, Tommy Robredo defeated Radek Štěpánek in the final, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3.


2006 Hamburg Masters – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.


2006 Hamburg Sea Devils season
The 2006 Hamburg Sea Devils season was the second season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Jack Bicknell in his second year, and played its home games at AOL Arena in Hamburg, Germany. They finished the regular season in fifth place with a record of three wins, six losses and one tie.


2006 Hamburg Sea Devils season, Honors
After the completion of the regular season, the All-NFL Europe League team was selected by the NFLEL coaching staffs, members of a media panel and fans voting online at NFLEurope.com. Overall, Hamburg had three players selected. The selections were:


2006 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season
The 2006 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season was the 49th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 57th overall. The Tiger-Cats finished in 4th place in the East Division with a 4–14 record and missed the playoffs. Head coach Greg Marshall was fired after the first four games of the season and Ron Lancaster took over as interim head coach for the remaining 14 games.


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election
The 2006 Hamilton municipal election was held on November 13, 2006, to elect municipal officials in Hamilton, Ontario. Touted by pundits as being one of the closest mayoral races in Hamilton history, the incumbent Larry Di Ianni was defeated by a margin of 452 votes by Fred Eisenberger.


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, Mayoral Election, Candidates
Michael Baldasaro: Leader of the Church of the Universe and a perennial candidate for office, running for Parliament in 1984, 2000 and 2004, Ward 2 Councillor in 2004 and Mayor for Hamilton on numerous occasions. His campaign was centered on legalization of marijuana, but he also supported demalgimation and keeping City Hall in Jackson Square.


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, Mayoral Election, Candidates
Larry Di Ianni: Incumbent Mayor of Hamilton. He was involved in a scandal involving his 2003 election campaign and was subsequently charged with violating the Municipal Elections Act. This turned many Hamiltonians against him and was cited as one of the reasons for his defeat.


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, Mayoral Election, Candidates
Fred Eisenberger: Former Ward 5 city councillor and chairman of the Hamilton Port Authority. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2000, finishing third behind Bob Wade and Bob Morrow.


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, Mayoral Election, Candidates
Diane Elms: An iridology practitioner who ran a reform campaign, centered around fiscal mismanagement and lack of voter participation. She also stated that, if elected mayor, she would ask in Jesus' name, for God to forgive all those who misused their authority.


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, Mayoral Election, Candidates
Gino Speziale: A tool and dye maker who ran a very small campaign. At most debates, people found that he supported Ms. Elms a majority of the time.


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, Mayoral Election, Candidates
Steve Leach: An unknown candidate. The Hamilton Spectator poked fun at his lack of involvement in an editorial cartoon and commented "Steve Leach is so fringe, he's out of sight."


2006 Hamilton, Ontario municipal election, Mayoral Election, Candidates
Martin Zuliniak: A pseudo-joke candidate who associated himself with the Rhinoceros Party, but had a non-joke platform of lower taxes, de-amalgamation and tourism promotion.


2006 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council election
Elections to Hammersmith and Fulham Council were held on 4 May 2006. The whole council was up for election for the first time since the 2002 election.


2006 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council election, Election result
At the Hammersmith and Fulham council election, 2006, the Conservative Party won a majority for the first time since 1968, taking 33 seats and forming the Administration for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham . The Council leader was Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh. Labour formed the opposition on the Council, with 13 seats, and was led by Stephen Cowan.


2006 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council election, Election result
The Conservative Party came close to losing the usually safe ward of Palace Riverside, after the sitting councillors were deselected, and ran as independents. One of the two rebels returned 12 years later as the Conservative candidate in the same ward, and was elected.


2006 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council election, Election result
One notable loss for the Labour Party was one of the three seats in the Shepherds Bush Green ward - which only ever elected Labour councillors before or since. After alternating between Abu Khalad (1986, 1994 & 2002) and Jafar Khaled (1990 & 1998), Abu Khaled stood for re-election but lost by 4 votes in a ward where the Conservatives had previously been nowhere near winning a seat.


2006 Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council election, Ward results
The borough is divided into 16 electoral wards, all bar two electing three councillors apiece.


2006 Hansol Korea Open
The 2006 Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships was a women's  professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 3rd edition of the tournament, and part of the 2006 WTA Tour. It took place in Seoul, Korea between 25 September and 1 October, 2006.


2006 Hansol Korea Open, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2006 Hansol Korea Open, Finals, Doubles
Virginia Ruano Pascual /  Paola Suárez defeated  Chuang Chia-jung /  Mariana Díaz Oliva, 6–2, 6–3


2006 Hansol Korea Open – Doubles
Chan Yung-jan and Chuang Chia-jung were the defending champions, but Chan did not compete this year. Chuang teamed up with Mariana Díaz Oliva and lost in the final to Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez, 6–2, 6–3.


2006 Hansol Korea Open – Singles
Nicole Vaidišová was the defending champion from 2005, but decided not to compete in 2006.


2006 Hansol Korea Open – Singles
Eleni Daniilidou won the title, defeating Ai Sugiyama in the final, 6–3, 2–6, 7–6(7–3).


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election
Elections to Haringey Council were held on 4 May 2006. The whole council was up for election for the first time since the 2002 election.


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election
Haringey local elections are held every four years, with the next in 2010.


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, Results by Ward, Bruce Grove
Ray Dodds was a sitting councillor for Northumberland Park ward.


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, Results by Ward, Hornsey
Erline Prescott was a sitting councillor in West Green ward.


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, Results by Ward, Noel Park
Katherine Wynne was a sitting councillor for Stroud Green ward


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, Results by Ward, Stroud Green
Peter Hillman was a sitting councillor for Tottenham Hale ward


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, Results by Ward, Stroud Green
Reginald Rice was a sitting councillor for Tottenham Green ward


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, By-Elections
The by-election was called following the resignation of Cllr. Justin Portess.


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, By-Elections
The by-election was called following the resignation of Cllr. Wayne Hoban.


2006 Haringey London Borough Council election, By-Elections
The by-election was called following the death of Cllr. Frederick A. Knight.


2006 Harlequins Rugby League season
The 2006 Harlequins Rugby League season was the twenty-seventh in the club's history, their eleventh season in the Super League and the first as the rebranded Harlequins Rugby League. The club was coached by Tony Rea, competing in Super League XI, finishing in 7th place. The club also got to the Quarter-finals round of the Challenge Cup.


