The students were four points ahead of Southern before the final round and just needed a bonus point to win the Gallaway Trophy outright.
Southern beat Alhambra-Union 10-3 to gain four competition points and draw level with University A on 47 points in the Gallaway Trophy competition.
Southern and University A share the Gallaway Trophy on 47 points and are followed by Harbour 46, Dunedin 42, Alhambra-Union 41, Pirates 33, Kaikorai 27, Zingari-Richmond 19, Green Island 15 and Taieri 12.
The top six teams for the championship round have been decided.
The draw for next week's play-offs is: Southern v Pirates, University A v Alhambra-Union and Harbour v Dunedin.
In the following week's semifinals, the highest-ranked winner plays the lowest-ranked winner and the second-highest ranked winner plays the highest-ranked loser.
The other two losers will play off for the fifth and sixth spots in the competition.
Glenn Dickson (Pirates) leads the individual points scoring with 117 points and is followed by Chris Noakes (University A) 100, Peter Breen (Alhambra-Union) 97 and Cam Rutherford (Kaikorai) 80, Michael Witt (Taieri) 65, Jonnie Hughes (Harbour) 61.
Southern 10 Alhambra-Union 3
Dynamic wing Karne Hesketh (Alhambra-Union) has scored the most tries with 11 and is followed by Siaosi Folau (Harbour) nine, Tumua Ioane (Dunedin) and Marshall Suckling (Pirates) eight, Wayne Gibson (Alhambra-Union) seven.
Flanker Sam Crompton grabbed the ball from a disrupted scrum at halfway and dashed 50m to give Southern a win over Alhambra-Union in wet conditions at the University Oval.
The game had entered a stalemate in the second half with the strong defences of both teams making it difficult to break the line and score tries.
Crompton's brilliant solo effort broke the deadlock and gave Southern a 10-point cushion with just 15 minutes left.
Alhambra-Union gained a bonus point late in the game when Luke Reihana kicked a penalty goal.
The skill of Crompton, and fellow loose forwards Cam Goodhue and Tom Preece, had a decisive influence on the game with their support play and strong tackling.
Tall lock Cowan Finch gave Alhambra-Union the edge in the line-out, but the scrums were even with props Dane Maraki (Alhambra-Union) and Warren Moffat (Southern) having strong games.
Alhambra-Union dominated possession and territory for the first 30 minutes with No 8 Mana Faraimo making strong runs with the ball in hand.
But the backline did not play sensible rugby in the wet and cold conditions and attempted to run from too far out instead of attacking from the Southern 22m.
Powerful Southern midfield back Luke Herden was strong on defence and difficult to stop on the burst.
Southern 10 (Sam Crompton try; Joe Burford conversion, penalty goal), Alhambra-Union 3 (Luke Reihana penalty goal).
Southern 3-0.
Referee: Doug Rodgers.
Dunedin 15 Taieri 3
Dunedin dominated possession and territory and it was only the dogged Taieri defence that kept the score respectable at Kettle Park.
Dunedin played into the howling gale in the first spell and spent 15 minutes attacking inside the Taieri 22m.
Lock Michael Gurran dominated the line-out and was skilled in taking the ball in the air.
Prop Will Henry played a key role in giving Dunedin dominance in the scrum and he led the forward rushes in a pack that was skilled with the pick and go.
Dunedin led 10-3 at the break after fiery flanker Jon Crossan scored a try.
Crossan and No 8 Scott McKee made a lot of ground with the ball in hand.
But the Dunedin backs lacked the ability to finish movements and were guilty of a series of knock-ons and poor last passes.
A lot of credit must be given to the strong Taieri tackling that was epitomised by lock Callum Bisset, flanker Charlie O'Connell and halfback Jack Stewart that shut down the Dunedin attacking movements for most of the game.
Michael Witt kicked a 52m penalty goal for Taieri's points.
