West Coast Rugby Union sanctioned during Heartland Championship

West Coast Rugby Union has received a financial penalty and points sanction following a breach of Heartland Championship player eligibility rules. 

Following an investigation into player eligibility, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has confirmed that West Coast Rugby Union breached the competition regulations during the 2025 Heartland Championship. One player did not meet the minimum club game requirement outlined in the regulations, and the statutory declaration submitted ahead of the season was found to be inaccurate. 

NZR General Manager Community Rugby, Steve Lancaster, says player eligibility is a critical component of the Heartland Championship. 

“The Heartland Championship is an important part of grassroots rugby in New Zealand. It’s vital that the teams in this competition are representative of the communities they represent.” 

Lancaster says the decision reflects the seriousness of the breach and the Union’s previous history. 

“Based on the information available to us, the importance of the eligibility rules to the integrity of the competition, and previous breaches by the Union in 2010 and 2018, we have imposed a financial penalty of $5,000 and a 15 competition point sanction for the current season. The Union has accepted this.” 

West Coast Rugby Union Chief Executive, Josh Costello, says he is disappointed by the situation. 

“We fully accept the outcome of this investigation. I will now be looking into what happened in more detail and will take further action if needed to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” 

Costello acknowledges the impact the sanctions will have on the wider rugby community. 

“We were having a great season, and it’s heartbreaking that some poor decisions off the field will impact the final outcome for us. I am committed to rebuilding trust and integrity within our Union and the Heartland Championship so that next season we come back even stronger.”