Ranfurly Shield
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The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log of 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 Canterbury, who won it from Bay of Plenty in the fourth round of the 2004 National Provincial Championship.
Although the professional era of rugby has seen competitions such as the NPC and the Super 12 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.
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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.
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 are automatically challenge matches.
Challenges
The Shield holder at the end of each year is required to accept at least seven challenges for the following year. All home games, except for finals and semi-finals, in the NPC are automatic challenges. The remaining shield defences must be made up of challenges from unions in the other two divisions of the NPC. 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.
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 |
| Manawatu | 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 | 2 |
See also
External links
- ranfurlyshield.com (http://www.ranfurlyshield.com/) (history, matches, records, etc.)
- Ranfurly Shield at nzrugby.com (http://www.nzrugby.com/history/ranfurly.asp) (history, stories, audio highlights, trivia)