2006 Harlequins Rugby League season, Super League XI table
Sources: Classification: 1st on competition points; 2nd on match points difference. Competition points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.


2006 Harlequins Rugby League season, Super League XI table
^ a: Bradford deducted two points for salary cap breaches in 2005. ^ b: Wigan deducted two points for salary cap breaches in 2005. ^ c: Exempt from relegation.


2006 Harlequins Rugby League season, 2006 Challenge Cup
Quins RL were knocked out in the quarter finals by the Leeds Rhinos at Headingley for the second successive year.


2006 Harlow District Council election
The 2006 Harlow District Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault
The 2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault was the beating, torture, and sexual assault of a Latino student, by two white youths during the early morning of April 22, 2006, in an unincorporated section of Harris County, Texas, United States in Greater Houston. The details of the attack led to the publication of the story in various media outlets in and outside the United States. The victim of the assault, whose identity was not made public until months after the attack, committed suicide a year after the incident.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, The assault
The incident occurred at a residence located north of the city of Houston, with a Spring, Texas address, at a party held at the Sons family home. Two Klein Collins High School students, David Henry Tuck, then 18, and Keith Robert Turner, then 17, beat, tortured and sodomized David Ritcheson, a 16-year-old fellow Klein Collins student and former running back for the school's football team.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, The assault
Tuck and Turner, who were both under the influence of recreational drugs, said they were told that Ritcheson, also under the influence of drugs, tried to kiss 12-year-old Danielle Sons. Sons' statement threw Tuck into a rage, and Tuck punched Ritcheson. The first punch was so powerful it broke Ritcheson's cheekbone and knocked him unconscious, stated Dr. Red Duke, the emergency physician who treated him.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, The assault
Tuck and Turner dragged Ritcheson outside, stripped him naked, burned him with cigarettes, and attempted to engrave a swastika into Ritcheson's chest. Tuck kicked Ritcheson with steel-toed boots and forced the pointed end of a PVC patio umbrella pole up his rectum several inches while yelling racial slurs. After the sodomy ended, the perpetrators poured bleach on the victim's body to conceal the evidence of the crime. The attack lasted five hours. Ritcheson was left lying behind the house for more than 10 hours before he was found and an ambulance was called. Ritcheson suffered from extensive injuries including a perforated bladder. The night after the assault, Ritcheson's lungs failed, and he was placed on a ventilator. According to Harris County prosecutor Mike Trent, the attackers may have poured bleach inside the pipe as high levels of toxins were found in Ritcheson's organs.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, Aftermath, Conviction and legal punishment
After being contacted by the Anti- Defamation League (ADL) and agreeing to make his name public, Ritcheson went to Washington, D.C., and on April 17, 2007, testified to the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee about passing more stringent hate crime laws.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, Aftermath, Conviction and legal punishment
In December 2006, Tuck and Turner were both convicted of aggravated sexual assault. Tuck, who was described by prosecutors as a white supremacist, was sentenced to life in prison, and Turner was sentenced to 90 years. Turner unsuccessfully appealed his conviction to the 14th Court of Appeals for the State of Texas. On March 20, 2008, the Court of Appeals issued its opinion affirming Turner's conviction. Both Tuck and Turner must serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, Aftermath, Conviction and legal punishment
As of 2015 Tuck is incarcerated at the Ramsey Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and has the TDCJ ID 01403389. His parole eligibility date is April 22, 2036. As of 2015 Turner is incarcerated at the Wallace Pack Unit and has the TDCJ ID 01404515. Turner's parole eligibility date is April 24, 2036, and his tentative release date is April 24, 2096.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, Aftermath, Hospitalization
After a lengthy recovery, which included a three-month stint in the hospital and more than 12 surgeries, Ritcheson refused professional counseling and never spoke about his experiences with his friends. During an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Ritcheson stated:


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, Aftermath, Hospitalization
I shouldn't care what people think. But it's like everyone knows I'm 'the kid'. I don't want to be a standout because of what happened.


2006 Harris County, Texas hate crime assault, Aftermath, Death
On the morning of July 1, 2007, Ritcheson committed suicide by jumping from the deck of the Carnival Ecstasy, a cruise ship bound for the Mexican resort island of Cozumel. He was 18 years old. The Ritcheson family's attorney, Carlos Leon, confirmed his death.


2006 Harrogate Borough Council election
The 2006 Harrogate Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Harrogate Borough Council in North Yorkshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.


2006 Harrogate Borough Council election, Background
Before the election the Conservatives controlled the council with 29 of the 54 seats. 19 seats were contested in the election, with the Conservatives defending 8, the Liberal Democrats 9 and independents 2. The Conservatives stood in every ward, while the Liberal Democrats contested 18 of the 19 wards. A Conservative cabinet member Alan Skidmore stepped down as a councillor at the election after previously representing Ripon Spa ward.


2006 Harrogate Borough Council election, Election result
The results saw the Conservatives lose their majority on the council after losing 3 seats. They finished with 27 seats, half of the 54 seats, after Bilton and Knaresborough King James were gained by the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives also lost another seat in Ripon to an independent, but did gain High Harrogate from the Liberal Democrats. This meant the Liberal Democrats ended with 22 seats and there were 5 independents, after the independents won all 3 seats in Ripon. Overall turnout was nearly 40%, a little above the national average.


2006 Hart District Council election
The 2006 Hart Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Hart District Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


2006 Hart District Council election, Election result
The results saw 2 seats change hands with the Community Campaign (Hart) (CCH) group winning them both. One gain saw the Conservatives lose the seat of Church Crookham East, which Peter Hutcheson had held for the Conservatives for over 20 years, to the CCH. The other gain saw the CCH win Crondall by 2 votes over the Conservatives, gaining the seat which had formerly been held by Independent Norman Lambert. Lambert had resigned from the Conservative group in 2005 after admitting making false claims for council tax and housing benefit. The changes meant that the Conservatives remained the largest party on the council with 16 seats but were vulnerable to a coalition among the other groups. Overall turnout in the election was 39.35%.


2006 Hart District Council election, Election result
Following the election the Conservative administration of the council, which had run the council for the previous 8 years, was voted out. They were replaced by a new Coalition Political Group, which was formed by the 12 Liberal Democrats, 5 Community Campaign (Hart) councillors and 1 of the 2 Independents, Denis Gotel. The leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, David Neighbour, became leader of the new group and the new leader of the council.


