The home side opened the scoring 17 minutes before halftime. A quick tap from a penalty enabled South Canterbury flanker Anthony Amato to crash over for a try converted by first five-eighth Faalele Iosua.
Three minutes later, from a lineout 5m out, North Otago flanker Jacob Coghlan fed prop Meli Kolinisau, who smashed his way across. Robbie Smith added the extra two points. Smith then added a penalty on halftime to give North Otago a 10-7 lead.
Iousa added a penalty for the home side two minutes into the second half to level the scores at 10-10.
But Smith put North Otago back into the lead with a penalty after 49th minutes and, 10 minutes later, a Howard Packman try converted by Smith put the visiting side ahead 20-10.
Pick-and-go attacks by South Canterbury three minutes later resulted in No8 Siu Kakala crossing for an unconverted try.
Smith forced a penalty at a breakdown in the final quarter and added the extra three to give North Otago a 23-15 lead and another Smith penalty 12 minutes from fulltime extended that to 26-15.
South Canterbury flanker Nick Strachan scored an unconverted try from a lineout 5m from the North Otago line four minutes from fulltime.
In other games, Buller beat East Coast 54-19, Horowhenua-Kapiti downed Mid Canterbury 17-10, Poverty Bay upset Thames Valley 17-15 , West Coast defeated King Country 56-27 and Wairarapa Bush and Whanagnui drew 28-28.
Heartland Champs
The scores
North Otago 26
Meli Kolinisau, Howard Packman, tries;
Robbie Smith 4 penalties, 2 conversions
South Canterbury 20
Anthony Amarto, Siu Kakala, Nick Strachan
tries; Faalele Iosua penalty,conversion
Halftime: 10-7
-By Terry O'Neill