Round 13 of the ANZ Championship will see each team playing for more than just the match win – they will be playing for their country! 
There are two rounds in the ANZ Championship where every match is a New Zealand vs Australian clash. The first is ANZAC weekend and the second is Round 13 - now known as the Rivalry Round.
In this round, the second to last of the season, goals scored by the five New Zealand teams will be added to give a national total and likewise, goals scored by the five Australian teams will be tallied. The country with the most goals at the end of the round will be presented with the ANZ Championship Rivalry Round Trophy.
The Rivalry Round will sharpen the edge of an already entertaining competition, and celebrate a unique aspect of the ANZ Championship, as General Manager, Anthony Everard explains.
“The ANZ Championship is currently the only true trans-Tasman competition across any code. We want to celebrate that and create something more for fans to get behind, other than the great match-ups we have all been treated to.”
It is also something that Everard would like to see as a regular fixture within the ANZ Championship.
“I see it as a new tradition, something we would really like to see as a feature of the ANZ Championship that is hotly contested between the two nations.”
The Rivalry Round Trophy will be awarded at the conclusion of the last Round 13 match, between Tactix and Vixens in Melbourne. The captain of the winning team in that game will accept the trophy on behalf of their country.
ROUND 13 SCHEDULE;
Saturday 27th June
LG Mystics v Queensland Firebirds
The Trusts Stadium, Auckland. 2.00pm*
Sunday 28th June
West Coast Fever v Colourplus Waikato / Bay of Plenty Magic
Challenge Stadium, Perth. 12.30pm
Sunday 28th June
Central Pulse v NSW Swifts
Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua. 6.30pm
Monday 29th June
Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel v Adelaide Thunderbirds
Edgar Centre, Dunedin. 7.00pm
Monday 29th June
Melbourne Vixens v Mercury Energy Tactix
Hisense Arena, Melbourne 7.00pm