2006 Harvard Crimson football team
The 2006 Harvard Crimson football team represented Harvard University in the 2006 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Harvard finished the season with an overall record of 7–3, placing third among Ivy league teams with a conference mark of 4–3.


2006 Hastings Borough Council election
Elections to Hastings Borough Council were held on 4 May 2006. Half of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party gained overall control of the council from no overall control. Overall turnout was 37.6%. After the election, the composition of the council was:


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships
The 2006 Hastings Direct International Championships was a women's tennis tournament played on grass courts at the Eastbourne Tennis Centre in Eastbourne in the United Kingdom that was part of Tier II of the 2006 WTA Tour. It was the 32nd edition of the tournament and was held from June 19 through June 24, 2006. Justine Henin-Hardenne won the singles.


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships, Finals, Doubles
Svetlana Kuznetsova /  Amélie Mauresmo defeated  Liezel Huber /  Martina Navratilova 6–2, 6–4


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships – Doubles
Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs were the defending champions but they competed with different partners that year, Raymond with Samantha Stosur and Stubbs with Nathalie Dechy.


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships – Doubles
Dechy and Stubbs lost in the first round to Liezel Huber and Martina Navratilova.


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships – Doubles
Raymond and Stosur lost in the semifinals to Huber and Navratilova.


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships – Doubles
Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amélie Mauresmo won in the final 6–2, 6–4 against Huber and Navratilova.


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships – Singles
The Singles competition of the 2006 Hastings Direct International Championships was part of the 32nd edition of the Eastbourne International tennis tournament, Tier II of the 2006 WTA Tour. Kim Clijsters was the defending champion but lost in the semifinals to Justine Henin-Hardenne. Henin-Hardenne won in the final 4–6, 6–1, 7–6(7–5) against Anastasia Myskina.


2006 Hastings Direct International Championships – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top four seeds received a bye to the second round.


2006 Hat Yai bombings
The 2006 Hat Yai bombings took place in Hat Yai, Songkhla Province, Thailand on 16 September 2006 and are believed to be part of the ongoing South Thailand insurgency. At least four people were killed and 82 were injured. The attacks were similar to the 2005 Songkhla bombings.


2006 Hat Yai bombings, The attacks
The attack consisted of six bombs which were detonated at around 9:30 pm in the Ocean Department Store, in front of the Brown Sugar Pub, a car parking building, Big C shopping mall, the Lee Garden Hotel and Diana Department Store. The bombs were planted on motorcycles and were triggered by mobile phone. The attacks have marred a day which was supposed to have been dominated by a military peace rally held in the south.


2006 Hat Yai bombings, Casualties
Among those killed were a Malaysian, a Canadian and two Thai people. A number of other civilians were injured and taken to the hospital where some officials complained that there was not enough blood for them, the Xin Hua news agency reported at .


2006 Hat Yai bombings, Suspects
It is assumed that the South Thailand insurgency carried out the attacks. While no terrorist organisation took responsibility for the bombings, General Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhaya indicated that Thai authorities had expected bomb attacks in Hat Yai sometime between 16 and 20 September to mark the first anniversary of the Gerakan Mujahidin Islam Patani (GMIP) separatist movement, which is a splinter group of the Gerakan Mujahidin Patani.


2006 Havant Borough Council election
The 2006 Havant Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Havant Borough Council in Hampshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.


2006 Havant Borough Council election, Background
After the last election in 2004 the Conservatives had 27 seats, compared to 6 for Labour and 5 for the Liberal Democrats. However, in 2005 a Liberal Democrat councillor for Hart Plain, Ron Purkis, defected to the Conservatives.


2006 Havant Borough Council election, Election result
The Conservatives increased their majority on the council to hold 30 of the 38 seats on the council after getting a swing in their favour. Labour lost 2 seats in Leigh Park, with sitting councillors Ralph Cousins and Barry Gardner losing to the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats respectively. Overall turnout at the election was 33.5%.


2006 Havant Borough Council election, Election result
Following the election Conservative David Gillett remained as leader of the council after surviving a leadership challenge within the Conservative group from David Guest by 4 votes.


2006 Havant Borough Council election, By-elections between 2006 and 2007, Battins
A by-election was held in Battins ward on 2 November 2006 after the death of Conservative councillor Jane Rayner. The seat was gained for the Liberal Democrats by Faith Ponsonby with a majority of 137 votes.


2006 Havant Borough Council election, By-elections between 2006 and 2007, Hart Plain
A by-election was held in Hart Plain ward on 30 November 2006 after Liberal Democrat councillor Tricia Pearce resigned from the council. Conservative Elaine Shimbart gained the seat from the Liberal Democrats by a majority of 246 votes.


2006 Havering London Borough Council election
Elections for Havering London Borough Council were held on 4 May 2006.


2006 Havering London Borough Council election
In London council elections, the entire council is elected every four years, as opposed to some local elections where one councillor is elected every year for three of the four years.


2006 Hawaii Bowl
The 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was a college football bowl game that was a part of the 2006-2007 bowl game schedule of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the fifth Hawaiʻi Bowl played, and was sponsored by Sheraton Hotels and Resorts. It was played on December 24, 2006, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. The game matched the Arizona State Sun Devils against the Hawaiʻi Warriors, and was televised on ESPN.


2006 Hawaii Bowl
Hawaiʻi won the contest, 41–24, finishing the season with eleven wins, tying the school record for most wins in a season with the 1992 Rainbow Warriors team that went 11–2.


