‘Inspire the next generation’: Northland end near 50-year Shield wait

Northland have brought an end to a Ranfurly Shield drought that stretches back almost 50 years, leaving players visibly emotional after a famous 35-12 win over Canterbury that was unforgettable in more ways than one.

It was a history-making night at One NZ Stadium for the Taniwha, who hadn’t beaten Canterbury in Christchurch since the late 1980s. All Blacks Sevens star Rob Rush shone bright as Northland ended a long-running search for the Shield as well, which dates back to the 1970s.

The Log of Wood last changed hands when the Cantabrians overcame Otago in a rematch of the 2025 NPC decider, before backing up that feat with a hard-earned five-point win against Bay of Plenty last weekend.

Northland then had a chance to challenge for the Shield, but would need to take down a side that is yet to lose at One NZ Stadium. Canterbury took the lead early with tries to Tahlor Cahill and Jone Rova, but the Taniwha were fairly clinical from there on.

Rush scored twice as the visitors ran away with a comprehensive victory, and you could see just how much it meant to the players at full-time. Reihana had been accurate off the goal-kicking tee all night, leading Northland to a dream result on the road.

“Pretty emotional, man,” Reihana said post-game on Sky Sport.

“We spoke about it at the start of the week, we wanted to inspire the next generation, and the only way that we were going to do that was to bring back the Shield. Hopefully we’ve done that.”

Canterbury led by five points during the first half but then the visitors took control, piling on 29 unanswered points en route to victory. Marcel Renata was next to strike, before some individual brilliance from halfback Sam Nock broke the game open.

Northland led by nine at the break, and made a point-scoring statement just three minutes into the second term, with Rush crashing over after a clever set-piece tap move about five metres out from the try line.

Reihana continued to kick the Taniwha towards the win, before Rush capped off the result with his second try on the bell. The HSBC SVNS Series flyer attempted a drop goal conversion to end the match, but that shot sailed wide.

With that result, Northland moved into first place on the NPC live ladder, but an unbeaten Hawke’s Bay outfit are yet to play this week. The Cantabrians remain in the top three, with that defeat bringing an end to their undefeated start.

“Canterbury, they’re the top side for a reason and we knew we had to bring our A-game,” Reihana reflected.

“What I’m most proud of is the effort areas that we showed on our defence. It’s awesome to see.”