Fourteen All Blacks have been released to their provincial unions for the final round-robin stage of the National Provincial Championship, with veteran Beauden Barrett set to make a rare appearance for Taranaki against Wellington on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
Rugby fans across Aotearoa are watching the final weekend of the regular season as ten teams battle for the remaining eight playoff spots.
Which All Blacks Are Available for Provincial Duty in Round Ten?
Fourteen national squad members return to club colors for the tenth round. Bay of Plenty hosts North Harbour at Tauranga Domain on Sunday with Emoni Narawa and Fehi Fineanganofo anchoring the home side’s backline. The weekend kicks off on Thursday, October 1, as Otago welcomes Auckland to Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin with Saula Ma’u suiting up for Otago.
Friday night features Southland hosting Northland at Rugby Park in Invercargill, where Semisi Ta’eiloa lines up for the hosts and Simon Parker runs out for the Taniwha. Saturday’s slate includes Canterbury traveling to Palmerston North to face Manawatū with Sam Darry and George Bell. Counties Manukau squares off against Hawke’s Bay at Pukekohe, while Waikato meets Tasman at FMG Stadium Waikato, with Cortez Ratima representing Waikato and Noah Hotham alongside Timoci Tavatavanawai bolstering Tasman.
Beauden Barrett Returns to Taranaki
The 35-year-old veteran, who has 145 tests to his name, is one of 14 players released by the All Blacks for the NPC this weekend. Among the other players who toured South Africa for the recent test series and are ready for Taranaki duty are hooker Bradley Slater and first-five Josh Jacomb. The team plays Australia at Eden Park on 10 October and in Sydney a week later, with the squad to be named on Tuesday.
Following back surgery, his brother Scott—the former All Blacks captain—made a successful return for Taranaki during their 50-14 win against Hawke’s Bay on Sunday. With Jacomb also in the mix for Taranaki on Sunday, it is likely that Barrett will start at fullback.
Playoff Scenarios Stand for North Harbour and Canterbury
Any slip opens the door for Canterbury, which is sitting in second after grinding through the gears in the second half of the season.
Stakes for Northland, Hawke’s Bay, Otago, and Waikato
Northland heads south to Invercargill, though they currently boast the competition’s superior points differential and desperately need a win to secure a home quarterfinal. Southland is the opponent they must defeat while hoping both Harbour and Canterbury lose this weekend in order to claim the top spot, with 1st place being their ceiling. Eager to replicate the 2014 squad’s feat of ending the Steelers’ last shield reign at Pukekohe 12 years prior, Hawke’s Bay secured a shield challenge to cap off their regular season. Table-wise, the Magpies currently sit comfortably with one foot in a home quarterfinal, though they require a maximum-point victory to remove all doubt, as finishing as low as 7th remains mathematically possible. Otago shares the exact same points tally (32), but because Hawke’s Bay triumphed in their head-to-head regular season clash, the Magpies hold the tiebreaker.
Waikato simply have to win to guarantee a quarterfinal and win well to have any shot at a hosting slot, with a best possible finish of 3rd. Meanwhile, teams finish their regular season campaigns this weekend as ten teams vie for the top eight spots heading into the last round of the NPC regular season.