Ranfurly Shield 1940–1949

The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is perhaps the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the Shield in challenge matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the Shield.

Holders

2 different unions held the Ranfurly Shield between 1940 and 1949, however, due to the outbreak of World War 2, no matches were played between 1940 and 1945.

Union	Won	Successful Defences
Template:Rut Southland	Held at beginning of decade	5
Template:Rut Otago	2 August 1947	17

Fixtures

1946

	3 August 1946	Template:Rut Southland	3–0	Template:Rut Otago	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Pen: Tom Webster			Referee: E.J. Barron (Southland)

	24 August 1946	Template:Rut Southland	11–3	Template:Rut Canterbury	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: E.D. Calder Con: Tom Webster Pen: Tom Webster (2)		Try: W.P. McHugh	Referee: E.J. Barron (Southland)

	31 August 1946	Template:Rut Southland	35–9	Template:Rut South Canterbury	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: A.S. Chandler (4), Alexander Sutherland (2), R.H. Hazlett, N.J. Bennett, R.F. Waldron Con: Tom Webster (2) Drop: R.F. Waldron		Try: P.G. Fitzgerald Con: R.G. Prattley Drop: G.W. Pratt	Referee: R. Ferguson (Southland)

	7 September 1946	Template:Rut Southland	12–3	Wairarapa	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: R.H. Hazlett Pen: Tom Webster (2), R.J. Campbell		Pen: M.P. Hurley	Referee: E.J. Barron (Southland)

	28 September 1946	Template:Rut Southland	15–3	Template:Rut North Otago	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: Alexander Sutherland (2), J.J. Prendiville, R.H. Hazlett Pen: Tom Webster		Pen: E.V. Wright	Referee: J.J. North (Southland)

1947

	2 August 1947	Template:Rut Southland	11–17	Template:Rut Otago	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: G.S. Kennedy, G.H. Spittle Con: L.F. Ward Pen: L.F. Ward		Try: Ron Elvidge (2), Ian Botting, John Tanner Con: Rex Orr Pen: Rex Orr	Attendance: 21,000 Referee: R. Ferguson (Southland)

	9 August 1947	Template:Rut Otago	31–12	North Auckland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: John Tanner, L.S. Woodhouse, Graham Moore, Jim Kearney Con: Rex Orr (3) Pen: Rex Orr (3) Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: Doc Paewai Pen: Nau Cherrington (3)	Referee: J.J. North (Southland)

	20 August 1947	Template:Rut Otago	18–12	Template:Rut Auckland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: John Tanner, Ron Elvidge Con: Laurie Haig Pen: Laurie Haig (2) Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: Les Deas (2) Con: Bob Scott Drop: D.J. Ewert	Referee: Leslie Walsh (Canterbury)

	13 September 1947	Template:Rut Otago	8–0	Template:Rut Southland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Kevin O'Connor Con: Jim Kearney Pen: Jim Kearney			Referee: J.G.G. Fitzpatrick (Wellington)

	27 September 1947	Template:Rut Otago	42–3	Template:Rut North Otago	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Ron Elvidge (2), Kevin O'Connor (2), John Tanner, Ian Botting, Graham Moore, D.H. Hamilton, Jim Kearney, Jack McNab, L.S. Woodhouse Con: Rex Orr Pen: Rex Orr Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: M.D. Fountain	Attendance: 12,300^[1] Referee: L.K. Murray (South Canterbury)

1948

	31 July 1948	Template:Rut Otago	25–0	Template:Rut Southland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Meates (3), Ian Botting (2), Ray Dalton, Ron Elvidge Con: Laurie Haig, Graham Moore			Attendance: 30,000^[2] Referee: Arthur Fong (West Coast)

	18 August 1948	Template:Rut Otago	31–0	Template:Rut Canterbury	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Jim Kearney (2), Bill Meates, L.S. Woodhouse, Ian Botting Laurie Haig, Ron Elvidge Con: Jim Kearney, Laurie Haig Pen: Laurie Haig (2)			Referee: R. Ferguson (Southland)

	21 August 1948	Template:Rut Otago	20–3	Template:Rut Wanganui	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Meates (3), L.S. Woodhouse, Laurie Haig Con: Laurie Haig Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: Don Beard	Referee: L.K. Murray (South Canterbury)

	28 August 1948	Template:Rut Otago	12–6	Template:Rut Hawke's Bay	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Ian Botting Pen: Laurie Haig (2), Graham Moore		Pen: Barney Wishnowsky (2)	Referee: Bill Firmin (Wellington)

