Rugby Cup no match for the Ranfurly Shield

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 30

Rugby Cup no match for the Ranfurly Shield

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

The Ranfurly Shield is still the hottest piece of property in New Zealand rugby. The profit declared by the Manawatu union for last year of just on $60,000 is proof of this. The figure is very different to the loss of $3350 suffered by the Canterbury union, and Canterbury was defending the Rugbs Cup. the trophy that 'goes with the national provincial championship. Canterbury, to be more accurate, had a loss of $8350. but the figure was reduced by a transfer of $5OOO from the union’s tour equalisation fund. This is a fund that is increased in good years and tapped in bad years. With Canterbury A making three trips to the North Island, plus a trip to Brisbane which required some additional expense. it" was not unexpected that Canterbury would finish in the red last season. Manawatu only crossed Cook Strait once to play its five away games, but the beauty of being the shield holder is that all the defences are home games, thus ensuring that the holder reaps all the profits In the three seasons that it held the shield Manawatu netted about $125,000. an incredible return when it is remembered that any union — apart from the shieldholder — is struggling to break even each year and many of the smaller ones continually show' deficits.

Many are saved by sponsorship and had it not been for sponsorship —

first from Radio New Zealand and then last year from Lion Breweries—the national championship, now entering its fourth

season, would not have been possible.

With profits like Manawatu has had fin the last three years it Ss no wonder that provincial unions get all excited .about Ranfurly Shield * challenges. For any union, big or small, to get its hands on the shield is like mana from heaven. Of course, Manawatu’s shield days are over for the time being. It surprisingly lost the trophy to North Auckland last September and then North Auckland turned breakers into waves by refusing to defend its newly-won treasure in the final weeks of the season. North Auckland invoked some little-read fine print

in the rules relating to shield challenges made after the end of August and although making few friends — certainly not with Otago and Southland, the two unions issuing the challenges — North Auckland did succeed in keeping the shield under wraps until this year.

However, it still may live to regret its action. North Auckland is not a wealthy union and the farflung outposts of its domain puts extra demands on finance. If Manawatu could pick up nearly $60,000 from five challenges, three from mediocre rivals. North Auckland must surely have had an immediate windfall with defences against strong unions like Otago and Southland. 1

The novelty of having the shield (alone would have guaranteed full houses at Okara Park. As it was, the tw’o games

drew pitifully small crow'ds, which was very likely a backlash reaction to the unsporting way the North Auckland union had treated Otago and Southland.

North Auckland could still finish up laughing all the way to the bank this year, but if it loses the shield early it could w'ell regret its stand. The Ranfurly Shield is a great money-earner, but as with most financial enterprises the risk element must be accepted.

Canterbury was one of the unions that missed out on a challenge when Manawatu’s reign ended and while the Canterbury union might still be some distance from the poor-

house, it could have done with the income that a tenure brings. Canterbury, as a major province, can, in fact, feel badly done by. It has not had a shield challenge since it lost the trophy to Marlborough in 1973. The Lancaster Park turnstiles have never creaked so sweetly since. When the national championship was introduced it was hoped that it would soon rival the shield in public interest; This has obviously not happened and while this may not necessarily be a bad thing some narrowing in the gap would be to the good, if only to ensure a greater distribution of wealth.

The point is that the shield is a. gold mine for the union that holds it; the other 25 must get by as best they can, some on very meagre pickings. Still, public interest in

the championship does seem to be growing and so far as the players are concerned it has been a boon. They' now have something to play for. a big advance on the days when a representative win meant little more than a fleeting cause for jubilation.

Tradition has made the Ranfurly Shield what it is and, perhaps, in time the championship will acquire a magic all of its own. But on the respective balance sheets of Canterbury and Manawatu last year this day could be a long time coming. One means by which the championship might be enhanced is for a more imaginative name to be given to the cup, and a handsome cup it is, that is at stake. The Rugby Cup is so dull that it is hardly ever used.

There must be some distinguished servant of rugby' who is deserving of having his name tied to the championship. After a few years the name — any name for that matter, with the exception of the one already given — would become identified with the championship and, eventually, synonomous with it. The Smith, Brown or Jones Cup — or, being more realistic, the Sullivan, Morrison or Biazey Cup — might not sound all that awe-inspiring at the moment, but given time it could help generate more interest in the championship. And as the championship is designed to find the best provincial side in the country—-not the one lucky enough to have had a shield challenge and won it — it must surely have a claim to an increased share in the spoils.