When it comes to comparing the performances of champion teams over the years it is debatable when it comes to the six Wanganui NZ Heartland title winners.
The main contenders are this season's Steelform side, which scraped home 20-18 against Buller in a nail-biting 2016 Mitre 10 Meads Cup final at
Cooks Gardens last weekend, and the 2008 titleholders.
Both the 2008 and 2016 Wanganui squads went through their campaigns unbeaten with 10 victories each, the only two teams in the 11-year history of the 12-union national Heartland competition to emerge with perfect records.
The start of the Heartland series in 2006 provided a boost to the former Div 2 and 3 provincial unions and the naming of a NZ Heartland team each season, with selected members awarded NZ blazers, was a personal individual goal for players.
Thirty Wanganui players have been selected in NZ Heartland sides with evergreen Peter Rowe last week named for a ninth time.
In 11 years Wanganui has contested nine Meads Cup and one Lochore Cup final, with present head coach Jason Caskey associated with all of them. He was not involved with the 2013 team that was beaten in the Lochore Cup semis. It was the only time that the union has not contested a Heartland final.
This season's squad scored 440 points including 58 tries compared with 420 points and 63 tries by the unbeaten 2008 side. But tries this year were worth six points and not five and kicks two points instead of three.
Under the present scoring system, which is reverting back to 5pt tries and 3pt penalties next season, the 2008 team would have scored 478 pts - 38 more than the 2016 winners.
This year Wanganui conceded 154 points, including 21 tries, as against 108 pts and 13 tries in 2008.
Statistically that would give the 2008 squad an edge over the new champions. The standard of opposing teams, however, has to be taken into consideration because the overall strength of the majority of opposing unions has improved.
In the past two years Wanganui has suffered a single defeat in 20 fixtures - 28-30 to 2014 Meads Cup champions Mid Canterbury at Cooks Gardens early last season.
The following are the statistics of the six Wanganui Heartland champion teams including the players who took the field in the finals -
2016 (Meads Cup)
Played 10, won 10. Pts for 440, against 154. Tries for 58, against 21.
Top try scorers - Te Rangatira Waitokia 12, Michael Nabuliwaqe and Gavin Thornbury 6, Malakai Volau and Blake Hohaia 5 each. Most points: Waitokia 72, Craig Clare 46.
Record - Home: Beat West Coast 74-6, South Cant 32-30, Thames Valley 60-14, Horo-Kapiti 20-12, Wair-Bush 58-26 (SF), Buller 20-18 (Final). Away: Beat East Coast 74-8, King Country 22-10, Poverty Bay 52-30, Buller 28-0.
Final (v Buller at Cooks Gardens - won 20-18) - Ace Malo; Michael Nabuliwaque, Blake Hohaia, Te Rangatira Waitokia; Craig Clare, Dane Whale; Lindsay Horrocks; Malakai Volau; Campbell Hart, Sam Madams, Gain Thornbury, Peter Rowe; Tietie Tuimauga, Roman Tutauha, Viki Tofa. Subs: Cole Baldwin, Hamish Mellow, Bryn Hudson, Jamie Hughes, Samu Kubunavanua.
Scorers in final - Craig Clare, Gavin Thornbury tries, Clare 2 pen, 2 con. HT: 10-all.
Other squad members - Steve Crosbie, Cameron Crowley, Simon Dibben, Te Tua Kemp, Tremaine Gilbert, Gabriel Hakaraia, Kameli Kuruyabaki, Kane Tamou, Jack Yarrall.
NZ Heartland reps (4) - Horrocks, Rowe, Tofa, Waitokia.
2015 (Meads Cup) -
Played 10, won 8, drew 1, lost 1. Pts for 372, against 207. Tries for 50, against 25.
Top try scorers: Samu Kubunavanua 9, Stephen Perofeta 8, Bryn Hudson and Michael Nabuliwaqe 5. Most points: Trinity Spooner-Neera 116.
