Region
The team represents the provincial unions of Bay of Plenty, Counties Manukau, King Country, Thames Valley and Waikato. Originally the Chiefs also represented North Harbour and Northland, because when the Super 12 was created in 1995, a large contingent of New Zealand players came from Auckland, North Harbour and Counties Manukau.
Had the Auckland Blues been allowed to represent Auckland, North Harbour, Counties Manukau and Northland, they would have in effect been able to play a team of All Blacks in all but name. In an effort by the NZRU to make things more fair, the Chiefs were given North Harbour and Northland, while the Blues were given Counties Manukau and Thames Valley. By 1999, clear regional All Blacks dominance no longer existed, so the Chiefs arranged a swap with the Blues. North Harbour and Northland were "returned" to the Blues in exchange for Counties Manukau and Thames Valley.
Read more about this topic: Chiefs (rugby Union)
Famous quotes containing the word region:
“He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 3:3.
“Death is only a launching into the region of the strange Untried; it is but the first salutation to the possibilities of the immense Remote, the Wild, the Watery, the Unshored.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 2:8,9.