THE RANFURLY SHIELD

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 199, 23 August 1926, Page 6

THE RANFURLY SHIELD

In the history of the Eanfurly Shield, representing ,the interprovincial championship of our national game, the records of two provinces etand out prominently. Auckland held the Shield for nearly seven seasons, and successfully defended it against 25 challenges; Hawke's Bay, in the course of five seasons as the holder, has now equalled that number of assaults on ite premiership. But Hawke's Bay's performance must be rated much higher than that of Auckland, for it is that of a country centre, without the many advantages of population, not only holding its ground against the football flower of the metropolitan areas of the Do«ninion, but of creatjng finer playing records. In 1922, when the Bay.team won the Shield., it caught Wellington in a weak moment, and on a challenge from Bay of Plenty

immediately afterwards was within a couple of points of losing the trophy. But since then, aided by the civic pride of Napier, the selector and sponsor of the team, Mr. Norman Mackenzie, has built up a side of super-players of Rugby, eleven of whom are All Blacks.

Since 1922 the Hawke's Bay team has had wonderful wins. Twice Canterbury got together teams considered the best the province had had for years, and was beaten. Three years ago Auckland had a team that did wonderful thing's

against other provinces, but it was defeated 20—5 by Hawke's Bay. Three times Wellington fruitlessly threw all its' weight, with exceptional sides, against the Napier combination. Only a few days ago a Wellington team, confidently considered good enough to win the Shield, was routed by the colossal margin of 50 points, and on Saturday the Auckland team went down to the Trojane of Napier with a deficit of 30 points against them.

There can be no question that it was super-Rugby, and, all other aspects apart, such smashing victories againet two metropolitan teams constitute wonderful Rugby achievements which put Hawke's Bay in a place above all others in Eanfurly Shield history.