Wellington just won the shield FFS, is that all you have to say?

"The 1984 Almanac has something for everyone including some shield photos yada yada"...

I'd just like to say, this "oversight" will be remembered when the Wellingtonista voting opens.

Although I have to say that David Campese is very pretty in that picture.

Re the Ranfurly Shield,?

Wait, wait. Is that it?!?

Did I mention the bronchitis? You were lucky to get that.

Wellington just won the shield FFS, is that all you have to say?

Congratulations? Ah, I'm kinda winding you up.

It was a good game, but nothing really to enthuse over. Auckland played terribly?

On average Wellington hold the Shield for 3.6 challenges, which means at least they get to keep it until next year.

Auckland averages 10.1 challenges before losing it and Canterbury 10.4

But the team to watch for is Hawkes Bay. They've had the Shield 3?

Wellington know how to win the Shield, they just don't know how to hold the Shield.

Well apart from between 1983 and 2005 that is?

It was a good game, but nothing really to enthuse over.

Believe me, the quality of the game was irrelevant. Wellington was never going to?

And there?s something nice about winning it to nil.

There was that.

which chunk of the former Tasman holds the Sheild?

They should play each other for it.

which chunk of the former Tasman holds the Sheild?

It'd probably end up at Canterbury...

The worst defender is South Canterbury who won the Shield twice (1950 and 1974) but only defended it once.

Presumably, you mean they only successfully defended it once? because otherwise, they'd still have it.

You are defending it in the next (home?) game after you gain it... So, aftwerwards, win?

Marlborough v France? 1973? Jim Joseph? :)

How about ol' Byron Kelleher aye? French rugby 'Player of the Year' :X

49ers are getting up now, Smith, Battle and Gore are a great 4th?

OTOH, will be quite good for the Heartland unions to have the Shield circulating in their ranks without the big boys coming and hogging it...

If it did end up in he heartland, they would have to defend it in pre-season games against Air NZ Cup teams, so likely it?

Presumably, you mean they only successfully defended it once?

Yep.

Woulda been cool if you'd talked about this photo here...
Marlborough v France? 1973? Jim Joseph?

Nice spotting. The article didn't mention Joseph so I didn't click

Wellington know how to win the Shield, they just don't know how to hold the Shield.

Who would have thunk it... sly Seinfeld-ian references in a sports blog!

@Peter Darlington

I went to see Jean Pierre Rives France play Marlborough at Lansdowne Park in 1979

"Les Coqs" trained on the?

Don?t want to be a pedant but?

France weren?t here between 68 and 79,

As for disappointments and the Ranfurly Shield: Counties (my home region team) has had a singularly ill-starred history.

Was winning the NPC or whatever it was called in?

But its been all downhill, pretty much, for Counties since then.

Oh I don?t know. Someone at NZRU obviously likes Counties.

Well, more than Northland anyway?

Who would have thunk it... sly Seinfeld-ian references in a sports blog!

Points to Evan!

@LB &Rob, yep it probably was 1968

Old sports books are great. I have Mark Nicholls one of the 1928 tour of south africa where he notes?

Jean-Pierre Rives and Jean-Michelle Aguirre came to our 4th form French class to help us "parle français" .

I was in France on holiday a couple of months ago staying at my sister's place in Provence. She has an American mate there whose partner is French.

He's a steward for?

Tim Twigden, possibly the slowest and lest talented All Black winger of all time, scored the match-winning try in the dying minutes and was rewarded with an All Black trip.

Subsequent ?Ranfurly Shield?

There was one All Black, I think a winger, around that time (late 70s) who was a truck driver and who distinguished himself by dumping a load off somewhere and driving off with the back of the truck still tilted up.

It was OK until?

It was a good game, but nothing really to enthuse over. Auckland played terribly and lost.

Hah, we had a parade too you know (in 120kmh winds, how hard is that!).

[John] O'Neill said the annual Super rugby competition which involves 14 teams at present could expand to 18 sides, possibly into Japan and North America, by 2013.

Test matches between Australia and New Zealand could also be hosted overseas.

Every?

For Australian rugby.

What O?Neill is suggesting here is a very good idea. For Australian rugby.

I don't think it is.

It will dilute their player base to other Super 14 teams (based in Japan) it will bring in some more money from overseas without growing the game locally and because they have?

It will dilute their player base to other Super 14 teams (based in Japan)

Will it? Doesn't the Super 14 have rules or limits on players from foreign countries? I know lots of NZers go over to Japan now to play in their pro teams, but unless the super rules?

Such a competition would have the side-effect of further weakening the NZ NPC, and?

how many NZers or Australians would be able to just jump on a plane and play for the Tokyo Tigers or something?

All rules are internal. Australia just relaxed theirs for overseas players (depending on the length of the player's contract. So if Japan said they would let 10 of?

All rules are internal. Australia just relaxed theirs for overseas players (depending on the length of the player's contract. So if Japan said they would let 10 of the 15 starters be foreign then so be it.

Ah OK.

Assuming that it stayed that rules are only internal, it would?

At the moment, I only do that for teams playing against the Crusaders, but if there was no NZ only aspect to the other teams I'd gladly?

For Japan to be competitive they'd need to bring in a fair number of foreigners.

I think they'd have foreigners but the majority of players on their teams are Japanese.

At the moment, I only do that for teams playing against the Crusaders, but if there was no NZ only?

What I meant was how you?d approach games played by a NZ franchise that?s not your own.

The Hurricanes are my team; I cheer for them. I cheer for anyone playing against the Crusaders. That part is easy.

But it?s the?

But in a true franchise system I wouldn?t have to worry about such faux patriotism.

I hear ya brother. I never quite cottoned to the "it's the Crusaders and the Waratahs in the final, so you should cheer for the Crusaders" line of logic. I don't like the Crusaders, so?

For Japan to be competitive they'd need to bring in a fair number of foreigners.

I can't help but disagree with you.
For starters, you choose to pick on Japan, not North America despite the fact JAP are ranked hire than the US.
Second, Japan, under JK's leadership have developed?

For starters, you choose to pick on Japan, not North America despite the fact JAP are ranked hire than the US.

I'm not picking on anyone.

My comparison isn't between Japan and USA/Canada, it's between a potential Japanese franchise and existing franchises in the super system. Even if their team?

OTOH, will be quite good for the Heartland unions to have the Shield circulating in their ranks without the big boys coming and hogging it...

If it did end up in he heartland, they would have to defend it in pre-season games against Air NZ Cup teams, so likely it?

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 Air New Zealand Cup or Heartland Championship are automatic challenges. **The remaining?

12. Provided in each case the challenge has been lodged as provided in regulation No 9, then:
(a) if the holders are in division one of the NPC, they?

Traditionally, it was only contested when the holders were playing on their own patch. Now we appear to be on the cusp of a new model where, after four successful home defences, teams put the shield on the line wherever they are?

In fact here we go, from Stuff today:

__Traditionally, it was only contested when the holders were playing on their own patch. Now we appear to be on the cusp of a new model where, after four successful home defences, teams put the shield on the line wherever they are?