Dunedin 15 (Joe Bradley, Jon Crossan tries; Robbie Smith conversion, penalty goal), Taieri 3 (Michael Witt penalty goal).
Half-time: Dunedin 10-3.
Referee: Dave Kennedy.
Zingari-Richmond 15 University A 6
University A attempted to play dry weather rugby in wild and wet conditions and paid the penalty when beaten by Zingari-Richmond at Montecillo.
The students dominated the first 15 minutes and led 6-0 when first five-eighth Brad Nicol kicked his second penalty goal.
Lock Albie Herron was winning good ball in the line-out and Nicol was controlling it efficiently.
But a change came over the game after this as Zingari started to exert its control with locks Andrew Duff and Brady Carmichael winning good ball and the pack driving through.
Prop Mason Pomare was vigorous with the pick and go and flanker Ryan Newman was cutting down the student attacks with strong tackling.
He was dominant at the breakdown.
Tries by Ben Kent after 17 minutes and Matt Gordon just before half-time gave Zingari a 15-6 lead at the break.
Zingari dominated the last 60 minutes of the game and kept the students pinned in their own half with as the clock wound down.
The inside back combination of Troy England and Gordon was efficient while fullback Charles Henley was safe under the high ball.
Zingari-Richmond 15 (Ben Kent, Matt Gordon tries; Sam Renwick conversion, penalty goal), University A 6 (Brad Nicol 2 penalty goals).
Half-time: 15-6.
Referee: Liam ScanlonKaikorai played the percentages and used the conditions better to edge Green Island at Miller Park.
Kaikorai 10 Green Island 0
The atrocious conditions saw both sides keeping the ball mainly in the forwards and despite Green Island's best attempts at taking the game wide on the odd occasion, it was the defence of Matt Direen and Bevan Passmore that closed these opportunities down.
Fullback Craig Baird also did some superb cover work at fullback for Kaikorai and proved safe when tested under the high ball.
Kaikorai won the match in the forwards, with outstanding displays from Seko Qaraniqio, Kensak Palepoi and Jim Stevenson.
Halfback Willie Lawson complemented the work of his forwards with some clever tactical kicking.
As darkness descended on Miller Park, it was Stevenson who emerged from the mud with a classic wet-weather try, following a clever grubber kick that pierced the Green Island backs.
His try put the game beyond doubt and gifted Kaikorai the Ken St Clair-Newman Trophy and the Speight's Challenge Shield until next season.
Kaikorai 10 (Jim Stevenson try; Willie Lawson conversion, penalty goal), Green Island 0.
Half-time: 10-0.
Referee: Jeff GrubbA penalty goal by Brenton Kramer was the only tangible evidence of the forward slog as Harbour eked out a win over Pirates in the wind, rain and chill at Hancock Park.
Harbour 3 Pirates 0
Kramer kicked the penalty midway through the first half after the Harbour forwards had dominated territory in the difficult conditions.
Pirates attacked for most of the second spell but it could not break down the Harbour defence.
It made crucial mistakes with the slippery ball, it was thwarted by resolute tackling and its territorial advantage was not even rewarded by a penalty within kicking distance.
Kramer kicked one out of two for Harbour and James Rosenberg missed his only attempt for Pirates, in the first half.
There was nothing in this game and a draw would perhaps have been a fair result, but Harbour deserved credit for its unflagging defence.
Locks Gareth McComb and Trent Sutton were top value for Harbour in the line-outs and tight and blindside flanker Brad Griffiths was tigerish in the tight-loose.
It was not a day for backs but James White was solid at fullback and Doug Edwards strong in midfield.
Pirates halfback Steve Bruce was a livewire and splintered the Harbour defence with a blistering break early in the second spell.
Warren Kearney was strong from No 8, Josh Clark was effective at lock and props Shane Parata and Daniel Johnson held up well against highly-rated opponents.
Harbour 3 (Brenton Kramer penalty goal), Pirates 0. Half-time: 3-0.
Referee: Ross Barnett.
