Ranfurly Shield

The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the shield in challenge matches, which are played at the shield holders home venue, and if the challenger is successful in their challenge they will become the new holder of the Shield.

Ranfurly Shield
SportRugby union
Presented byNew Zealand Rugby Union
TypeProvincial challenge trophy
First contested1904
Current holder Hawke's Bay
Official websitemitre10cup.co.
Current season2021

Although the professional era of rugby has seen other competitions, such as the ITM Cup and Super Rugby, detracting from the pre-eminence of the Ranfurly Shield, many used to regard it as the greatest prize in New Zealand domestic rugby . This is mainly due to its long history, the fact that every challenge is a sudden-death defence of the Shield, and that any team has a chance to win.

The Shield is currently held by Hawke's Bay, who claimed it from Otago on 4 October 2020. Otago themselves had claimed it from Taranaki the previous week.

History

In 1901 the Governor of New Zealand, The 5th Earl of Ranfurly, announced that he would present a cup to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to be used as the prize in a competition of their choosing. When the trophy, a shield, arrived, the NZRFU decided that it would be awarded to the union with the best record in the 1902 season, and thenceforth be the subject of a challenge system. Auckland, unbeaten in 1902, was presented with the shield. The shield was designed as a trophy for association football, not rugby.[1] The picture in the centrepiece was a soccer one, and was modified by adding goal posts on the soccer goal in the picture to create a rugby scene. The alterations to the centrepiece are still apparent.[2]

Auckland were on tour in 1903 and did not play any home games, and thus did not have to defend the Shield. Their first defence was against Wellington in 1904, and was unsuccessful.

Since the introduction of the National Provincial Championship in 1976, all home games a Shield-holder plays in the NPC or its successors, the ITM Cup and Heartland Championship, during league play are automatically challenge matches.

Ranfurly Shield Visit to Shannon 1927

Auckland holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive Shield defences, 61 matches between 14 September 1985 and 18 September 1993. During this period Auckland took the Shield on tour to provincial unions that, mainly for financial reasons, would be unlikely to be able to mount a challenge for the trophy. While dismissed by some critics, usually because of the one-sided scores, it was mostly regarded as a success by those involved.

In 1994 when Canterbury wrested the Shield from Waikato, it was in battered condition, with large cracks, chips and peeled varnish. Nearly a century of use had taken its toll. Canterbury player Chris England, skilled in woodwork, fully renovated it, bringing it back into pristine condition.

Challenges

The Shield holder at the end of each season is required to accept at least seven challenges for the following year. All home games during league play, but not during knockout playoffs, in the Mitre 10 Cup or Heartland Championship are automatic challenges. The remaining shield defences must be made up of challenges from unions in the other domestic competition. For example, since North Harbour, an Air New Zealand Cup (now Mitre 10 Cup) team, held the Shield at the end of the 2006 Cup season despite losing their home quarter-final to Otago, they were forced to defend the Shield against Heartland Championship teams during the 2007 pre-season. Having successfully done so, all their home fixtures in the round-robin phase were Shield defences until they lost the shield to Waikato.

The Shield-holder is never forced to defend the Shield in an away match, although they may choose to, as Auckland, for example, did on a number of occasions during their record tenure between 1985 and 1993. In 2008, Auckland played both their mandatory defences against Heartland teams on the road.[3]

If a challenger successfully takes the Shield, all of their home matches for the rest of the season are defences of it.

Proposed rule changes

In August 2008, the New Zealand Rugby Union released a competitions review that proposed dramatic changes to the Shield rules:[4]

  • Once a team has successfully defended the Shield four times, all of the holder's subsequent matches in league play would be mandatory defences, whether home or away. The Shield will not be at stake in semifinals or finals.
  • If an Air New Zealand Cup team holds the Shield at the end of the league season, that season's winners of the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup, the two trophies contested in the second-level Heartland Championship, will receive automatic challenges in the following year.

