Ranfurly Shield

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The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is perhaps the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly 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, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the Shield.

The Shield is currently held by North Harbour, who won it from Canterbury in Round Two of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup. They will defend it against teams in the country's amateur competition, the Heartland Championship, in the 2007 close season before the start of the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup.

Although the professional era of rugby has seen competitions such as the NPC, now the Air New Zealand Cup, and Super Rugby detracting from the pre-eminence of the Ranfurly Shield, many still regard it as the greatest prize in New Zealand rugby, thanks to its long history, the fact that every challenge is a sudden-death defence of the Shield, and that any team, no matter how lowly, has a chance to win.

Contents 1 History 2 Challenges 3 Past shield-holders 4 External links

[edit] History

In 1901, the Governor of New Zealand, the 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 cup (which actually turned out to be 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, were presented with the shield. The shield was also designed as a trophy for soccer, not rugby. This was because the picture in the centrepiece was a soccer one. The picture was modified by adding goal posts on the soccer goal that comprised the picture, to create a rugby scene.

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 Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship, are automatically challenge matches.

In 1994 when Canterbury wrested the Shield from Waikato, the shield 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 the Shield, bringing it back once again into pristine condition.

[edit] 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 Air New Zealand 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, if Canterbury, an Air New Zealand Cup team, hold the Shield at the end of a Cup season, they must defend the Shield against Heartland Championship teams during the close season. Then, assuming Canterbury remain in possession of the Shield at the start of the next Cup season, all their home fixtures in Rounds One and Two of the Cup will be Shield defences.

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 as Shield-holder between 1985 and 1993.

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

[edit] Past shield-holders

Union	Won	Successful Defences
Wellington	1904	4
Auckland	1905	23
Taranaki	1913	6
Wellington	1914	15
Southland	1920	1
Wellington	1921	2
Hawke's Bay	1922	24
Wairarapa	1927	2
Manawhenua	1927	2
Canterbury	1927	1
Wairarapa	1928	8
Southland	1929	3
Wellington	1930	1
Canterbury	1931	15
Hawke's Bay	1934	2
Auckland	1934	1
Canterbury	1935	4
Otago	1935	8
Southland	1937	0
Otago	1938	5
Southland	1938	11
Otago	1947	18
Canterbury	1950	0
Wairarapa	September 2, 1950	0
South Canterbury	1950	0
North Auckland	1950	2
Waikato	1951	6
Auckland	1952	0
Waikato	August 23, 1952	6
Wellington	August 1, 1953	5
Canterbury	1953	23
Wellington	September 22, 1956	4
Otago	August 24, 1957	1
Taranaki	September 28, 1957	13
Southland	1959	0
Auckland	1959	2
North Auckland	1960	1
Auckland	1960	25
Wellington	1963	0
Taranaki	September 7, 1963	15
Auckland	1965	3
Waikato	August 27, 1966	0
Hawke's Bay	September 24, 1966	21
Canterbury	September 27, 1969	9
Auckland	August 28, 1971	1
North Auckland	September 18, 1971	6
Auckland	August 26, 1972	0
Canterbury	September 5, 1972	2
Marlborough	July 28, 1973	6
South Canterbury	August 17, 1974	1
Wellington	September 3, 1974	1
Auckland	September 21, 1974	10
Manawatu	August 21, 1976	13
North Auckland	1978	5
Auckland	1979	6
Waikato	September 7, 1980	8
Wellington	August 1, 1981	4
Canterbury	September 18, 1982	25
Auckland	September 14, 1985	61
Waikato	September 18, 1993	5
Canterbury	September 3, 1994	8
Auckland	September 23, 1995	3
Taranaki	August 24, 1996	1
Waikato	September 8, 1996	1
Auckland	October 4, 1996	6
Waikato	October 5, 1997	21
Canterbury	September 23, 2000	23
Auckland	October 11, 2003	2
Bay of Plenty	August 15, 2004	1
Canterbury	September 5, 2004	14
North Harbour	September 24, 2006	0

[edit] External links

• ranfurlyshield.com (history, matches, records, etc.)
• Ranfurly Shield at nzrugby.com (history, stories, audio highlights, trivia)