# Ranfurly Shield

The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challenge matches, which are usually played at the shield holder's home venue, and if the challenger is successful in their challenge they will become the new holder of the Shield. There is a tradition for the first challenges of a new rugby season to be played against smaller associations from the Heartland Championship.
Although the professional era of rugby has seen other competitions, such as the NPC and Super Rugby, detracting from the pre-eminence of the Ranfurly Shield, many regard it as the greatest prize in New Zealand domestic rugby. This is mainly due to its long history, the fact that every challenge is a sudden-death defence of the Shield, and that any team has a chance to win.
Taranaki won the Shield from Tasman on 6 October 2024.

## History

In 1901 the Governor of New Zealand, The 5th 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 trophy, 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, was presented with the shield. The shield was designed as a trophy for association football, not rugby. The picture in the centrepiece was a soccer one, and was modified by adding goal posts on the soccer goal in the picture to create a rugby scene. The alterations to the centrepiece are still apparent.
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 or Heartland Championship, during league play are automatically challenge matches.
Auckland holds the record for the greatest number of consecutive Shield defences, 61 matches between 14 September 1985 and 18 September 1993. During this period Auckland took the Shield on tour to provincial unions that, mainly for financial reasons, would be unlikely to be able to mount a challenge for the trophy. While dismissed by some critics, usually because of the one-sided scores, it was mostly regarded as a success by those involved.
In 1994 when Canterbury wrested the Shield from Waikato, it was in battered condition, with large cracks, chips and peeled varnish. Nearly a century of use had taken its toll. Canterbury player Chris England, skilled in woodwork, fully renovated it, bringing it back into pristine condition.
In 2023 the Shield was restored over nine months by Tri Peek in Waikanae, Wellington, who had been repairing the trophy for several years before the full restoration decision. The original Oak shield was replaced with English Oak from the Hutt Valley in New Zealand, seasoned for 5 years. The badges, already recently replaced in 2012 were moved to the new shield.
The old Shield, which had gradually become worn down by 118 years of handling and an untold number of celebrations, has been blessed and decommissioned by NZ Rugby Māori cultural adviser Luke Crawford, recognising its status as a taonga in rugby. The replacement shield was accidentally broken after being dropped on a concrete floor in September 2023 just after Hawke's Bay had won it from Wellington.

## Challenges

The Shield holder at the end of each season is required to accept at least seven challenges for the following year. All home games during league play, but not during knockout playoffs, in the NPC or Heartland Championship are automatic challenges. The remaining shield defences must be made up of challenges from unions in the other domestic competition. For example, since North Harbour, an Air New Zealand Cup (now NPC) team, held the Shield at the end of the 2006 Cup season despite losing their home quarter-final to Otago, they were forced to defend the Shield against Heartland Championship teams during the 2007 pre-season. Having successfully done so, all their home fixtures in the round-robin phase were Shield defences until they lost the shield to Waikato.
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 between 1985 and 1993. In 2008, Auckland played both their mandatory defences against Heartland teams on the road.
If a challenger successfully takes the Shield, all of their home matches for the rest of the season are defences of it.

### Proposed rule changes

In August 2008, the New Zealand Rugby Union released a competitions review that proposed dramatic changes to the Shield rules:
* Once a team has successfully defended the Shield four times, all of the holder's subsequent matches in league play would be mandatory defences, whether home or away. The Shield will not be at stake in semifinals or finals.
* If an Air New Zealand Cup team holds the Shield at the end of the league season, that season's winners of the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup, the two trophies contested in the second-level Heartland Championship, will receive automatic challenges in the following year.
The changes were not implemented but did receive support from Auckland, which held the Shield when the NZRU released its report.

