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
Highlanders (rugby union) the early settlement period, particularly from the Celtic countries of Scotland and Ireland. Starting with the 2012 season, the Highlanders moved into the Forsyth Barr Stadium, opened in August 2011. It was built to replace their original home of Carisbrook, which was no longer suitable for international rugby, or as a venue for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Carisbrook Stadium Trust was established in 2006 to manage the planning and construction of a new stadium. The new stadium is not on the current Carisbrook site, but instead near the University of Otago and Otago Harbour. It is a roofed,