Record - Home: Beat Buller 35-9, Poverty Bay 55-23. Drew with King Country 17-all. Lost to Mid Cant 28-30. Away: Beat Horo-Kapiti 39-34, North Otago 40-10, Thames Valley 47-27, Wair-Bush 57-35, Mid Cant 26-11 (SF), Sth Couth Cant 28-11 (Final)
Final (v South Cant in Timaru - Won 28-11) - Malo; Nabuliwaqe, Trinity Spooner-Neera, Kubunavanua; Poasa Waqanibau, Stephen Perofeta; Horrocks; Hudson, Rowe, Madams, Jon Smyth, Fraser Hammond; Tofa, Baldwin, Kampeli Latu. Subs: Dibben, Areta Lama, Williams Short, Brett Turner, Renato Tikoilosomone, Volau, Tutauha.
Scorers in final - Nabuliwaqe, Kubunavanua, Horrocks tries, Spooner-Neera 3 pen, 2 con. HT: 11-8.
Other squad members - Troy Brown, Zyon Hekenui, Steelie Koro, Kane Tmou, Daniel Fitzgerald, Tawhio Gupwell, Kieran Hussey.
NZ Heartland reps (6) - Baldwin, Hammond, Horrocks, Hudson, Perofeta, Rowe. Manager: Chris Back.
2014 (Lochore Cup) -
Played 10, won 5, lost 5. Pts for 254, against 212.Tries for 34, against 24.
Top try scorers: Rhema Sagote 7, Kubunavanua 4. Most points: Josh Hamilton 45, Ace Malo 37.
Record - Home: Beat North Otago 20-15, East Coast 44-7, Wair-Bush 38-24. Lost to Horo-Kapiti 23-34. Away: Beat King Country 37-6 (SF) and North Otago 14-12 (Final). Lost to South Cant 18-31, Mid Cant 14-30, West Coast 17-23 and King Country 29-30.
Final (v North Otago in Oamaru - Won 14-12) - Malo; Simon Dibben, Tevita Taufu'i, Kubunavanua; Sagote, Lama; Horrocks; Lasa Ulukuta; Rowe, Sonny Woodmass, Madams, Andrew Evans; Tofa, Baldwin, Latu. Subs: Jaye Flaws, Short, Tremaine Gilbert, Hudson, Shaun McDonough, Tutauha.
Scorers in final - Horrocks, Sagote tries, Malo 2 con. HT: 7-all.
Other squad members - Josh Hamilton, Hekenui, Tautahi Rawiri, Clive Stowers, Dane Whale, John Laurie, Darren Munro, Faalafi Vave.
NZ Heartland reps (3) - Baldwin, Rowe, Ulukuta. Manager: Back.
2011 (Meads Cup) -
Played 10, won 9, lost 1. Pts for 426, against 163.Tries for 57, against 21.
Top try scorers: Sam Scown 8, Malo and Dibben 7, Taufu'i 6. Most points: Mark Davis 129, Malo 57.
Record - Home: Beat King Country 50-19, Horo-Kapiti 76-8, Wair-Bush 29-14, Mid Cant 32-22 (SF), East Coast 30-10 (Final). Lost to Mid Cant 23-26. Away: Beat South Cant 28-18, Thames Valley 31-21, Poverty Bay 58-13, West Coast 69-12.
Final (v East Coast at Cooks Gardens - Won 30-10) - Malo; Scown, Taufu'i, Rusiate Vukula; Steelie Koro, Davis; Denning Tyrell; Jason Hughes; Darren Munro, Smyth, Andrew Retallick, Daniel FitzGerald; McDonough, Baldwin, Vaan Rauhina. Subs: Dibben, Matt Gilbert, Sean Brown, Willie Harris, Matt Gilbert, Hammond, Evans.
Scorers in final - Koro, Dibben tries, Davis 6 pen, con. HT: 9-7.
Other squad members - Niki Martin, James Barrett, Justin Lock, Isaac Fonotoe, Andrew Slight, Rowe.
NZ Heartland reps (7) - Baldwin, Dibben, Koro, McDonough, Munro, Smyth, Vukula. Manager: Back.
2009 (Meads Cup) -
Played 10, won 8, lost 2. Points for 357, against 134. Tries for 51, against 10.
