The joy of victory over Wellington, in the final Ranfurly Shield defence of the season, at McLean Park, Napier in November.
Photo / Ian Cooper.
The joy of victory over Wellington, in the final Ranfurly Shield defence of the season, at McLean Park, Napier in November.
Photo / Ian Cooper.
National Heartland division rugby champions North Otago are not letting the prospect of a good old-fashioned hiding discourage them from again tackling the Ranfurly Shield dream as they line up as possibly one of Hawke's Bay's first challengers of 2021.
Taking up the right to a challenge last year asholders of the Meads Cup, North Otago were hammered 71-7 by what was effectively Canterbury's third or fourth XV – without Super Rugby players and other top-liners - in Christchurch in August.
Canterbury subsequently lost the shield to Taranaki, who were then beaten by Otago, off whom the Magpies won the Shield with a 28-9 win in Dunedin on October 4.
The Magpies then had comfortable wins over Northland, Manawatu and Wellington to retain the shield through the off-season.
With Heartland Rugby being cancelled last season, North Otago were unable to defend the Meads Cup but are maintaining their right as reigning champions to go another round in search of a Ranfurly Shield win for the first time – something achieved by a second division team only once in the history of the National Provincial Championship which started in 1976.
The Hawke's Bay Magpies' last match against North Otago in 2005. North Otago hope to be back in Napier this year for a Ranfurly Shield challenge. Photo / File
North Otago union chairman Warren Prestcott isn't so much as worried about the potential score or the cost, he's simply keen to have his union in front in a shield match in front of a crowd.
"We will have a challenge," he said.
"We are hoping we will all be able to come to Hawke's Bay."
North Otago and Hawke's Bay last met in a second division semifinal at McLean Park in 2005. The Magpies won 15-11
The Magpies then beat Nelson Bays in the final in what was the Bay's last match in the lower division, before the advent of the 14-team Air New Zealand Cup semi-professional top grade the following year.
Based on recent shield history, the Magpies will schedule at least seven defences.
If successful, Hawke's Bay could overtake Waikato as the third most-successful union in Ranfurly Shield history.
As revenue and costs become the ruler in the Covid-19 times, Premier and Championship Mitre 10 cups are facing the possibility of playing zones this winter, with Hawke's Bay in a possible southern zone along with 2019 and 2020 Premier champions Tasman, South Island sides Canterbury, Otago and Southland, and other lower North Island sides Wellington and Manawatu.
But also still under consideration is sticking at least one more season with the current format of separate upper and lower divisions.
Hawke's Bay union chairman Brendan Mahony says that whatever the format, the Magpies can still expect 10 matches, with five at home designated as shield matches.
Prestcott said it's ironic that just as it was the last time Hawke's Bay and North Otago met the format is again an undecided issue.
