LITTLE CHANCE OF SHIELD CHALLENGE

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31633, 20 March 1968, Page 11

LITTLE CHANCE OF SHIELD CHALLENGE

CANTERBURY, no doubt, will be pinning its hopes for a successful Rugby season on gaining a challenge for the Ranfurly Shield during its northern tour. A challenge has already been lodged but even though the president (Mr C. H. McPhail) dismissed a report from Hawke’s Bay that Canterbury would not be granted a challenge as “newspaper talk,” it is unlikely that Canterbury will be given a challenge. Mr McPhail told delegates to the annual meeting that the shield challenges would be decided at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union when the fixtures list would be drawn up. However, the days when the year’s fixtures were arranged on one day at Wellington have gone. There are very few unions who do not arrangi, or try to arrange, fixtures well before the meeting.

Hawke’s Bay, as the holder of the shield, is in the pleasant position of being able to decide who it wants to play, and no pressure can be brought to bear on it to give any particular union a challenge. Because it is making a northern tour, Canterbury may feel it has some claim to a challenge but unfortunately, it is not due to play Hawke’s Bay on its northern tour until 1970. This year’s northern tour takes in Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, and Wanganui. Hawke’s Bay is not likely to be swayed by the fact that Canterbury is making a northern tour. Last year it refused Otago a shield challenge when Otago was touring and due to play Hawke’s Bay, and gave it a

challenge later in the season, which meant more expense for Otago. Because it has numerous annual fixtures with other North Island unions, Hawke's Bay, will, undoubtedly, give them preference in the matter of challenges. Canterbury’s best chance of gaining a shield challenge is to try and arrange its northern tour so that it might be able to play other North Island teams that are expected to be granted a challenge.