Ranfurly Shield History

The Ranfurly Shield, regarded as the greatest prize in New Zealand domestic rugby, was first played for in 1904, allowing rugby clubs to claim their dominance in the field when they retain the prestigious trophy .

Longest consecutive defences

3. Auckland won the trophy in August 1960 and successfully defended it in 25 matches for almost 3 years until Wellington snatched it in 1963.

2. Canterbury enjoyed having possession of the trophy through 25 matches, failing to hold onto it in September 1985 after losing to Auckland.

1. Auckland hold the record for the greatest number of consecutive Shield defences, with 61 matches between 14 September 1985 and 18 September 1993.

Clubs with the most Ranfurly Shield wins

3. Waikato has won the title 10 times with 56 defences.

2. Canterbury has lifted up the trophy 14 times and successfully defended it in 132 impressive matches.

1. Auckland has the most title wins with 16, and has successfully defended the trophy 148 times.

The Shield is currently held by Waikato, after beating Hawke's Bay on 9 October 2015 at McLean Park, Napier.