2006 Hawaii Bowl
This game received extra attention because Hawaiʻi quarterback Colt Brennan was poised to set the NCAA single-season record for touchdown passes in a season. Entering the game, Brennan had 53 touchdown passes, one short of University of Houston quarterback David Klingler's mark of 54 set in 1990. Brennan finished the game having completed 33-of-42 passes for 559 yards and five touchdowns, setting the new single-season record at 58. He shared MVP honors with wide receiver Jason Rivers, who tied a school mark with 14 receptions and set a record with 308 receiving yards, the most in a college bowl game since the NCAA began keeping official records in 1937.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team
The 2006 Hawaii Warriors football team represented the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Warriors tied the school record for most victories in a season with 11, with their only losses coming against Alabama in Tuscaloosa, an undefeated Boise State team that went on to participate in the Bowl Championship Series and Oregon State, which won ten games and finished the season nationally ranked.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team
The Warriors finished in second place in the Western Athletic Conference behind Boise State and returned to the Hawaii Bowl after missing out on postseason play in 2005 due to a losing record. The Warriors defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils in the bowl game by a score of 41–24 to round out one of the school's most successful football seasons ever.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team
Junior quarterback Colt Brennan returned from a breakout 2005 campaign to put together statistically one of the best seasons of any quarterback in college football history. Brennan would end up setting NCAA single-season records for touchdown passes in a season (58) and passing efficiency rating (185.96) on his way to a sixth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting, WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors and numerous All-America honors as well. Head coach June Jones would go on to be named WAC Coach of the Year and the Warriors would place nine players on the All-WAC first team as a result of the team's outstanding play throughout the season.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, 2005 recap
Hawaii finished the 2005 season with a 5–7 record, going 4–4 in WAC play. The losing record was the first for Hawaii since 2000 and the team did not play in a bowl game for the first time since 2002. The 2006 Warriors returned nine starters from an offense that ranked No. 11 in the nation in total offense while the defense returned six players from a unit that was ranked No. 102 in the nation under defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville. The 2005 season began with blowout losses versus Southern California and at Michigan State and included heartbreaking defeats at home to Boise State and Fresno State.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Pre-season
The Warriors were picked to finish fourth in the WAC by both the Preseason Media Poll and the Preseason Coaches Poll behind Nevada, Fresno State and Boise State.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Pre-season
Colt Brennan was voted the WAC's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after a breakout 2005 campaign that saw him set 11 Hawaii offensive records and lead the nation in passing yards (4,301 yards) and total yards (371.2 YPG.)


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Alabama (SEC)
John Parker Wilson threw for 253 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate start as Alabama got a late defensive stand to hold off Hawaii 25–17.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Alabama (SEC)
Leigh Tiffin added three field goals for the Crimson Tide, which had two apparent touchdowns overturned on replay challenges by Hawaii.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Alabama (SEC)
Wilson started slowly, completing only four of 10 passes for 80 yards in the first half. Looking more comfortable after halftime, he was 12-of-19 attempts for 173 yards and a 35-yard touchdown pass to Keith Brown.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Alabama (SEC)
Down by a touchdown and 2-point conversion late in the fourth quarter, Hawaii drove the ball to the Alabama 26 with 13 seconds left. On fourth down with 1 second remaining, Colt Brennan lofted a pass to the goal line, where the Tide's Lionel Mitchell jumped for an interception to preserve the win.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Alabama (SEC)
In June 2009 Alabama was forced to vacate this win along with 20 others occurring from 2005 to 2007 after violating NCAA regulations.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, UNLV (MWC)
Colt Brennan threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns while running in another score as Hawaii defeated UNLV 42–13.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, UNLV (MWC)
Davone Bess caught 10 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown and Nate Ilaoa ran for 104 yards and two scores for the Warriors (1–1), who racked up 583 yards of total offense, including 359 in the first half.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, UNLV (MWC)
The Warriors raced to a 42–0 lead behind Brennan's hot hand. He was 24-of-35 before coming out of the game, along with the rest of Hawaii's offensive starters, late in the third quarter.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, UNLV (MWC)
The loss was UNLV's 11th straight on the road. The Rebels haven't won an away game since beating Brigham Young 24–20 on Oct. 8, 2004.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Boise State (WAC/Rivalry)
Jared Zabransky threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns and Ian Johnson ran for 178 yards and two scores as Boise State defeated Hawaii 41–34.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Boise State (WAC/Rivalry)
The Broncos (4–0) won the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams for their 48th win in their 50 games on their home blue turf.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Boise State (WAC/Rivalry)
Hawaii (1–2) trailed by 18 points in the second quarter, but closed to 34–27 early in the fourth on Colt Brennan's 14-yard pass to Davone Bess on fourth down. After Hawaii botched an extra point try in the second quarter, Orlando Scandrick came up with the ball in the ensuing scramble and went 88 yards for a two-point defensive conversion, repeating a feat he accomplished last season at Hawaii that gave the Broncos the final margin in that wild 44–41 win.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Boise State (WAC/Rivalry)
Brennan completed 25 of 36 passes for 388 yards and five touchdowns and an interception. But he also fumbled as Hawaii was driving in the fourth quarter for the tie, and Boise State's Gerald Alexander recovered.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Boise State (WAC/Rivalry)
Had Hawaii not had so many miscues in the kicking game, Hawaii would have had the opportunity to win the game.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Boise State (WAC/Rivalry)
Boise State had 515 total offensive yards to Hawaii's 476. Boise had 308 yards of offense in the first half, 150 rushing and 158 passing. Hawaii had 267 total yards in the first half, 232 on passing.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Eastern Illinois (FCS)
Colt Brennan threw for 409 yards and five first-half touchdowns as Hawaii coasted past Division I-Championship Subdivision (formerly known as I-AA) Eastern Illinois 44–9.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Eastern Illinois (FCS)
