The Meads Cup - symbol of Heartland Rugby supremacy - will rest in Timaru over the summer, after South Canterbury capped an unbeaten season with a 35-16 victory over Thames Valley at Alpine Energy Stadium.
After winning all eight of their regular season outings, the green-and-blacks were chasing their first crown, after bowing to the 'Swamp Foxes' in the 2018 final.
The hosts started strongly, with first-five Sam Briggs kicking an early penalty, and winger Sireli Buliruarua and flanker Cam Russell grabbing tries to open a 15-0 lead.
Thames Valley gradually worked themselves back into the game, with first-five Todd Doolan slotting a penalty and flanker Ben Stephens finishing a long-range try, converted by Doolan, who added another penalty before halftime.
Another Briggs penalty had South Canterbury ahead 18-13 at the break and couple more after the restart extended the margin, before a stroke of luck provided Buliruarua with his second try. Briggs kicked to the corner, where the ball bounced off the corner flag and sat up for the winger to force.
With 20 minutes remaining, the Foxes suffered a major setback, when hooker Sam Van Der Valk was adjudged to head-but an opponent in the chest and dispatched to the sin bin for 10 minutes.
Briggs slotted the subsequent penalty and another for good measure, as his team closed out the contest.
South Canterbury 35 (Buliruarua 2, Russell tries; Briggs 6 penalties & conversion) Thames Valley 16 (Stephens tries; Doolan 3 penalties & conversion)
Whanganui 22 North Otago 16
Two second-half tries against the elements have carried Whanganui to a comeback victory Over North Otago in the Lochore Cup final at Cooks Gardens.
Playing with the assistance of a huge wind at his back, Ethan Robinson slotted four penalties to have the hosts ahead 12-3 at halftime, but that margin was never likely to hold, as they turned into torrential rain and hail after the restart.
Sure enough, winger Abel Magalogo narrowed the margin with a penalty and North Otago snatched the lead, snaffling a loose ball near their own 22 for fullback Levi Emery to kick and chase for a try.
Centre Hayden Todd stepped up to convert another penalty from his own side of halfway and, at 16-12, the visitors seemed to have one hand on the trophy with 20 minutes to play.
Moments later, referee Stu Catley did the 'Butcher Boys' no favours, when he halted play to issue Todd a yellow card, just as the home side chased a kick ahead to the goal-line. The short advantage seemed small comfort indeed, when Craig Claire's shot at goal died in the wind and ducked under the crossbar.
But during Todd's absence, winger Alekesio Vakarorogo slid over in the corner to restore Whanganui's lead.
They extended their margin, when replacement Semi Vodosese charged off the back of a five-metre scrum and powered over, but North Otago were still within a converted try of victory, as they laid siege to the tryline in the dying moments.
Whanganui thwarted their last-gasp efforts with a sterling defensive stand that eventually won a turnover and they kept the ball in hand, as the final seconds ticked down on their second Lochore Cup title, seven years after their first.
Heartland Rugby was not contested in 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Whanganui 22 (Vakarorogo & Vodosese tries; Robinson 4 penalties) North Otago 16 (Emery try; Magalogo 3 penalties & conversion)
More to come