The changes were not implemented but did receive support from Auckland, which held the Shield when the NZRU released its report.[4]

Teams

Just under half of the unions that can contest for the Ranfurly Shield do not have an alias. South Canterbury's emblem is their own Coat of Arms. But a soldier represents their green and black colour and current mascot, Tim and Ru. The mascots were originally used during wartime and were created by Ronald Murray.[5] Many of the unions below have this situation, like Poverty Bay's Weka, it resembles their mascot after the 2011 squads post-match photo after the Lochore Cup final.[6]

TeamEstab­lishedAliasAreaStadiaFirst held
Auckland
A.R.U
1883HMS EndeavourAuckland, AucklandEden Park1905
Buller
B.R.U
1894LionWestport, West CoastVictoria Square
Bay of Plenty
B.O.P.R.U
1911Pohutu GeyserMount Maunganui, Bay of PlentyRotorua International Stadium2004
Canterbury
C.R.F.U
1879LambChristchurch, CanterburyRugby League Park1927
Counties Manukau
C.M.R.F.U
1955Glenbrook Steel MillPukekohe, AucklandGrowers Stadium2013
East Coast
E.C.R.F.U
1922PohutukawaRuatoria, GisborneWhakarua Park
Hawke's Bay
H.B.R.U
1884MagpieNapier, Hawke's BayMcLean Park1922
Horowhenua Kapiti
H.K.R.F.U
1893Rugby footballLevin, Manawatū-WhanganuiLevin Domain1927
(as Manawhenua)
King Country
K.C.R.F.U
1922RamTe Kuiti, King CountryOwen Delany Park
Manawatu
M.R.U
1886Wind turbinePalmerston North, Manawatū-WhanganuiCentral Energy Trust Arena1927
(as Manawhenua)
Mid Canterbury
M.C.R.U
1904HammerAshburton, CanterburyAshburton Showgrounds
Northland
N.R.U
1920TaniwhaWhangarei, NorthlandOkara Park1950
(as North Auckland)
North Harbour
N.H.R.U
1985HibiscusAlbany, AucklandNorth Harbour Stadium2006
North Otago
N.O.R.F.U
1904GoldOamaru, OtagoCentennial Park
Otago
O.R.F.U
1881RazorbackDunedin, OtagoForsyth Barr Stadium1935
Poverty Bay
P.B.R.F.U
1890WekaGisborne, GisborneRugby Park
Southland
R.S
1887StagInvercargill, SouthlandRugby Park Stadium1920
South Canterbury
S.C.R.F.U
1888Soldier*Timaru, CanterburyAlpine Energy Stadium1950
Taranaki
T.R.F.U
1889BullNew Plymouth, TaranakiYarrow Stadium1913
Tasman
T.R.U
2006Shortfin mako sharkNelson, NelsonTrafalgar Park1973
(as Marlborough)
Thames Valley
T.V.R.F.U
1922Swamp FoxPaeroa, WaikatoPaeroa Domain
Waikato
W.R.U
1921MoolooHamilton, WaikatoWaikato Stadium1951
Wairarapa Bush
W.B.R.F.U
1971Castle RockMasterton, WellingtonMemorial Park1927
(as Wairarapa)
Wanganui
W.R.F.U
1888ButcherWhanganui, Manawatū-WhanganuiCooks Gardens
Wellington
W.R.F.U
1879LionWellington, WellingtonWestpac Stadium1904
West Coast
W.C.R.U
1890SwanGreymouth, West CoastRugby Park

