Te Tahi Rautahi and Jay LaDette-Pinfold were chosen as best senior players to win the Curran-Thomson cup. Photo / Leanne Warr
Te Tahi Rautahi and Jay LaDette-Pinfold were chosen as best senior players to win the Curran-Thomson cup. Photo / Leanne Warr
This year will be a special year for the Ross Shield in Dannevirke as the tournament will coincide with the host park's 100th year.
Rugby Park opened in 1922 and since then, the Ross Shield, when it was hosted by Dannevirke, had been held there.
A brief history of the120-year-old tournament was related as a prelude to the capping ceremony for the 22 young players participating in the tournament, on next week.
Craig Boyden was MC for the evening. Photo / Leanne Warr
MC Craig Boyden said what became known as the Ross Shield was donated by a man named Jim Ross who "was very passionate about his sport."
The shield was donated in 1902, which made the rugby tournament the oldest in New Zealand.
The shield had been contested almost annually, apart from some instances such as the war years, between teams in Napier, Hastings, Wairoa, Central Hawke's Bay and Dannevirke.
Boyden said the first success for Dannevirke was in 1921, under the name Dannevirke South.
They won again in 1941 under Southern Hawke's Bay and then again in 1957.
"It wasn't until 1982 that Dannevirke won the Ross Shield under its own right and they repeated that in 1987," Boyden said.
There were 12 schools eligible within the Dannevirke catchment - this included Woodville and Pongaroa.
Harvey Sattrup led the team in. Photo / Leanne Warr
The team marched in, led by highland piper Harvey Sattrup and were called up one by one to receive their caps.
Allan Benbow, chairman of Scanpower, which was sponsoring the team, spoke on behalf of the company.
"It's our pleasure to support the Ross Shield team," he said.
"We're very fortunate to have a board and a CE who are very supportive of local community things and certainly the Ross Shield is one of the ones we're very proud to be involved in supporting."
He congratulated the team.
"Play well, play hard and really enjoy it."
Tararua District Council deputy mayor Erana Peeti-Webber also spoke, congratulating the team on their selection.
"It's a proud moment to represent your town in any sport and one that you'll never forget. You have trained hard to get here and I'm sure you'll do well."
She said the Ross Shield had a long and proud history that the team would now become part of.
"Anyone that has received their cap remembers this moment."
The Curran-Thomson cup for best senior player was also presented, this year to two members, Jay LaDette-Pinfold and Te-Tahi Rautahi.
Items from band Six60 were among those auctioned off. Photo / Leanne Warr
The evening concluded with an auction to raise money for the team, with items including pet food and t-shirts.
Dannevirke's Ross Shield team for 2022. Photo / Leanne Warr
The 22 members are: Jaylynn Richards, Tahu Osborne-Hauiti, Zack Gore, Dayton Hema, Te-Tahi Rautahi, Alex Wrenn, Taj Hauraki, Kadin Boustead, Caleb Anderson, Krain Hauiti, William Graham, Ethan Augustine, Rafe Paewai, Kade Smith, Brae Pinfold, Jay LaDette-Pinfold, John Barrow, Will Hogan, Nireaha Carberry, Jearrard Stephenson, William Easton and Finn Eggleton.