The Warriors (2–2) aired it out against the Panthers (2–3), scoring early and often. Hawaii attempted 38 passes and called just one run play in the first half, while jumping out a 34–9 lead. Brennan passed for 369 yards in the one-sided half and led the Warriors to a 32-point lead before being taken out midway through the third quarter.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Eastern Illinois (FCS)
Before a sparse crowd of 22,480, the Warriors put up 571 yards of offense compared with the Panthers' 291.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Eastern Illinois (FCS)
The Panthers were playing their second Bowl Subdivision opponent this season. They lost at Illinois 42–17 on Sept. 2.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Nevada (WAC)
Colt Brennan threw four first-half touchdown passes and ran for another score as Hawaii held on to a 41–34 victory over Nevada.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Nevada (WAC)
Nate Ilaoa carried 14 times for 151 yards and caught eight passes for 68 yards as the Warriors (3–2, 1–1 Western Athletic Conference) snapped the Wolf Pack's three-game winning streak.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Nevada (WAC)
Brennan's 7-yard run in the fourth quarter put Hawaii up 41–21 and helped seal the win. He finished the night 36-of-47 for 419 yards, moving into second place on Hawaii's career passing list.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Nevada (WAC)
Hawaii took control in the first half with its offense and relied on its defense to hold off a late rally by Nevada (3–3, 0–2) on a muggy, windless night at Aloha Stadium.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Fresno State (WAC/Rivalry)
Colt Brennan picked apart Fresno State's defense, throwing for 409 yards, and matched a season-high five touchdowns in Hawaii's 68–37 victory over the Bulldogs.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Fresno State (WAC/Rivalry)
Hawaii (4–2, 2–1 Western Athletic Conference) picked up its first win over Fresno State (1–5, 1–2) in three years. Two seasons ago, Fresno State rolled to a 70–14 victory over Hawaii at Bulldog Stadium.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Fresno State (WAC/Rivalry)
Hawaii's defense stepped up in the first quarter forcing two fumbles that later resulted in touchdowns. Ikaika Alama-Francis recovered Dwayne Wright's fumble at the Bulldogs 24. Four plays later, Nate Illaoa scored his second TD on a 5-yarder.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Fresno State (WAC/Rivalry)
Fresno State's only lead came in the first quarter when Tom Brandstater hit Bear Pascoe for a 75-yard touchdown pass. Sean Norton, who took over for Tom Brandstater in the second quarter, was 14-of-24 for 225 yards and three touchdowns.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, New Mexico State (WAC)
Colt Brennan threw for five touchdowns and 330 yards and Hawaii never had to punt in a 49–30 win over New Mexico State.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, New Mexico State (WAC)
Brennan, who came into the game second in the country in total offense behind New Mexico State's Chase Holbrook, methodically picked apart the porous Aggies defense. He completed 22 of 31 passes, with no interceptions.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, New Mexico State (WAC)
Hawaii (5–2, 3–1 WAC) took control early in handing New Mexico State (2–5, 0–3 WAC) its 18th straight loss to a Division I-A opponent.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, New Mexico State (WAC)
Brennan completed his first nine passes, including a 34-yard TD pass to wide receiver Ross Dickerson that gave the Warriors a 14–0 lead with 2:09 left in the first quarter. Dickerson also caught a 36-yard scoring pass. Brennan's other touchdown passes were to Davone Bess for 16 yards, 9 yards to Ian Sample and 13 yards to Jason Rivers.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
Colt Brennan threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns and Ross Dickerson returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown as Hawaii rolled to a 68–10 win over Idaho.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
The victory was Hawaii's fifth straight and gave the Warriors (6–2, 4–1 Western Athletic Conference) sole possession of second place in the WAC standings behind No. 15 Boise State, which had a bye.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
The Warriors, ranked No. 1 in the nation in total offense and No. 2 in scoring, had their way behind Brennan's sharp passing.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
He was 31-of-38 and picked apart Idaho's defense before he was replaced in the third quarter with a 38-point lead. Brennan also rushed five times for 63 yards.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
Brennan had scoring passes of 10, 2, 18, 34 and 11 yards to five different players to push his NCAA-leading TD passes to 33. He has passed for 1,920 yards and 24 TDs with just one interception during Hawaii's winning streak.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
The Warriors scored just eight seconds into the game on Dickerson's 100-yard kickoff return. Dickerson, who had a 100-yard return against Appalachian State in 2003, caught the ball at the goal line, followed a wall of blockers and sprinted untouched down the left sideline.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
Hawaii punted just once, late in the game. It was the Warriors' first punt in two games.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Idaho (WAC)
Idaho (4–5, 3–2) came into the game tied with Hawaii for second in the WAC and couldn't get much going against Hawaii's aggressive defense.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
Colt Brennan threw for 413 yards and six touchdowns while setting two school records as Hawaii beat Utah State 63–10.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
Brennan's six touchdown passes gives him 39 for the year, the most in a single season. Timmy Chang held the previous mark of 38 set in 2004.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
Brennan also set a record for the most pass attempts without an interception. Before being intercepted by Utah State safety Terrance Washington in the third quarter, Brennan had thrown 182 times without an interception.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
Chang held the previous record of 178, which was also set in 2004.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
Running back Nate Ilaoa caught two of Brennan's touchdown passes and rushed for another score for Hawaii (7–2, 5–1 Western Athletic Conference), which has won seven straight.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
Ilaoa caught six passes for 155 yards and Ryan Grice-Mullen had four catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
Kevin Robinson caught five passes for 84 yards for Utah State (1–8, 1–4), which had four turnovers.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Utah State (WAC)
After the game, Hawaii accepted an invitation to the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, making the Warriors the first team to receive and accept a bowl invitation in 2006.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Louisiana Tech (WAC)
Colt Brennan threw for 406 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 60 yards and another score as Hawaii scored 52 straight points and beat Louisiana Tech 61–17.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Louisiana Tech (WAC)
The victory was Hawaii's seventh straight and kept the Warriors (8–2, 6–1 Western Athletic Conference) in second place in the WAC behind No. 14 Boise State.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Louisiana Tech (WAC)
The Warriors fell behind 10–9 before their wide-open offense got going in the second quarter against the Bulldogs (3–7, 1–4)


