Canterbury have tied Auckland's record for most Ranfurly Shield tenures, raising the Log o' Wood for the 16th time with a 35-25 victory over Otago.
After six successful defences, Otago's reign ended one game short of being able to lock the Shield away for the summer, with Canterbury lifting theShield for the first time since their last tenure was ended by Taranaki in October of 2017.
Canterbury with the Ranfurly Shield following the win over Otago. Photo / Photosport
While always tipped to take the Shield against their Championship opposition, Canterbury were made to work hard by an Otago side which has stepped up for the Shield defences all season.
Canterbury raced out to a 15-0 lead, with Otago only managing to get on the board via two Josh Ioane penalties late in the half.
However, the clash exploded after the break, with the teams trading tries as Canterbury's lead fluctuated between seven and 14 points.
An Adam Thomson intercept reduced the deficit to seven with eight minutes to go, and with a draw enough for Otago to retain the Shield, they had hope.
However, a Tim Bateman try gave Canterbury their handy buffer, and while Jona Nareki hit back for Otago with four minutes to go, a late penalty from Brett Cameron sealed the Shield.