## Current teams

Just under half of the unions that can contest for the Ranfurly Shield do not have an alias. South Canterbury's emblem is their own Coat of Arms. But a soldier represents their green and black colour and current mascot, Tim and Ru. The mascots were originally used during wartime and were created by Ronald Murray. Many of the unions below have this situation, like Poverty Bay's Weka, it resembles their mascot after the 2011 squads post-match photo after the Lochore Cup final.
| Team | Estab­lished | Alias | Area | Stadia | First held |
| Auckland A.R.U | 1883 | HMS Endeavour | Auckland, Auckland | Eden Park | 1905 |
| Buller B.R.U | 1894 | Lion | Westport, West Coast | Victoria Square | — |
| Bay of Plenty B.O.P.R.U | 1911 | Pohutu Geyser | Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty | Rotorua International Stadium | 2004 |
| Canterbury C.R.F.U | 1879 | Lamb | Christchurch, Canterbury | Rugby League Park | 1927 |
| Counties Manukau C.M.R.F.U | 1955 | Glenbrook Steel Mill | Pukekohe, Auckland | Growers Stadium | 2013 |
| East Coast E.C.R.F.U | 1922 | Pohutukawa | Ruatoria, Gisborne | Whakarua Park | — |
| Hawke's Bay H.B.R.U | 1884 | Magpie | Napier, Hawke's Bay | McLean Park | 1922 |
| Horowhenua Kapiti H.K.R.F.U | 1893 | Rugby football | Levin, Manawatū-Whanganui | Levin Domain | 1927 (as Manawhenua) |
| King Country K.C.R.F.U | 1922 | Ram | Te Kūiti, King Country | Owen Delany Park | — |
| Manawatu M.R.U | 1886 | Wind turbine | Palmerston North, Manawatū-Whanganui | Central Energy Trust Arena | 1927 (as Manawhenua) |
| Mid Canterbury M.C.R.U | 1904 | Hammer | Ashburton, Canterbury | Ashburton Showgrounds | — |
| Northland N.R.U | 1920 | Taniwha | Whangārei, Northland | Okara Park | 1950 (as North Auckland) |
| North Harbour N.H.R.U | 1985 | Hibiscus | Albany, Auckland | North Harbour Stadium | 2006 |
| North Otago N.O.R.F.U | 1904 | Gold | Oamaru, Otago | Centennial Park | — |
| Otago O.R.F.U | 1881 | Razorback | Dunedin, Otago | Forsyth Barr Stadium | 1935 |
| Poverty Bay P.B.R.F.U | 1890 | Weka | Gisborne, Gisborne | Rugby Park | — |
| Southland R.S | 1887 | Stag | Invercargill, Southland | Rugby Park Stadium | 1920 |
| South Canterbury S.C.R.F.U | 1888 | Soldier* | Timaru, Canterbury | Fraser Park | 1950 |
| Taranaki T.R.F.U | 1889 | Bull | New Plymouth, Taranaki | Yarrow Stadium | 1913 |
| Tasman T.R.U | 2006 | Shortfin mako shark | Nelson, Nelson | Trafalgar Park | 1973 (as Marlborough) |
| Thames Valley T.V.R.F.U | 1922 | Swamp Fox | Paeroa, Waikato | Paeroa Domain | — |
| Waikato W.R.U | 1921 | Mooloo | Hamilton, Waikato | Waikato Stadium | 1951 |
| Wairarapa Bush W.B.R.F.U | 1971 | Castle Rock | Masterton, Wellington | Memorial Park | 1927 (as Wairarapa) |
| Whanganui W.R.F.U | 1888 | Butcher | Whanganui, Manawatū-Whanganui | Cooks Gardens | — |
| Wellington W.R.F.U | 1879 | Lion | Wellington, Wellington | Sky Stadium | 1904 |
| West Coast W.C.R.U | 1890 | Swan | Greymouth, West Coast | Rugby Park | — |