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Louisiana Tech (WAC)
The surging Hawaii Bowl-bound Warriors entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in total offense (534 yards a game), passing (429) and scoring (47.3).


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Louisiana Tech (WAC)
Brennan was 27-of-40 and threw TD passes of 18, 13, 19 and 3 yards to four different players before sitting out the final quarter with the game in hand.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Louisiana Tech (WAC)
He now has 43 touchdown passes for the season and needs just 11 TD passes to tie the NCAA record of 54 set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990. He has four games left in the season, including the Hawaii Bowl.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Louisiana Tech (WAC)
The Warriors were without starting running back Nate Ilaoa who has a sprained ankle. But 300-pound Reagan Mauia filled in nicely with six carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, San Jose State (WAC)
Colt Brennan passed for 402 yards and five touchdowns as Hawaii rolled to its eighth straight victory by beating San Jose State 54–17


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, San Jose State (WAC)
Nate Ilaoa had 100 yards rushing and 66 yards receiving for the Warriors (9–2, 7–1 Western Athletic Conference) who kept alive their hopes for a WAC title. Hawaii needs No. 13 Boise State to lose next week to Nevada for a share of the conference championship.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, San Jose State (WAC)
Hawaii racked up 568 yards of offense while holding San Jose State to 192.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, San Jose State (WAC)
The Spartans (6–4, 3–3) kept it competitive until the Brennan broke the game open in the second half with four straight touchdown passes.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, San Jose State (WAC)
Brennan, who also had a rushing touchdown, completed 28-of-39 passes. He now has 48 TD passes this season and is six shy of tying the NCAA season mark of 54 held by Houston's David Klingler in 1990.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Purdue (Big Ten)
Colt Brennan threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winning 23-yarder to Ian Sample with 1:27 left, and No. 25 Hawaii rallied to beat Purdue 42–35.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Purdue (Big Ten)
The win was the ninth straight for the Warriors (10–2), a school record for a single season. It was also the 63rd for Hawaii coach June Jones, which ties him with Dick Tomey as the second winningest coach in school history.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Purdue (Big Ten)
Brennan finished 33-of-48 for 434 yards with TD passes of 14, 5, and 23 yards in the final quarter. He is now just three TD passes shy of tying former Houston quarterback David Klingler's NCAA single-season touchdown mark of 54 set in 1990.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Purdue (Big Ten)
The Warriors have won by an average margin of 35.5 points in the previous eight games, but had all it could handle against the Boilermakers.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Purdue (Big Ten)
Nate Ilaoa rushed 12 times for 159 yards and two first-half touchdowns for the Hawaii-bowl bound Warriors. He also had two costly fumbles that led to 14 points for Purdue (8–5).


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Purdue (Big Ten)
Purdue, headed to the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl, concluded the regular season against an opponent other than Indiana for the second time since 1919. The Boilermakers finished their 2001 season against Notre Dame.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Purdue (Big Ten)
Hawaii finished second in the Western Athletic Conference with No. 12 Boise State's 38–7 victory over Nevada earlier in the day.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Oregon State (Pac-10)
Matt Moore passed for three touchdowns and Sabby Piscitelli had two interceptions as Oregon State upset No. 24 Hawaii 35–32.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Oregon State (Pac-10)
The Beavers (9–4) snapped the Warriors' winning streak at nine and became the first team to beat Hawaii (10–3) since Boise State on Sept. 23.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Oregon State (Pac-10)
Moore was 11-of-17 for 245 yards and outshone Brennan, who finished one touchdown pass shy of tying the NCAA single-season mark of 54 set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990. Brennan still has the Hawaii Bowl for another shot at the record.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Oregon State (Pac-10)
Brennan finished 37-of-50 for 401 yards and two TDs but his pass attempt on fourth-and-14 from Oregon State's 26 fell short and so did Hawaii's comeback.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Oregon State (Pac-10)
The loss was the first at Aloha Stadium this season.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Game capsules, Oregon State (Pac-10)
The Warriors will play another Pac-10 opponent, Arizona State, in the Dec. 24 Hawaii Bowl. The Beavers play in the Sun Bowl Dec. 29 against Missouri.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Colt Brennan broke the NCAA single-season record for touchdown passes with 58, throwing five in the second half to lead Hawaii to a 41–24 victory over Arizona State in the Hawaii Bowl.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Brennan, 33-of-42 for 559 yards, threw a 7-yard scoring pass to Ryan Grice-Mullen on the Warriors' second series of the second half to break the previous mark of 54 set by Houston's David Klingler in 1990, also against the Sun Devils.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Brennan tied the record with his 54th TD pass on the previous series, throwing a 38-yard scoring pass to Jason Rivers.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Brennan and Rivers, selected the co-MVPs for Hawaii, also teamed on the final touchdown pass, a 79-yarder late in the fourth quarter. Rivers finished the game with 308 yards on 14 catches, the most in a college bowl game since 1937, which is as far as the record books go back.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Brennan also set the WAC single-season record for most passing yards (5,549), which was previously held by BYU's Ty Detmer in 1990.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
The Warrior offense racked up a season high 680 total yards, while the defense held Arizona State to 391 yards, sacked Sun Devil quarterback Rudy Carpenter four times, and forced two fumbles, one in the red zone halting an ASU drive, and another which led to a field goal.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Brennan finished the season with 5,549 yards to become just the third quarterback in college history with 5,000 yards and 50 TDs in a season, joining Klingler and Texas Tech's B.J. Symons.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Hawaii (11–3) matched the school mark for most wins in a season, set in 1992 when the team went 11–2. The Sun Devils (7–6) concluded their disappointing season, unable to send coach Dirk Koetter out with a win. He coached his final game after being fired the previous month. Dennis Erickson has been hired to take over the team.


2006 Hawaii Warriors football team, Postseason: 2006 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Arizona State (Pac-10)
Head coach June Jones recorded his 64th victory in eight seasons at the Warrior helm, making him the school's all-time winningest coach, surpassing Dick Tomey who amassed 63 wins in 10 seasons.


2006 Hawaii gubernatorial election
The 2006 Hawaii gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Linda Lingle was the first Republican to be elected governor of Hawaii since 1962. Although 2006 was a strong election year for Democrats, Lingle won re-election by a landslide owing to an economic rebound in the state that occurred during her tenure after a shaky decade for the state economy during the 1990s and early 2000s. As of 2021, this is the last time a Republican was elected Governor of Hawaii or won any other statewide elected office in Hawaii.


2006 Hawaii gubernatorial election, External links, Internal
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2006 Hawthorn Football Club season
The 2006 season was the Hawthorn Football Club's 82nd season in the Australian Football League and 105th overall.


2006 Hazfi Cup Final
The 2006 Hazfi Cup Final was a two-legged football tie in order to determine the 2005–06 Hazfi Cup champion of Iranian football clubs. Persepolis faced Sepahan in this final game. The first leg took place on September 13, 2006 at 17:40 local time (UTC+3:30) at Azadi Stadium in Tehran and the second leg took place on September 22, 2006 at 15:00 local time (UTC+3:30) at Naghsh Jahan Stadium, Esfahan.


2006 Hazfi Cup Final, Format
The rules for the final were exactly the same as the one in the previous knockout rounds. The tie was contested over two legs with away goals deciding the winner if the two teams were level on goals after the second leg. If the teams could still not be separated at that stage, then extra time would have been played with a penalty shootout (taking place if the teams were still level after extra time).


2006 Heartland Championship
The 2006 Heartland Championship was an amateur rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was the first season of the competition, a direct successor to the Second and Third Divisions of the country's former rugby competition, the National Provincial Championship. The competition featured 12 teams, divided into two pools of six teams.


2006 Heartland Championship
At the end of Round 1, the top three teams from each pool contested the Meads Cup, and the bottom three from each pool contested the Lochore Cup. Competition points from Round 1 carried over to Round 2, in which each team in each cup competition played a round-robin with the three teams it did not play in Round 1. At the end of Round 2, the top four teams in each cup competition entered a single-elimination playoff for the Meads and Lochore Cups. The cups were named after Colin Meads and Brian Lochore, both legendary players for the country's national team, the All Blacks.


