Taumoefolau's 18 Tries Cap Record-Breaking NPC Season as Quarter-Finals Begin

New Zealand's Hilux NPC has completed a record-breaking regular season, with crowds, television audiences and try-scoring numbers all reaching new heights ahead of the play-offs, which begin on Friday.

More than 300,000 supporters passed through stadium gates during the 10-round round robin, an increase of 57 per cent on 2025. Broadcast figures were equally impressive: 1.98 million New Zealanders watched coverage on Sky Sport and TVNZ, while streaming added another 4.35 million views across Sky Sport Now, Sky Go and TVNZ+. Online, provincial rugby channels gained more than 35,000 new followers and generated 92 million views, up 103 per cent on last year, with match highlights on the Provincial Rugby YouTube channel passing 1.8 million views.

The rugby matched the interest. Tasman winger Kyren Taumoefolau scored 18 tries across the round robin, breaking the previous single-season record of 15 set by Terry Wright back in 1984. In total, 645 tries were scored at an average of 61.6 points per match, making 2026 the highest-scoring regular season in NPC history.

The quarter-finals open on Friday when Northland host Taumoefolau's Tasman at Semenoff Stadium. North Harbour play Taranaki and Otago meet Hawke's Bay on Saturday, before Canterbury and Waikato contest the final semi-final place on Sunday.