## Results

| Match | Date | Holder | Score | Challenger | Venue | Defences |
| 1 | 6 August 1904 | Auckland | 3–6 | Wellington | Alexandra Park | 0 |
| 6 | 26 August 1905 | Wellington | 6–10 | Auckland | Athletic Park | 4 |
| 30 | 16 August 1913 | Auckland | 11–14 | Taranaki | Alexandra Park | 23 |
| 37 | 10 September 1914 | Taranaki | 6–12 | Wellington | Victoria Park | 6 |
| 53 | 15 September 1920 | Wellington | 6–17 | Southland | Rugby Park | 15 |
| 55 | 10 September 1921 | Southland | 13–28 | Wellington | Athletic Park | 1 |
| 58 | 9 August 1922 | Wellington | 9–19 | Hawke's Bay | Athletic Park | 2 |
| 83 | 3 June 1927 | Hawke's Bay | 11–15 | Wairarapa | McLean Park | 24 |
| 86 | 6 August 1927 | Wairarapa | 16–18 | Manawhenua | Showgrounds Oval | 2* |
| 89 | 7 September 1927 | Manawhenua | 6–17 | Canterbury | Showgrounds Oval | 2 |
| 91 | 18 July 1928 | Canterbury | 7–8 | Wairarapa | Lancaster Park Oval | 1 |
| 100 | 31 August 1929 | Wairarapa | 16–19 | Southland | Showgrounds Oval | 8 |
| 104 | 3 September 1930 | Southland | 3–12 | Wellington | Rugby Park | 3 |
| 106 | 22 August 1931 | Wellington | 6–8 | Canterbury | Athletic Park | 1 |
| 122 | 21 July 1934 | Canterbury | 0–9 | Hawke's Bay | Lancaster Park Oval | 15 |
| 125 | 8 September 1934 | Hawke's Bay | 14–18 | Auckland | McLean Park | 2 |
| 127 | 10 August 1935 | Auckland | 13–16 | Canterbury | Eden Park | 1 |
| 132 | 21 September 1935 | Canterbury | 6–15 | Otago | Lancaster Park Oval | 4 |
| 141 | 31 July 1937 | Otago | 7–12 | Southland | Carisbrook Ground | 8 |
| 142 | 30 July 1938 | Southland | 6–7 | Otago | Rugby Park | 0 |
| 148 | 10 September 1938 | Otago | 5–10 | Southland | Carisbrook Ground | 5 |
| 160 | 2 August 1947 | Southland | 11–17 | Otago | Rugby Park | 11 |
| 179 | 16 August 1950 | Otago | 0–8 | Canterbury | Carisbrook Ground | 18 |
| 180 | 2 September 1950 | Canterbury | 0–3 | Wairarapa | Lancaster Park Oval | 0 |
| 181 | 16 September 1950 | Wairarapa | 14–17 | South Canterbury | Solway Showgrounds Oval | 0 |
| 182 | 30 September 1950 | South Canterbury | 9–20 | North Auckland | Fraser Park | 0 |
| 185 | 18 August 1951 | North Auckland | 3–6 | Waikato | Rugby Park | 2 |
| 192 | 9 August 1952 | Waikato | 0–9 | Auckland | Rugby Park | 6 |
| 193 | 23 August 1952 | Auckland | 3–6 | Waikato | Eden Park | 0 |
| 200 | 1 August 1953 | Waikato | 6–9 | Wellington | Rugby Park | 6 |
| 206 | 19 September 1953 | Wellington | 3–24 | Canterbury | Athletic Park | 5 |
| 230 | 22 September 1956 | Canterbury | 0–8 | Wellington | Lancaster Park Oval | 23 |
| 235 | 24 August 1957 | Wellington | 11–19 | Otago | Athletic Park | 4 |
| 237 | 28 September 1957 | Otago | 9–11 | Taranaki | Carisbrook | 1 |
| 251 | 5 September 1959 | Taranaki | 6–23 | Southland | Rugby Park | 13 |
* Wairarapa's 1927-era saw them lose to Hawke's Bay 21–10 at Solway Showgrounds Oval, but was subsequently awarded the shield back on a residential breach.
| Ranfurly Shield holders |
| Union | Won | Successful defences |
| Southland | 5 September 1959 | 0 |
| Auckland | 23 September 1959 | 2 |
| North Auckland | 20 August 1960 | 1 |
| Auckland | 31 August 1960 | 25 |