2006 Heartland Championship
The inaugural Meads Cup champion was Wairarapa Bush, and Poverty Bay lifted the first Lochore Cup.


2006 Heartland Championship, Round 1, Standings
The top three places in each pool, highlighted in blue, advanced to the Meads Cup. The remaining teams entered the Lochore Cup.


2006 Heineken Cup Final
The 2006 Heineken Cup Final was a rugby union match played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, on 20 May 2006, to determine the winners of the 2005–06 Heineken Cup, European rugby's premier club competition. The match was contested by Irish province Munster and French side Biarritz. It was the 11th Heineken Cup final overall and the third final appearance for Munster (their first since 2002, when they lost 15–9 to Leicester Tigers), while Biarritz were competing in their first final. It was the second time the Millennium Stadium had hosted the Heineken Cup final, the other being in 2002, and the fourth to take place in Cardiff, including finals played at the old Cardiff Arms Park.


2006 Heineken Cup Final
Each team needed to progress through the group stage and two knockout rounds to reach the final, playing nine matches in total. Biarritz and Munster each won their respective groups to qualify for the quarter-finals. Biarritz then beat Sale Sharks in the quarter-finals and Bath in the semis, while Munster beat Perpignan in their quarter-final and fellow Irish province Leinster in their semi. Chris White, representing the Rugby Football Union, was the referee for the match, which was played under a closed roof in front of 74,534 spectators.


2006 Heineken Cup Final
Biarritz scored first through a Sireli Bobo try, converted by Dimitri Yachvili, in the 2nd minute. Munster scored a penalty goal through Ronan O'Gara in the 7th minute and took the lead 10 minutes later, when Trevor Halstead scored a try that was converted by O'Gara. Yachvili scored a penalty for Biarritz to level the match at 10–10, before Munster scored their second try courtesy of Peter Stringer (again converted by O'Gara) to give them a 17–10 half-time lead.


2006 Heineken Cup Final
In the second half, O'Gara extended Munster's lead to 10 points with his second penalty of the game, but Yachvili reduced Biarritz's deficit to one point with three unanswered penalties in the space of 22 minutes; however, another penalty for O'Gara in the 73rd minute pushed Munster further back in front. There were no further scores, giving Munster a 23–19 win and their first Heineken Cup title.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Background
The Heineken Cup, the premier club competition of European rugby, was established by the Five Nations Committee in 1995 as a new competition for professional rugby clubs across Europe. Its first 10 seasons were dominated by English and French clubs, who won 9 of the 10 titles, Ulster the sole Irish victors in 1999. In 2005–06, the participating teams were drawn from the English Premiership, the Irish/Scottish/Welsh Celtic League, the Italian Super 10 and the French Top 14 based on their domestic performance the previous season.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Background
In the 10 previous Heineken Cup finals, the only previous meeting between an Irish side and a French one was in Ulster's 21–6 win over Colomiers. This was Munster's third final in the competition and their first since 2002, when they lost 15–9 to Leicester Tigers. They had also lost 9–8 to another English side, Northampton Saints, in the 2000 final. Meanwhile, Biarritz were appearing in their first Heineken Cup final and were thus also aiming to win their first Heineken Cup.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Background
The two teams had met each other twice before in the competition; Munster had won their first encounter in the competition 38–29 in the quarter-finals of the 2000–01 Heineken Cup, while Biarritz won the other match at the same stage of the 2004–05 tournament. Approximately 15,000 Munster fans watched the match on a giant screen in O'Connell Street, Limerick.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final
The 2005–06 Heineken Cup featured 24 teams from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy, who were drawn into six groups of four teams each. Teams were awarded four points for a win and two for a draw, with bonuses awarded to teams scoring four of more tries, and/or losing by seven or fewer points. The winners of each of the six groups as well as the two highest-placed runners-up qualified for the quarter-finals. The knockout stage then progressed as a single-elimination tournament.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Biarritz
Biarritz were drawn into Pool 4 with Italian club Benetton Treviso, English side Saracens and Ulster from Ireland. Their campaign started with a 22–10 loss away to Saracens at Vicarage Road on 23 October 2005, but they responded with a bonus-point victory at home to Ulster at Parc des Sports Aguiléra six days later, winning 33–19 to go top of the pool.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Biarritz
Two more bonus-point wins in back-to-back games against Benetton followed in December, winning 34–7 on matchday 3 with the bonus point secured shortly after half-time, before scoring six tries in the reverse fixture at Stadio Comunale di Monigo six days later as they won 38–24. On matchday 5, Biarritz faced Ulster at Ravenhill; Biarritz won 24–8 to end Ulster's run of 14 matches without defeat at home. In the final pool match at home to Saracens eight days later, Biarritz against scored six tries to win 43–13 and guarantee a place in the quarter-finals as pool winners.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Biarritz
Due to Heineken Cup regulations that knockout matches had to be played at a neutral venue, Biarritz's quarter-final against Sale Sharks on 2 April was played at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián. A penalty goal by Dimitri Yachvili gave Biarritz the lead midway through the first half. Charlie Hodgson equalised for Sale five minutes later, only for Yachvili to restore Biarritz's lead moments later. A try from Sireli Bobo gave the home side an 11–3 lead at half-time.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Biarritz
Hodgson scored a second penalty for Sale with five minutes left to play, but Biarritz held on to win 11–6 and qualify for the semi-finals. As Biarritz were the higher-seeded team in the semi-finals, their match against Bath was again played at the Anoeta but this time in wet conditions. Yachvili scored two penalties in the first 16 minutes, before Chris Malone pulled one back for Bath.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Biarritz
The pair then scored another penalty each to give Biarritz a 9–6 lead at the end of the first half, and they increased their advantage to nine points in the first five minutes of the second half via another Yachvili penalty and a drop goal from Damien Traille. Malone kicked a third penalty for Bath in the 64th minute, but Yachvili restored Bath's lead two minutes from the end, giving them an 18–9 win and a place in their first Heineken Cup final.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Munster
Munster were drawn in Pool 1 with French side Castres, Newport Gwent Dragons from Wales and English club Sale Sharks. Like Biarritz, Munster began away from home against English opposition; at Edgeley Park in Stockport on 21 October 2005, Munster led 13–9 after 47 minutes, but second-half tries from Sililo Martens and Jason Robinson, and two penalties from Charlie Hodgson gave Sale a 27–13 win. A week later, Munster recorded a bonus-point 42–16 win at home to Castres at Thomond Park in Limerick to maintain their 21-match unbeaten run there in the Heineken Cup.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Munster
Munster picked up another win in the first of their back-to-back games against the Dragons at Rodney Parade on 10 December, although they missed out on the try-scoring bonus point in the 24–8 victory. In the return game at Thomond Park the following week, the Dragons had an 18–17 lead going into the final 15 minutes, but two penalties from Ronan O'Gara and a try by Jerry Flannery in the final minute gave Munster a 30–18 win, although they again missed out on the bonus point.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Munster
However, that was not a problem in the game against Castres at Stade Pierre-Antoine on 13 January 2006, when they scored seven tries, including two each for Paul O'Connell and Tomas O'Leary, to win 46–9. Munster went into their final match at home to Sale five points behind the visitors in the pool, needing to record a bonus-point victory and also deny Sale a losing bonus point to top the pool and guarantee qualification for the quarter-finals.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Munster
Victory was practically assured by half-time, as Munster took a 24–9 lead through tries from Anthony Foley, Ian Dowling and Barry Murphy, but the second half looked to be scoreless until two minutes past the regulation 80, when David Wallace scored the fourth try they needed to overtake Sale and win both the game and the pool.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Munster
As the fourth-seeded team from the pool stage, Munster were given a home draw in their quarter-final against Perpignan on 1 April, which was played at Lansdowne Road in Dublin due to the competition's neutral venue regulations.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Munster
Munster took the lead midway through the first half after O'Gara converted O'Connell's try, but Perpignan wing Matthieu Bourret converted his own try and added a penalty for the away side to give them a 10–7 half-time lead; however, four penalties from O'Gara in the space of 27 second-half minutes gave Munster a 19–10 win and put them into the semi-finals for the sixth time in seven seasons. Munster's semi-final opponents were Leinster, who had home advantage after knocking out the top-seeded team, Toulouse, in the quarters, meaning Munster returned to Lansdowne Road.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Route to the final, Munster
They had a 16–3 lead at half-time, thanks to a try from Denis Leamy and three penalties from O'Gara, while Leinster's only points came from the boot of Felipe Contepomi. The Argentine was again on target in the 71st minute, but late tries from O'Gara and Trevor Halstead gave Munster a 30–6 victory and a place in their third Heineken Cup final.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, Background
In May 2005, European Rugby Cup (ERC), the organisers of the Heineken Cup, awarded the right to host the 2006 final to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. It was the second time the stadium had hosted the Heineken Cup final and the fourth time in eleven years it had been staged in Cardiff. The Millennium Stadium had previously hosted the 2002 final between Tigers and Munster. The referee for the match was Chris White representing the Rugby Football Union (RFU).


