King Country Rugby Football Union King Country Rugby Football Union The King Country Rugby Football Union is a constituent union in the New Zealand Rugby Union. It is located in the central North Island of New Zealand. It was formed in 1922 when the South Auckland Rugby Union was split into three (the other two Unions formed were Waikato and Thames Valley). The King Country team play from Owen Delany Park, Taupo, Rugby Park, Te Kuiti and Taumarunui Domain, Taumarunui. King Country are like many other heartland unions have struggled since the start of professional era. In 1996, King Country were in the first division
Carisbrook since the 1990s, it could cater for both day and night fixtures. Known locally simply as "The Brook", it has been branded with the name "The House of Pain", due to its reputation as a difficult venue for visiting rugby teams. The stadium was home to both the Highlanders in Super Rugby and Otago in the ITM Cup through each side's respective 2011 season. It also hosted 38 All Blacks test matches. It is also the former home of Otago cricket, which moved to the University Oval at Logan Park in the north of the city after its redevelopment in