| Wellington | 31 August 1963 | 0 |
| Taranaki | 7 September 1963 | 15 |
| Auckland | 11 September 1965 | 3 |
| Waikato | 27 August 1966 | 0 |
| Hawke's Bay | 24 September 1966 | 21 |
| Canterbury | 27 September 1969 | 9 |
| Auckland | 28 August 1971 | 1 |
| North Auckland | 18 September 1971 | 6 |
| Auckland | 26 August 1972 | 0 |
| Canterbury | 5 September 1972 | 2 |
| Marlborough | 28 July 1973 | 6 |
| South Canterbury | 17 August 1974 | 1 |
| Wellington | 3 September 1974 | 1 |
| Auckland | 21 September 1974 | 10 |
| Manawatu | 21 August 1976 | 13 |
| North Auckland | 12 September 1978 | 5 |
| Auckland | 21 September 1979 | 6 |
| Waikato | 7 September 1980 | 8 |
| Wellington | 1 August 1981 | 4 |
| Canterbury | 18 September 1982 | 25 |
| Auckland | 14 September 1985 | 61 |
| Waikato | 18 September 1993 | 5 |
| Canterbury | 3 September 1994 | 9 |
| Auckland | 23 September 1995 | 3 |
| Taranaki | 24 August 1996 | 1 |
| Waikato | 8 September 1996 | 1 |
| Auckland | 4 October 1996 | 6 |
| Waikato | 5 October 1997 | 21 |
| Canterbury | 23 September 2000 | 23 |
| Auckland | 11 October 2003 | 2 |
| Bay of Plenty | 15 August 2004 | 1 |
| Canterbury | 5 September 2004 | 14 |
| North Harbour | 24 September 2006 | 3 |
| Waikato | 24 August 2007 | 0 |
| Canterbury | 1 September 2007 | 1 |
| Auckland | 29 September 2007 | 5 |
| Wellington | 20 September 2008 | 4 |
| Canterbury | 29 August 2009 | 4 |
| Southland | 22 October 2009 | 6 |
| Canterbury | 9 October 2010 | 2 |
| Southland | 23 July 2011 | 2 |
| Taranaki | 24 August 2011 | 7 |
| Waikato | 3 October 2012 | 4 |
| Otago | 23 August 2013 | 0 |
| Hawke's Bay | 1 September 2013 | 0 |
| Counties Manukau | 7 September 2013 | 6 |
| Hawke's Bay | 30 August 2014 | 11 |
| Waikato | 9 October 2015 | 6 |
| Canterbury | 28 September 2016 | 6 |
| Taranaki | 6 October 2017 | 5 |
| Waikato | 9 September 2018 | 2 |
| Otago | 13 October 2018 | 6 |
| Canterbury | 28 September 2019 | 2 |
| Taranaki | 19 September 2020 | 0 |
| Otago | 27 September 2020 | 0 |
| Hawke's Bay | 4 October 2020 | 14 |
| Wellington | 17 September 2022 | 7 |
| Hawke's Bay | 30 September 2023 | 4 |
| Tasman | 7 September 2024 | 2 |
| Taranaki | 6 October 2024 | 0 |

### Overall records

| Team | Wins | Successful defences | Average defences |
| Auckland | 16 | 148 | 9.25 |
| Canterbury | 16 | 139 | 8.69 |
| Waikato | 13 | 60 | 4.62 |
| Wellington | 11 | 46 | 4.18 |
| Taranaki | 8 | 48 | 6.00 |
| Hawke's Bay | 7 | 76 | 10.86 |
| Otago | 7 | 38 | 5.43 |
| Southland | 7 | 25 | 3.57 |
| Northland | 4 | 14 | 3.50 |
| Wairarapa | 3 | 10 | 3.33 |
| South Canterbury | 2 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Manawatu | 1 | 13 | 13 |
| Counties Manukau | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Marlborough | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| North Harbour | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Manawhenua | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Tasman | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Bay of Plenty | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Last updated: after Taranaki won the Shield on 6 October 2024