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, Background
The 42-year-old became the first referee to take charge of three Heineken Cup finals, having officiated the 2003 and 2005 editions. White's assistants were touch judges Dave Pearson and Tony Spreadbury also representing the RFU. The television match official was the RFU's Geoff Warren and the citing commissioner was Bill Dunlop. Both clubs received an ticket allocation of 7,650 distributable by both sides from a total of 73,300. Tickets for adults were priced at £15, £25, £35 and £45 with concessions. Munster received an extra allocation of almost 3,000 tickets in early May 2006 to accommodate an increase of stadium capacity by 600 seats. A total of 48,000 were sold to the general public, 4,100 were distributed through the ERC's partners and 2,900 were sold as general hospitality packages.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, Background
Munster captain Anthony Foley said his team had "no divine right" to win the final and they would treat it as a normal fixture with "a 50–50 chance" of victory. lock Paul O'Connell said Munster would not alter their approach and would play with the same mindset they had in the previous rounds. He said the team were "ridiculously motivated" to win the final. O'Gara dismissed criticisms of Biarritz's style of play, saying: "I don't buy into this notion that they are a dour side."


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, Background
Munster coach Declan Kidney commented the fixture had "all the makings of a great game" and his club's sole option was to pay attention to themselves: "It is a pretty daunting task coming up against a side like Biarritz, and you never really know how it is going to pan out – it is just a brilliant opportunity for everyone involved."


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, Background
Fly-half Julien Peyrelongue said Biarritz were ready to win their first Heineken Cup: "The objective was to be at top form on May 20 and that’s what we will achieve. Since February we have been working hard physically to reach that level. We now have experience and the composure to cope with highly-pressured matches like this one." Damien Traille predicted a physical, intemperate match that would be won on finer details, adding: "we also have to perform better man for man and we have to take advantage of everything, even if we are only gaining centimetres at a time." Biarritz coach Patrice Lagisquet stated his side's recent league victory over Montpellier better prepared them to play Munster: "The fight that is awaiting us in Cardiff will be extremely difficult. The most important will be to remain concentrated and serious."


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, Background
Biarritz captain and hooker Benoît August was reported by citing commissioner John West for a purported eye-gouging on Danny Grewcock in the team's semi-final with Bath. The offence would have seen August banned anywhere between three months to two years but a disciplinary hearing deemed the complaint invalid since the citing commissioner and the match referee were not from separate countries as dictated by ERC tournament rules, clearing him for selection. Both teams announced their starting lineups on 19 May.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, Background
Christian Cullen was ruled unfit to play for Munster due to an ankle injury he sustained in a Celtic League match not healing sufficiently for him to play. Mike Mullins was also unavailable due to injury. Munster named Marcus Horan, John Kelly and O'Connell to the starting lineup despite all three players sustaining injuries. Federico Pucciariello was placed on reserve if Horan was deemed unfit, while Rob Henderson would replace Kelly if the latter could not play. Biarritz reported no injury worries. Thomas Lièvremont returned to play at number eight after missing Biarritz's semi-final with Bath due to injury, replacing Thierry Dusautoir.


2006 Heineken Cup Final, Match, First half
The match kicked off at 15:00 local time on 20 May 2006, in front of a Millennium Stadium crowd of 74,534 under a closed roof. Biarritz won possession at the start but August made a weak throw allowing David Wallace to win a line-out for Munster from which was cleared by O'Gara. In the second minute, Philippe Bidabé released himself from Kelly's grip and passed to Bobo. He ran to the left-hand corner and scored a try for Biarritz.