RECORD OF THE SHIELD

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27150, 21 September 1953, Page 10

RECORD OF THE SHIELD

TWENTY-FIFTH WIN TO CANTERBURY The Ranfurly Shield, the most prized of all sporting trophies in New Zealand, has a history rich in incident in many stirring games played for its possession. It is possibly the greatest money-spinner any province can acquire, for any union which wins it and hold its through a series of matches can be assured of financial stability. „ . Canterbury won the trophy for the first : time in 1927 from Maniwhenua. and lost ft to Wairarapa in the following year. In 1931. it won again, taking the shield from Wellington, to lose it to Hawke’s Bay in 1934. In 1935. it had its .third grip on the trophy when it beat Auckland, to sur- ' render it to Otago in 1937. In 1950. it won the trophy again from Otago, and. defending the trophy against Wairarapa In the first challenge, lost it when the big Maori full-back. Mahupuku, potted a goal, the only score in the game. At the end of the 1901 season. Lord Ranfuriy, then Governor of New Zealand, presented a shield to the New Zealand Rugby Union for competition amongst all affiliated unions. At the end of the 1902 season, the shield was allotted to Auckland. which at that time was considered to have the best representative team of tha year. The regulations provide that should the holder of the shield be beaten in any challenge match, and any challenge arranged with tiie then holder be

not played, all such, challenge matches shall be treated as having been arranged with the subsequent holder. The rules also provide that any union desiring to play a challenge match with the holder shall give notice to the New Zealand union not later than the end of August in each year.

Although the shield was allotted to Auckland in 1902, it was not until 1904 that Wellington beat Auckland in the first challenge match by 6 points to 3. With the exception of the breaks during the two world wars, the shield has been competed for each year since. Up to the end of 1952, 196 matches had been played, and this year’s total of 22 games brings the total to 218. To stimulate interest in the shield after World War 1, Wellington took the trophy on tour, playing games at Christchurch, Hawera, Auckland, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Hawke's Bav also played away-from-home matches at ‘Wellington and Christchurch. Record Score Usually the scoring has been reasonably close in these games, but, during the golden era of Hawke's Bay Rugby in 1926. when the province could field almost an All Black team, it beat Wairarapa by 77 points to 14, Wellington by 58 points to 8, and Auckland by 41 points to 11. The 77-14 score against Wairarapa is the record winning margin of all shield games. The game between Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, played at the Solway showgrounds in 1927. was the most sensational game of the series and became known as the ’Battle of Solway.” There were many hold-ups for injuries, two All Blacks were ordered off. and there was a protest which led to the winner, Hawke’s Bay, being deprived of the shield. Wairarapa had beaten Hawke’s Bay earlier in the season at Napier, but in the next

match was beaten by 21 points to 10. Wairarapa protested to the New Zealand Rugby Union against the playing of W. P. Barclay for Hawke’s Bay on the ground that he had not fulfilled the necessary qualifications to play for the bay. The protest was upheld by the New Zealand Rugby Union and an appeal by Hawke’s Bay failed. In the next match, however, Manawhenua beat Wairarapa by 18-16, only to lose it to Canterbury. The end of the 1929 season provided one of the biggest upsets in shield history, for Wairarapa, which had regained the shield, fielded what looked to be an unbeatable side, but was beaten by 19 points to 16 bv Southland, a five-eighths. G. Porter, scoring 13 points for Southland with three penalty goals and a potted goal. The greatest winning sequences were 24 by Hawke’s Bay from 1922 to 1926, 23 by Auckland 1905-13, 18 by Otago 1947-51, 16 by Wellington 1914-20, and 16 by Canterbury 1931-33. Otago holds the record of wins with 34, and then follow Wellington 32, Hawke’s Bay 29, Auckland 27, Canterbury 25. and Southland 19.

The shortest tenures in the history of the shield wer? in 1950, when Canterbury beat Otago on August 16. lost on September 2 to Wairarapa. which was beaten by South Canterbury on September 16. which in turn lost to North Auckland on September 30. In 1952. Auckland beat Waikato on August 9 and lost to Waikato on August 23.

Following are the winners since the shield was presented in 1902:—1904-05. Wellington; 1905-13, Auckland; 1913-14. Taranaki; 1914-20. Wellington; 1920-21. Southland; 1921-22. Wellington; 1922-27, Hawke’s Bay; 1927, Wairarapa; 1927. Hawke’s Bay; 1927. Manawhenua; 1927-28,. Canterbury; 1928-29, Wairarapa; 1929-30, Southland} 1930-31, Wellington; 1931-34.

Canterbury; 1934, Hawke’s Bay; 1934-35, Auckland: 1935. Canterbury; 1935-37, Otago; 1937, Southland; 1938, Otagb; 1938-39, Southland; 1940-45, no games; 1946. Southland; 1947-50. Otago; 1950, Canterbury; 1950, Wairarapa; 1950, South Canterbury; 1950. North Auckland: 1952, Auckland; 1951-53, Waikato; 1953, Wellington; 1953, Canterbury.