Buck Shelford: Return the Shield to the amateurs
Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford has a plan to rejuvenate the Ranfurly Shield.
It is somewhat radical and it will not find favour with the Otago Razorbacks, who won the venerable Log o’ Wood in audacious style last month in Hamilton.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people about this. I have watched the Ranfurly Shield matches for the last few years and I think it’s lost its lustre under the professional model,” says the former All Blacks captain.
“If you are the holder, great, you can do something with it, but for everyone else, it’s almost a non-entity. Most don’t get an opportunity. They are mostly worried about finding their Mitre 10 Cup Premiership or Championship positions.
“My idea is to take it away from the professionals, or semi-pros, and let the amateurs play for the Ranfurly Shield. That’s every provincial union in New Zealand. So Auckland could play North Harbour with completely amateur teams. The Shield was given to the amateurs (in 1902, though not contested until 1904). It wasn’t given to the pro-amateurs. The pros have got their system and their money, whereas really the amateurs don’t have anything.”
As it stands, there are generally seven Ranfurly Shield challenges per season, five mandatory clashes during the Mitre 10 Cup at the holder’s home venue, and two in July/August against two Heartland Championship provinces, usually the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup champions, Hence, Wanganui has had several recent cracks at the Shield.
The whole course of Shield history could have dramatically shifted had second division Bay of Plenty managed to hold on against a fast-finishing Auckland at Eden Park in 1996. Alas for the Log o’ Wood, Auckland roared home from an 11-29 deficit and Matt Carrington scored and converted for the 30-29 victory, thus breaking Steamers’ hearts. Had they hung on, the Shield might still be played among the Heartland unions to this day.
Shelford envisages an FA Cup-style knockout, starting with all 26 provinces, which is 13 matches. It would be played over five weekends, perhaps part way through the club season in May/June. There would be a bye in the second or third round, which would be “the luck of the draw.” All the Mitre 10 Cup provinces could, in theory, be drawn against each other.
So no province would hold the Shield until it emerged victorious at the end of the five weeks, after the final. There could be scope for midweek or Sunday games, so as not to interfere too heavily with club rugby. Provinces would need to dip into their club and Second XV or Colts stocks, as no contracted player would be eligible.
“I reckon there would be a lot of following for it,” says Shelford.
Shelford never tasted Shield success as a player or coach. He had left Auckland before that union won the Shield in 1985, and his beloved North Harbour finally got its hands on it in 2006, well after his playing and coaching days.
He is frustrated that the bulk of resourcing and media coverage – especially in his wider Auckland region – goes to the elite level. Rugby writers such as Lindsay Knight kept the history of the Shield to the fore until relatively recently.
“Club rugby, for example, is being left out of media coverage. Heartland rugby, nothing up here. There is nothing for the amateurs to read in the paper on a Monday morning anymore, which is sad,” says Shelford. Some pockets of New Zealand media still place importance on club, schools, provincial and Shield rugby – the Otago Daily Times, for instance – but that number is dwindling.
Shelford is right to say the Shield has lost some its lustre. While the players of today still get a kick out of lifting it, it is some 42 years since the inception of the NPC, which gave more meaning to the fixtures list, but also removed the Shield as being the unchallenged focal point of the provincial season.
Here is an alternative solution. Over to the powers-that-be.
In other news:
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The Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
2 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
2 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
10 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
10 Go to commentsEnd to end play, “THE FANS” this game was entertainment of the best. The conditions added to the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsSorry to say, but sadly the sadas were just ordinary and havilli at 10 as an abs selection just won’t cut it. He’s better suited in the centre’s and is a victim of past charge down kicks, he’s too slow under pressure. There’s better talent further north and I don’t mean dmac however I believe razor will sort him out. A feature of his presents on the park is the fact that the guys will follow him.
10 Go to commentsMarler was brilliant throughout both in the scrum and open play. His slap made virtually no contact with Ramos who milked it for a penalty when he could have been a decent sportsman and laughed it off, it was non-violent and shouldn't have been penalised. Smith failed repeatedly to kick when necessary and put up a couple of bombs into the TLS 22 that just handed back possession at key moments to the other side.
3 Go to commentsCros was outstanding and rightly awarded France TVs player of the match award. Mallia was brilliant as usual (the y is below the 6 on a UK keyboard and he deserves better than that). Level also seems to have been scored harshly as he walked the ball into touch under pressure from a Lynagh kick from well outside his own half which should never have led to a 50-22. Agree with BullShark that Dupont, while class at times, seemed to go missing for patches in the second half with props, hookers and wings frequently filling in at 9 as he couldn't get off the deck and up to the next ruck on time. A 7 by his standards at best, his kicking was also too long, too often. Kinghorn's overall contribution was worth well more than a five.
3 Go to commentsThe Harlequins team must be in minus figures. Did the reporter actually watch the game?
3 Go to commentsHow on earth did Walker escape a red card? Not dangerous? Dupont has his face in a mask earlier this season. Shocking decision. What is the point of TMOs? We had the Fassi ‘non-penalty try’ yesterday and now this.
2 Go to commentsCould have been a different result but yet again French tv able to affect the result by not showing the very clear high shot on harlequin centre if this would have been on a French player would have been on screen at least five times
3 Go to commentsAmazing. The losing team’s ratings are higher than the winning team’s. Mallia definitely didn’t deserve a y. What game were you watching? Should have got a w or an x. ADP hardly featured in that second half. At one point I wondered when he’d been subbed. Seems to me as if he gets an automatic 9 just for getting onto the team sheet.
3 Go to commentsI’m sorry. That second half was far from enthralling. It was painful to watch.
2 Go to commentsVery generous! If you’d missed the game, reading this you’d conclude that it was the Quins front row that cost them the game. Marler getting a blanket 6 for his demented contribution to the game. Puzzling.
3 Go to commentsCan’t see Toulouse beating Leinster at this rate.
7 Go to commentsADP was having a very average game until winning that penalty for Toulouse, sticking his big head in the way. “The head of God”?
7 Go to commentsHarlequins doing their best to do as little damage as possible with all the possession. Looks like they skipped catch and pass drills this week.
7 Go to commentsSeeing pictures of Jacques high-fiving it with Irish players breaks my heart. Too soon. I need more time.
1 Go to comments