1992 (Hamilton)
Lost to Waikato 40-5
A little bit of history here. This was the first NPC final, the title having simply being awarded to the leading team after the round-robin in previous seasons. Otago was the defending champion, too, having won the first division title in 1991. But the inaugural final was one-way traffic as a Mooloo forward pack stacked with grunt proved far too strong. There was drama after the game when video replay captured Waikato prop Richard Loe eye-gouging Otago fullback Greg Cooper at a ruck.
Random Otago player: To be fair, this was a team loaded with great names (Timu, Leslie, Ellis, Brewer, Joseph, Latta et al). The least known player at the time was young prop Mike Mika, filling in for regular starter Steve Cumberland that day. Mika is now a district court judge.
1993 (Auckland)
Lost to Auckland 27-18
Back-to-back finals for Otago for the first and only time. Otago had beaten the Lions earlier that season, and had also upset Auckland — one of the great provincial teams — at Carisbrook. The action was fast and furious at a sun-drenched Eden Park, but the home side was just a little bit better.
Random Otago player: Hooker Stan To’omalatai came off the bench to earn his fourth cap. He also played 37 tests for Samoa and has a son — with the magnificent name of Carisbrook To’omalatai — in the Mid Canterbury team.
1995 (Auckland)
Lost to Auckland 23-19
Such a boring game. Nothing to talk about AT ALL. Like, you know, the most famous penalty try in NPC history, awarded to Auckland by Colin Hawke with four minutes to play. He ruled Otago halfback Stu Forster, in his 100th game for the province, had kicked the ball out of an Auckland scrum. They are still talking about it 26 years later.
Random Otago player: Matakanui Combined lose forward Richie Flannery had a run off the bench.
1998 (Carisbrook)
Beat Waikato 49-20
Glorious. It was Otago rugby at its absolute peak, as a team loaded with star power steamrolled its way to a second national title in front of a huge crowd. Domestic rugby would never be as good again.
Random Otago player: There really wasn’t one. That team was stacked.
2001 (Christchurch)
Lost to Canterbury 30-19
Otago had rolled into the final with a 27-point tonking of North Harbour at Albany, and was leading the final by 10 at halftime. But the Cantabs, motivated to send Todd Blackadder out in style, came roaring home to win comfortably. Brendan Laney posted a rare full deck for Otago with a try, a conversion, two penalties and a drop goal.
Random Otago player: Hayden Reid started on the wing. Remember him?
2005 (Eden Park)
Lost to Auckland 39-11
The last normal NPC final before they decided (sigh) to have an expanded — and protected — first division of 14 teams. Otago struck a bit of magic that year, powered by a tight-knit forward pack, solid backs and one unexpected superstar. But a spectacular semifinal victory in Christchurch was followed by an underwhelming effort in the final.
Random Otago player: Halfback Chris Smylie came out of nowhere to light up the competition, and was named first division player of the year. He went on to have a solid professional career, mainly for the Hurricanes.
2012 (Pukekohe)
Lost to Counties-Manukau 41-16
A truly bizarre season. The Otago union nearly went bankrupt that year. Yet Otago played some reasonable rugby, and earned its first crack at promotion to the Premiership. But the less said about the final, the better.
Random Otago player: Marshall Suckling? Rob Verbakel? Jacob Ellison?
2016 (Forsyth Barr Stadium)
Lost to North Harbour 17-14
Otago’s first crack at winning the Championship — the second tier — and earning promotion ended in heartbreak as Harbour first five Bryn Gatland landed a wobbly drop goal to win the game with 15 seconds left on the clock.
Random Otago player: Blair Tweed had a decent couple of seasons at lock before chasing the yen in Japan.
2018 (Hamilton)
Lost to Waikato 36-13
Another bid for promotion came up well short. But Otago wasn’t feeling too much pain, as it had stolen the Ranfurly Shield off Waikato just a couple of weeks before the final.
Random Otago player: Joketani Koroi had a brief spell in the province and was last seen in France.
