It involved the top 14 provincial rugby unions of New Zealand, which – under a new format introduced in 2022 – all played for the same title for the first time since the 2010 season.

The finals rankings are determined by the number of competition points earned during the regular season.

[4] If two or more provincial teams finish with an equal number of competition points, the following tiebreaker rules apply.

If three or more unions are tied and they have all played each other, the team with most competition points in that year against the other tied unions is ranked higher; if they have not all played each other, the team with the biggest points difference in the round robin is ranked higher.

Every home game during the regular season played by the union that holds the Ranfurly Shield is a mandartory challenge match.

The competition starts on Friday 5 August 2022, when Manawatū hosts Canterbury in Palmerston North.