A 46-year-old mystery has been solved with the discovery of the H Tai Mitchell football shield in an attic in Rotorua.
The shield is one of four known shields donated by the late Te Arawa leader, Henry Taiporutu Te Mapu-o-te-rangi Mitchell, also known as Henry Tai Mitchell.
Two of the shields are well recognised in rugby circles: the Tai Mitchell Shield (for junior rugby) and the Geyser Land Challenge Shield, also known as the Tai Mitchell Shield (for senior rugby). The other two are not so well known: one, the H Tai Mitchell Shield, has been hidden in the attic of the Rotorua United clubrooms for about seven years. The other remains unaccounted for in Australia.
The football shield saw the light of day for the first time after Rotorua local Dennis "Shippy" Shipgood read the Rotorua Daily Post article about the Geyser Land Challenge Shield.
Shipgood contacted the paper to say he was aware of another shield the late Henry Tai Mitchell had donated to football.
Rotorua United director of football Ray Wells said the shield had been put in the attic of the Rotorua United clubrooms for safe keeping.
"Basically, what happened was when we put a heat pump in [the shield] used to sit on top of the [old] trophy cabinet. So when the new heat pump and new cabinet went in, there was nowhere to put it.
"Because it was a brand new club ... the individuals in the club had no history of where [the shield] had come from. Derek Shaw, the president of the club, recognised the significance of the trophy and said, 'We need to put it away safely because someone will know about it'."
Shipgood said the shield was similar to the Ranfurly Shield but played between clubs within the Bay of Plenty region.
He said the holder put the shield on the line every time they played a home game.
It says on the shield the last team to hold the shield was former Rotorua club Western Suburbs in 1969.
Shipgood said he played in the Rotorua Rangers team who won the shield in 1952. He said it was a sought-after prize during his time and there were many epic battles.
The shield was presented by Mitchell in 1938, with Putaruru the first team to win it. Even Kawerau held the shield, from 1959 to 1961.
Shipgood, 80, said he would like to see the shield played for once more.
"It would be great to see junior teams playing for it."
Wells, however, said he would like to see the shield held by the Waibop Federation, so its history could be protected properly.
The Rotorua Daily Post understands the swimming shield presented by Mitchell on behalf of the Ohinemutu Swimming Club to a New South Wales swimming team in 1933 was gifted in recognition of New South Wales' efforts in developing Maori swimmers.
It is understood the shield was to be awarded to the New South Wales 100-yard champion.
The last known mention of the shield was in the Wellington paper the Evening Post on April 5, 1933.
If you have any information or pictures of the swimming shield, contact Greg on (07) 348 6199 ext 57072 or sport@dailypost.co.nz.