RANFURLY SHIELD.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 210, 5 September 1925, Page 8

RANFURLY SHIELD.

1 t WELLINGTON V. HAWKE'S BAY. NAPIER TRAINS LOADED. 'j. — " . J_ GROUND SOAKED BY RAIN. |_.j (By Telegraph.—-Pi-ess. Association.)' . | WELLIXGTOX, this day. The weather early tins morning was fine and sunny, then heavy rain fell. At 11.30 a.m. the sun was shining again. Tlie ground is heavy, and must be slippery after a good soaking overnight, and this will militate against fast or accurate play in the Ranfurly .Shield match. There is a large influx of visitors for the game, all trains for tlie last two days bringing full loads. Two special expresses from Xapier last night brought !HlO and 700. After the match this evening two specials, with twenty carriages each, leave for Hawke's Bay. The Hawke's Ray team arrived yesterday afternoon and indulged in training, when the form of the players further impressed their supporters. The team, which is regarded as Hawke's Bay's very best, has brought the shield to Wellington. Many enthusiasts from Hawke's Bay have arrived. Mr. H. Brown, of Hastings, is managing the team. The average weight of the Hawke's Bay forwards is 13st. 101b., and the Wellington forwards 13st 71b. Mr. F. C. Atkenson, of Wanganui, will be the referee. — ' ,J HAWKE'S BAY AS HAWKERS. , It is 21 years since the first Ranfurly Shield game was played in Wellington between Wellington and Auckland, witli Wellington as the defenders, and the scene is again set in Wellington to-day with tlie home team as the challengers and Hawke's Bay as the defenders. Up to 191!) tlie shield had to be played for on the home ground of the holders, but then Wellington, at that time the holders, had the rule changed so that the holders might be called on to defend the shield in matches away from home. In that y year Wellington played for the shield successfully at Christchureh, and the following year they retained the trophy irt matches played at Hawera and Auckland. When they hawked it round the South Island they won the games at Timaru and Dunedin. but lost the game and the shield to Southland at Invercargill, being beaten 17 —0. In 1021, Southland brought the shield to Wellington, and left it there, being beaten 2S—l3, and after Auckland and Otago bad been beaten, Hawke's Bay came along at the end of the season and took the trophy, winning the game 19 —9. Since that time, after beating off an immediate challenge from Poverty Bay be 17—10, Hawke's Bay has held the shield against '20 challenges, all on the home ground. The match to-day against Wellington is Hawke's Bay's first appearance as a hawker of the shield, the game being played at Wellington. There are many enthusiasts in the Empire City who are of the opinion that the shield, like the legendary eat. will come back to Wellington. It was lost by Wellington in 1904 and came back in 1914. lost in 1919 and returned in 1921. to be lost again at the end of the same season. —— ■ "^