Top try scorers: Fraser Middleton 12, Asaeli Tikoirotuma 8, Waisake Naholo and Cameron Crowley 6 each. Most points: Tyrell 106, Middleton 60.
Record - Home: Beat East Coast 46-6, Horo-Kapiti 37-28, West Coast 33-9, South Cant 59-14, Poverty Bay 56-0 and 48-13 (SF). Away: Beat Buller 13-7, Mid Cant 34-13 (final), lost to Wair-Bush 17-21 and Mid Cant 14-23.
Final (v Mid Canterbury in Christchurch - won 34-13) - Middleton; Crowley, Tikoirotuma, Naholo; Koro, Leon Mason; Tyrell; Ulukuta; Hammond, David Gower, Smyth, Rowe; Gilbert, Baldwin, Sheldon O'Hagan. Subs: Scown, Vance Pereka, Ricky Alabaster, Justin Lock, McDonough, Nick Cranston, Munro.
Scorers in final - Tikoirotuma, Ulukuta, Hammond, Pereka tries, Tyrrell pen, 4 con, Mason fg). HT: 13-0.
Other squad members - Andy Hamilton, Faapulou Soolefai, Mark Davis, Josh Edwards, Shane Ratima, Nemia Adrole, Mike Thompson, Mike Fitzgerald.
NZ Heartland reps (8) - Baldwin, Crowley, Gilbert, Gower, Hammond, Rowe, Tikoilrotuma, Ulukuta. Coach: Guy Lennox. Manager: Back.
2008 (Meads Cup) -
Played 10, won 10. Points for 420, against 108. Tries for 63, against 13.
Record - Home: Beat East Coast 71-6, Poverty Bay 36-16, Mid Cant 43-12 and 27-12 (Final), Buller 42-10, North Otago 19-8, West Coast 40-18 (SF). Away: Beat Thames Valley 43-0, King Country 47-19, West Coast 52-7.
Final (v Mid Canterbury at Cooks Gardens - won 27-12) - Tikoirotuma, Crowley, Soolefai, Johnny Mow; Davis, Mason; Tyrell; Ron Katonivere; Gower, Michael Fitzgerald, Smyth, Rowe; Gilbert, Baldwin, O'Hagan. Subs: Josh Edwards, Hammond, Lock, McDonough, Scott Sargison.
Scorers in final - FitzGerald, Crowley, Mow tries, Davis pen, fg, 3 con). HT: 10-5.
Other squad members - Corey Carmichael, Jordan Farrington, Caleb Maraku, Aaron Paranihi, Munro, Chris Rayner, Todd Wise.
NZ Heartland reps (5 ) - Crowley, Gilbert, Michael FitzGerald, Mason, Tikoirotuma. Asst coach: Lennox.
The first recorded game of rugby played in New Zealand was at Aramoho in 1869 and not in Nelson as is generally accepted. The revelation comes from noted sports writer Ron Palenski in his book Rugby - A New Zealand History.
Palenski, the Dunedin-based NZ Hall of Fame Director who is also on the Wanganui Hall of Fame selection panel, disputes the late NZRFU historian Arthur Swan's claim that the first rugby game was played between Nelson College OB and Town at the Nelson Botanical Reserve on May 14, 1870.
Palenski's latest rugby book includes a clipping from a June 2 1869 Wanganui Herald - F0OT-BALL MATCH - "Country v Town. Town accepts the Country's challenge, provided the Rugby Rules are attended to. Game to commence at 2 o'clock pm on Saturday, 12th inst - June 12, 1869.
The game, to be played at John Walker's Aramoho property, was postponed until June 19. The Wanganui Herald reported that the rescheduled game was played along with a three-mile two-horse trotting race.
The rugby fixture was not completed after two hours because of rain and darkness and a scheduled running race between two starters was called off because "both competitors were disabled in the football match". The rugby match was resumed on "Saturday week".
There is confusion between the words "established" and "played". In Swan's history there is mention of the game established in Wanganui in 1872, but Palenski says there is clear evidence of a game in 1869.
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This is the final Talking Rugby column for the year.
