Poverty Bay playing for Heartland ‘Ranfurly Shield’

On the move: Bill Osborne punching the line in South Africa. Poverty Bay and Mid-Canterbury will take the honour of being the first teams to challenge for the newly made Bill Osborne Cup at Rugby Park tomorrow.

Poverty Bay's home Heartland match against Mid Canterbury tomorrow is more than a play-off for fifth and sixth — there is a significant trophy up for grabs.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has created the Bill Osborne Taonga which will operate in the Heartland Championship with similar rules to the iconic Ranfurly Shield, and chosen the Poverty Bay Weka-Mid Canterbury match to launch the challenge trophy.

Poverty Bay Weka coach Tom Cairns said the players were disappointed not to be playing for the Lochore Cup, but they were excited about playing for the Bill Osborne Taonga.

The team had not reached the Lochore Cup for some time, but it had been a successful season for a homegrown team who had suffered several close away from home defeats.

“We are made up of local boys.”

The public knew and recognised them.

“The boys have played for the 80 minutes and sometimes past 80 minutes.”

Team spirit was good and the team was trying to build a unique culture exemplified by the adoption of the Weka monika.

The team was also motivated to put on a good performance to honour the 50th appearance in the scarlet jersey of No.8 Tamanui Hill, said Cairns.

The Lochore Cup is normally the final for the second highest group of four Heartland sides.

But the season, so heavily disrupted by Covid, has caused NZR to be flexible with the competition with the top two teams playing for the Meads Cup and the next two for the Lochore Cup, without any semifinals.

NZR community rugby general manager Steve Lancaster, explained why Poverty Bay and Mid Canterbury were playing for the Bill Osborne Taonga.

“It's fitting it starts its life in the fifth and sixth playoff match which will ensure it stands alone in its first outing away from the Meads and Lochore Cup finals.”

Rugby fans at the Herald were originally surprised the trophy was not named after Ian Kirpatrick following in the footsteps of the other Bunnings Heartland trophies, the (Colin) Meads Cup and the (Brian) Lochore Cup, with both All Black greats being team mates of the former Poverty Bay flanker.

But NZR has also honoured Kirkpatrick.

From next season the most outstanding Heartland Championship player will receive the Ian Kirpatrick Medal in a similar way to how the most outstanding NPC player receives the Duane Monkley Medal.

“You never forget your roots and where it all started,” Kirkpatrick said.

“To have my name attached to the Heartland Player of the Year award from 2022 is a great honour and something I am truly humbled by.

“Heartland rugby remains an integral part of our game, its pathways and its deep connection to rural New Zealand.”

Kirkpatrick wil be at tomorrow's Bill Osborne Taonga match.

Osborne, his great friend and former All Black teammate, will be following the match from Europe.

The former Whanganui second five-eighth and current NZR president is accompanying the All Blacks on tour.

Osborne (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) played 48 matches for the All Blacks including 16 Tests between 1975 and 1982.

He played club rugby for Kaierau and secondary school rugby for Whanganui High School.

Osborne formed one of the great All Blacks midfield combinations with Counties centre

Kirkpatrick and played 113 matches including 39 Tests for the All Blacks, leading the team on 43 occasion, between 1967 and 1977.

He scored 50 tries including a then record 16 test tries.

Kirkpatrick played for Canterbuy as well as Poverty Bay and is the only man to have captained both the South Island and the North Island.

He played club rugby for Ngatapa and secondary school football for the Kings College First XV in Auckland.

The Bill Osborne Taonga was designed and created by Otaki-based kaiwhakaairo (carver) and artist Jason Hina and fellow carver Bill Doyle, who created the Tū Kotahi Aotearoa trophy for Super Rugby last year.