	4 September 1948	Template:Rut Otago	40–0	Template:Rut Poverty Bay	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Jim Kearney (3), Kevin O'Connor (2), Ian Botting (2), Bill Meates, Laurie Haig L.S. Woodhouse, Ron Elvidge Con: Laurie Haig (2) Pen: Graham Moore			Attendance: 9,000^[3] Referee: Robert Pratt (Buller)

	8 September 1948	Template:Rut Otago	36–6	Template:Rut South Canterbury	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Meates (5), Laurie Haig, Ron Elvidge, Jim Kearney Con: Laurie Haig (3) Pen: Laurie Haig (2)		Try: J.L. Taylor Pen: R.G. Prattley	Referee: J.G.G. Fitzpatrick (Wellington)

	25 September 1948	Template:Rut Otago	11–0	Template:Rut Wellington	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Ian Botting, Peter Johnstone Con: Laurie Haig Drop: Jim Kearney			Referee: George Sullivan (Taranaki)

1949

	30 July 1949	Template:Rut Otago	6–6	Buller	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: N.M. McKenzie Pen: Graham Moore		Try: R.P. Hawes, W.M. Cunniffe	Referee: Leslie Walsh (Canterbury)

	6 August 1949	Template:Rut Otago	22–3	Template:Rut Manawatu	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Lunn, Kevin O'Connor, Ray Bell, C.J. MacDonald Con: Ray Bell, Willis Perriam Pen: Ray Bell, Willis Perriam		Pen: H.D. Harkness	Referee: T.V. Cahill (North Otago)

	13 August 1949	Template:Rut Otago	6–3	Template:Rut Southland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Pen: Ray Bell Drop: L.S. Woodhouse		Pen: Tom Webster	Referee: Bill Firmin (Wellington)

	17 August 1949	Template:Rut Otago	27–5	Template:Rut Waikato	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Graham Moore (2), Willis Perriam, R.F. Waldron, Bill Lunn Con: Willis Perriam (2), Ray Bell Pen: Willis Perriam, Ray Bell		Try: B.A.C. Cowley Con: G.R. Brunskill	Referee: W. Bruce Mitchell (Southland)

	17 September 1949	Template:Rut Otago	6–5	Template:Rut Taranaki	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: N.M. McKenzie Pen: Ray Bell		Try: Roy Roper Con: M.S. Cockerill	Referee: C.G. Wallace (Waikato)

	28 September 1949	Template:Rut Otago	16–5	Template:Rut Auckland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: C.R. Moore, Ray Bell, Ross Wightman, L.S. Woodhouse Con: Ray Bell (2)		Try: Ivan Versalko Con: R.G. Sorenson	Referee: George Sullivan (Taranaki)

References

^ "Otago's Field Day". Otago Daily Times. 29 September 1947. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
^ "Fine Team Work Retains Ranfurly Shield". Otago Daily Times. 2 August 1948. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
^ "Poverty Bay Outclassed". Gisborne Herald. 6 September 1948. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

Works Sited

"Ranfurly Shield". Rugby Redefined. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
Knight, Lindsay (1980). Shield Fever. Rugby Press. ISBN 0-9597553-8-1.
Chester, Rod; McMillan, Neville; Palenski, Ron (1987). The Encyclopedia of New Zealand Rugby. Moa Publications. ISBN 0-908570-16-3.

External links

Results at Scrum.co.nz

1940–49 Category:1946 in New Zealand rugby union Category:1947 in New Zealand rugby union Category:1948 in New Zealand rugby union Category:1949 in New Zealand rugby union

[1] "Otago's Field Day". Otago Daily Times. 29 September 1947. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

[2] "Fine Team Work Retains Ranfurly Shield". Otago Daily Times. 2 August 1948. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

[3] "Poverty Bay Outclassed". Gisborne Herald. 6 September 1948. Retrieved 6 August 2021.

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v t e Ranfurly Shield
Fixtures	1904–1909 1910–1919 1920–1929 1930–1939 1940–1949 1950–1959 1960–1969 1970–1979 1980–1989 1990–1999 2000–2009 2009 2010–2019 2020–2029
Holders	Auckland Bay of Plenty Canterbury Counties Manukau Hawke's Bay (current) Manawatu Manawhenua Marlborough North Auckland North Harbour Otago Southland South Canterbury Taranaki Waikato Wairarapa Wellington