Opinion: Possible protocol threatens Ranfurly Shield mystique
What makes the Ranfurly Shield so special is since 1904 the Ranfurly Shield has been so accessible to all. The talk of any new protocol makes me nervous.

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In 2010 “Shield fever” had swept Southland quicker than Covid on a plane.
At the time, I was flatting with then-Southland rugby trainer Mark Beer. It made for an interesting combo.
He was a Stags insider, and I was an enthusiastic sports journalist searching for a story.
Unfairly he copped some flak from rugby management when I latched onto a scoop believing they knew where the info had come from.
The reality is I got next to nothing out of Mark. The Stags were pretty much off-limits over a Tuesday night spag-bolognese.
But that’s not the point of this column.
One night Mark brought the Ranfurly Shield home from work. It was the day before a Shield defence at Rugby Park.
The next morning - the day of the game - I was asked by a radio station up north if they could call me for an interview.
They wanted to set the scene, in terms of the mood of the province in preparation for the big game that day.
I talked the hosts through how Shield fever had gripped Southland and how the Ranfurly Shield had reached almost every point of the province.
I explained how it had visited kindergartens and rest homes and had been the focal point at weddings and even funerals.
I told them if someone in Southland hadn’t got to touch the Shield or capture a photo holding it, then they simply weren’t interested.
If there was an opening of an envelope at that time in Southland, there was a good chance the Shield would have been there for the occasion.
One of the radio hosts then asked if I had got to hold it yet and had got the obligatory photo with it.
I responded: “Well actually, it’s sitting right beside me on my sofa as we speak.”
Initially, they thought I was taking the piss before then erupting into laughter when realising I was serious.
It simply hammered home the point I was making. The Shield had been passed around Southland for all to enjoy like the chip and dip at a function.
It was a heady time to be a Southlander. The way Southland embraced New Zealand provincial rugby’s prized possession sparked special moments that have lived on as special memories.
It was the first time Southland had held the shield for 50 years and the province made up for such a long drought.
Would the Ranfurly Shield grip Southland in similar sort of fashion if it was to come south again? That I don’t know.
But what does concern me is that the chance of the Ranfurly Shield retaining its special place in New Zealand sport is in line to take a major hit.
Hawke’s Bay’s nightmare couple of days with the Shield last weekend has been well documented.
Call me reckless but I’ll be honest, the alleged drug use on the Shield hasn’t outraged me as it has others.
The sight of the shield split in two was a difficult sight, I’ll admit that. As was the laughing in the social media videos while the damaged Shield was made public for all to see.
But that’s not what makes me a bit angry with Hawke’s Bay rugby folk.
What has made the Ranfurly Shield so special since 1904 is it’s been so accessible for all.
The Hawke’s Bay situation now has New Zealand Rugby questioning that.
Following the Hawke’s Bay headlines, NZR general manager of community rugby Steve Lancaster stated that when commissioning the Shield restoration last year it was about putting it back into a condition where it was able to continue to circulate around our communities for another 100 years.
But what now?
“We will certainly have to re-evaluate what the protocols are around the Shield,” Lancaster said.
“Our most recent deliberations around the Shield, a little under a year ago, we were very deliberate in our view that it is a national treasure it is something that people cherish, that communities cherish and people should continue to have the opportunity to experience, touch and hold it so that remains our position for now.
“But clearly we're going to have to re-evaluate our protocols around exactly what that means.”
Many will watch the response with interest. Any stripping back of the Shield’s accessibility will hurt.
Another story I recall during Southland’s ‘09-’10 glory days was when the Log ‘o Wood spent the night at the Staggers Bar in Invercargill. The Staggers Bar is a home bar that’s been frequented by a group of long-time dedicated Stags fans for many years.
The Shield was dropped off in the afternoon and enjoyed by all right throughout the night before being picked up the next morning.
There was no official Shield minder, just a high level of trust at play that night.
What transpired was a night that those provincial rugby followers still talk about today.
The word “protocol” makes me nervous.
If what transpired in Hawke’s Bay last weekend threatens the sort of stories that I’ve just dished up rugby will be the big loser.
And if we are to be honest, the sport of rugby can’t afford too many more losses at the moment.
Good story, thanks for sharing. Mike.Hughes( in Cebu).