North Otago Rugby Football Union

National Provincial Championship

North Otago won the 3rd Division title in 2002 with a 43–19 win against Horowhenua-Kapiti, which took them into the 2nd Division for the 2003 season. North Otago made the 2nd Division semi-finals in 2003, 2004, and 2005 but losing all three.

In 2000, Glenn Moore took over the reins with Paddy Stewart. Moore, a former Mid Canterbury representative, had instant success with the side and only narrowly lost the final against East Coast 21–25. 2001 looked like North Otago's season, winning all of its seven games. However, in the final it was a disappointing four-point loss to South Canterbury 16–20. 2002 saw the North Otago Rugby Union celebrate its 75th jubilee and it indeed appropriate that in the 75th year of its existence the side should take the third division title beating Horowhenua 43-19 before an ecstatic crowd. 2003 and the challenges of Division Two was very much a daunting task. However, the team responded magnificently and finished in the top four but lost the semi-final to Hawke's Bay in Napier in controversial circumstances. The highlight of the season was a superb win against Counties-Manukau. 2004 saw North Otago once again playing above its weight making the semi-finals before going down to Nelson Bays.

Heartland Championship

In 2007, North Otago won the Meads Cup trophy in the Heartland Championship, defeating Wanganui 25–8. They also beat Wanganui in the 2010 final 39–18. All Finals were played at Centennial Park in Oamaru.

North Otago 2007 season

In 2006 North Otago lost in the semi-finals of the new Heartland Championship. But 2007 was a new year and North Otago were focused on making the final. North Otago's first game was against Buller in Oamaru, with North Otago taking it away 51–20. A trip to Gisborne led to a win over Poverty Bay 31–11. North Otago went back home for a Hanan Shield defence against South Canterbury, continuing their winning streak 26–7. Another home game saw North Otago beating East Coast 38–5.

In the next game North Otago went to Wanganui for a 39–16 win. King Country came down to play but they never got in the game and North Otago cruised out to a 52–5 lead. North Otago then lost 7-15 to Wairarapa Bush and 22-25 to Mid-Canterbury.

But the season was not over. North Otago had secured a home semi-final and it was against Wairarapa Bush. Last time the teams faced it was Wairarapa Bush who won, but in the semi-final North Otago were stronger and won the match 30–13. So it was into the finals for North Otago. The conditions were perfect and the local Oamaru people had come out in force to wish their team well. North Otago played hard but so did Wanganui. And the game looked like it may have gone Wanganui's way. But North Otago stayed strong to win the Meads Cup final 25 points to 8.

Hanan Shield

The Hanan Shield is one of the most prestigious trophies in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1946, the Hanan Shield is based on a challenge system played between North Otago, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury. North Otago's best win was in 1997 when they defeated South Canterbury 20–17 to bring the Hanan Shield back to North Otago for the first time in 30 years.

Ranfurly Shield

Since North Otago were founded they have yet to win the Ranfurly Shield. They have had the following challenges:

• 27 August 1938, Otago 12 North Otago 0
• 28 September 1946, Southland 15 North Otago 3 (halfback Viv Wright kicked a penalty)
• 27 September 1947, Otago 42 North Otago 3 (70 metre try to winger Mort Fountain)
• 21 August 1971, Canterbury 14 North Otago 0
• 1 September 1973, Marlborough 26 North Otago 9 (Paddy Ford kicked two penalties and Jeff Gardiner a 55-metre field goal)
• 31 August 1974, South Canterbury 9 North Otago 3 (Paddy Ford kicked a penalty)
• 20 July 1983, Canterbury 88 North Otago 0
• 1 September 1993, Auckland 139 North Otago 5 (Brent McEwan, 1 try)
• 8 July 2000, Waikato 95 North Otago 17 (Dean Paterson 1 try, Simon Porter 4 penalties)
• 2003, Canterbury 85 North Otago 24 (Campbell Mackenzie, Pila Fifita, Scott Mayhew and Mike Mavor scoring tries, Michael Ruthven and Tevita Asi kicking conversions)
• 2008, Auckland 113 North Otago 3 (Nathan Cunningham penalty)
• 9 July 2010, Southland 48 North Otago 3
• 2 July 2011, Canterbury 52 North Otago 8^[5]
• 26 July 2019, North Otago 14 Otago 49^[6]
• 28 August 2020, Canterbury 71 North Otago 7^[7]

Citizens Shield

The Citizens Shield is North Otago's premier Men's senior club competition. First awarded in 1903, with the Oamaru Football Club the inaugural holders, it has been played for annually ever since with the only brief breaks happening during World War 1 and 2.^[8]

All Blacks

There have only been two players selected for the All Blacks while playing their club rugby in North Otago.

Ian (Spooky) Smith, who played for the Old Boys Club, was selected for tests against the 1965 Springboks and Mike Campbell-Lamerton's 1966 British Lions.

Kurow's Phil Gard played for the All Blacks in the fourth and final test against the 1971 British Lions and was on the All Blacks 1972 internal tour.

All Blacks born in the North Otago region

• Ian Hurst
• Richie McCaw

Other Notable Players

• Mike Mavor
• Barry Fox
• Pila Fifita (1st person in any NPC Division to score 3 tries in a final),(Heartland squad),(Tongan National Side)
• Fepikou Tatafu (Tongan RWC squad 1999)
• Campbell Mackenzie (NZ Divisional XV 2004,05)
• Scott Mayhew (Heartland Squad)
• Kilifi Fangupo (Heartland Squad)
• Ross Hay (Heartland Squad)
• Tom Wood (England National Side)
• Hotili Asi (NPC Player of the year, Tongan National Side, First Division England Rugby, Tasman Makos)
• Matt Saunders (Highlanders, Otago NPC & Southland NPC)
• Billy Guyton (Heartland Squad, Tasman NPC, Hurricanes, Crusaders & Blues Super Rugby teams)
• Matt Faddes (Highlanders, Otago ITM Cup, All Black sevens)
• Steven Sasagi (U21 Samoa)
• Sekonaia Kalou (Flying Fijians rep and also represented Fiji in volleyball, netball & basketball).