Today New Zealand Rugby announced the schedule for the upcoming 2023 Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) presented by Bunnings Warehouse.

Waikato’s Farah Palmer Cup campaign will kick off on the road facing provincial neighbors, Bay of Plenty Volcanix (Saturday 15^th July, 2:05pm), as Waikato will look to defend the Chiefs Country Cup, which they have had a firm grip on since winning it back in 2019.

The team then returns home in week 2 and will face defending champions, Canterbury (Saturday 22^nd July, 2:05pm), at St Paul’s Collegiate. This venue will host a couple of Waikato FPC home games during July and the early part of August, as FMG Stadium Waikato is unavailable due to commitments with FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Newly promoted Premiership side, Hawke’s Bay Tui’s (Saturday 29^th July, 2:05pm), are Waikato FPC third opponent as the team travels to Hawke’s Bay to face them before again returning home for their final game at St Paul’s Collegiate to defend the Chiefs Country Cup against northern neighbors, Counties Manukau Heat (Saturday 5^th August, 12:05pm).

Week 5 will be Waikato’s FPC BYE week before again traveling north to face the old foe, Auckland Storm (Sunday 20^th August, 2:05pm).

The final regular season game for Waikato FPC will be a double header at FMG Stadium Waikato that will see them kick the day off by facing Wellington Pride (Sunday 27^th August, 2:05pm), before Waikato NPC host Counties Manukau Steelers from 4:35pm.

The Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) presented by Bunnings Warehouse semi-finals will commence the first weekend of September.   

Article added: Tuesday 18 April 2023