1978 National Provincial Championship

The 1978 season was the third year of the National Provincial Championship (NPC), a provincial rugby union competition in New Zealand. Wellington were the winners of Division 1.

Division 1

Relegated to Division Two

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Wellington	10	8	0	2	172	111	+61	16
2	Counties	10	7	0	3	167	110	+57	14
3	Canterbury	10	6	0	4	152	144	+8	12
4	Auckland	10	6	0	4	123	100	+23	12
5	North Auckland	10	6	0	4	129	137	−8	12
6	Manawatu	10	5	1	4	141	122	+19	11
7	Taranaki	10	4	2	4	156	129	+27	10
8	Southland	10	5	0	5	114	101	+13	10
9	Otago	10	3	1	6	115	164	−49	7
10	South Canterbury	10	2	1	7	92	150	−58	5
11	Hawke's Bay	10	0	1	9	68	161	−93	1

Promotion/Relegation

As the bottom-placed North Island team, Hawkes Bay were automatically relegated.

The winners of Division Two North, Bay of Plenty, were automatically promoted to Division One.

South Canterbury faced Division Two South winner Marlborough. The match was tied 10–10, which meant South Canterbury remained in Division One.

Division Two Teams

Division 2 North (in order of final placing)

• Bay of Plenty
• Waikato
• Wanganui
• Poverty Bay
• Horowhenua
• Thames Valley
• Wairarapa Bush
• King Country
• East Coast

Division 2 South (in order of final placing)

• Marlborough
• Nelson Bays
• Mid Canterbury
• North Otago
• Buller
• West Coast

Ranfurly Shield

Manawatu began the season as holders having defeated Auckland in the 1976 season. In 1978, they defended the shield in four matches, extending their tenure to 13 successful defences before being defeated by North Auckland. North Auckland chose not to accept any more challenges in 1978 and thus held the shield for the summer.

Manawatu

• beat West Coast 51–10
• beat Horowhenua 42–14
• beat Poverty Bay 24–0
• beat Wellington 13–6
• lost to North Auckland 10–12