The regular season ran from 16 July to 28 August, with the playoffs running from 3 to 10 September.

In the case that separation is still not made, the winner of the head-to-head result between the teams will get rights to be ranked above.

[5] The finals format sees the top two teams from each pool qualify for cross-over semi-finals.

The top placed teams in each pool, based on table points, receive a home semi-final.

The competition started on Saturday, 16 July, with Wellington hosting a match against Canterbury.