Results

MatchDateHolderScoreChallengerStadiaDefences
1.6 August 1904Auckland3–6WellingtonAlexandra Park0
6.26 August 1905Wellington6–10AucklandAthletic Park4
30.16 August 1913Auckland11–14TaranakiAlexandra Park23
37.10 September 1914Taranaki6–12WellingtonVictoria Park6
53.15 September 1920Wellington6–17SouthlandRugby Park15
55.10 September 1921Southland13–28WellingtonAthletic Park1
58.9 August 1922Wellington9–19Hawke's BayAthletic Park2
83.3 June 1927Hawke's Bay11–15WairarapaMcLean Park24
86.6 August 1927Wairarapa16–18ManawhenuaShowgrounds Oval2*
89.7 September 1927Manawhenua6–17CanterburyShowgrounds Oval2
91.18 July 1928Canterbury7–8WairarapaLancaster Park Oval1
100.31 August 1929Wairarapa16–19SouthlandShowgrounds Oval8
104.3 September 1930Southland3–12WellingtonRugby Park3
106.22 August 1931Wellington6–8CanterburyAthletic Park1
122.21 July 1934Canterbury0–9Hawke's BayLancaster Park Oval15
125.8 September 1934Hawke's Bay14–18AucklandMcLean Park2
127.10 August 1935Auckland13–16CanterburyEden Park1
132.21 September 1935Canterbury6–15OtagoLancaster Park Oval4
141.31 July 1937Otago7–12SouthlandCarisbrook Ground8
142.30 July 1938Southland6–7OtagoRugby Park0
148.10 September 1938Otago5–10SouthlandCarisbrook Ground5
160.2 August 1947Southland11–17OtagoRugby Park11
179.16 August 1950Otago0–8CanterburyCarisbrook Ground18
180.2 September 1950Canterbury0–3WairarapaLancaster Park Oval0
181.16 September 1950Wairarapa14–17South CanterburySolway Showgrounds Oval0
182.30 September 1950South Canterbury9–20North AucklandFraser Park0
185.18 August 1951North Auckland3–6WaikatoRugby Park2
192.9 August 1952Waikato0–9AucklandRugby Park6
193.23 August 1952Auckland3–6WaikatoEden Park0
200.1 August 1953Waikato6–9WellingtonRugby Park6
206.19 September 1953Wellington3–24CanterburyAthletic Park5
230.22 September 1956Canterbury0–8WellingtonLancaster Park Oval23
235.24 August 1957Wellington11–19OtagoAthletic Park4
237.28 September 1957Otago9–11TaranakiCarisbrook1
251.5 September 1959Taranaki6–23SouthlandRugby Park13
  • Wairarapa's 1927-era saw them lose to Hawke's Bay 21–10 at Solway Showgrounds Oval, but was subsequently awarded the shield back on a residential breach.

Overall records

Team Wins Successful Defences Average Defences
Auckland161489.25
Canterbury161399.27
Waikato13604.62
Wellington10404
Taranaki7488
Southland7253.14
Otago6386.17
Hawke's Bay55611.2
Northland4143.5
Wairarapa3103.33
South Canterbury210.5
Manawatu11313
Counties Manukau166
Marlborough166
North Harbour133
Manawhenua122
Bay of Plenty111

Last updated: after Otago's fifth defense of 2019, against Taranaki on 8 September.

See also

Notes and references

  1. Chester, Rod; McMillan, Neville; Palenski, Ron (1987). The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby. Auckland, New Zealand: Moa Publications. p. 266. ISBN 0-908570-16-3.
  2. According to Dunedin engraver Brian Swan, who noted the "very low" crossbar in the centrepiece scene, quoted in "Shield victory recalls origins of famous rugby trophy" by anonymous columnist 'Prester John' in Otago Daily Times, 2013-08-31, p35 (not published online).
  3. "Auckland accepts two Ranfurly Shield challenges". New Zealand Rugby Union. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 15 January 2008.
  4. "Hawke's Bay claim Ranfurly Shield glory". Stuff.co.nz. Fairfax NZ News. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  5. "Mascots back in green and black". Stuff. 24 February 2013.
  6. "Lochore Cup Final - South Canterbury v Poverty Bay". Zimbo. 8 October 2011.
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