Every log has its day
Even the Ranfurly Shield itself has a story to tell. Paul Montague completes his series on the famous Log o’ Wood.
THE OTHER FOOTBALL
It’s not exactly clear what miscommunication occurred – it may have had something to do with an interpretation of the word ‘‘football’’ – but when the New Zealand Rugby Union took possession of a shield in 1902 which the Earl of Ranfurly had made for competition between New Zealand provinces, it was discovered that its centrepiece clearly displayed a match being played; only it was a game of soccer, not rugby.
This sacrilegious error to those on the national committee was rectified by an engraver hurriedly adding two extra lines to convert the soccer goal frame to rugby posts. However, the ball in the middle still remains as it was originally depicted, the result being if you stare close enough into the dead-centre of the trophy, you’ll see a hybrid game going on – with a soccer ball and a set of rugby posts. Crazily enough, it is not unlike a game of Gaelic Football!
THE COAST GO CLOSE
In the early 1930s, the West Coast provincial team from the South Island was one to keep an eye on. It even contained two future All Blacks in its backline, in Mike Gilbert and Ron King. And when the Coast challenged Canterbury for the Shield on August 27, 1932, they almost won it.
Heading into the final 10 minutes, Canterbury clung to a 5-3 lead. Tries were worth only three points in bygone times, and each team had scored one. Canterbury had converted theirs. But if the Coasters could score again, they would probably take the Log back across the Southern Alps.
They were hot on attack when the unthinkable happened. The referee, a Mr Empson of the home city, blew for fulltime; with a full five minutes left on the ground clock was showing still remained. And by what every other visible clock also showed. The upshot was that Empson claimed he had misread his watch.
Just to emphasise that West Coast’s performance was no fluke, in a match organised a couple of months later at Greymouth to help families of the unemployed during the Great Depression, the same two teams drew 6-6. And a year on, in another challenge to Cantabs for the Shield, the Coast again went close, losing 23-14.
MAHUPUKU’S FAMOUS KICK
His name was Alfred Mahupuku.
Unless perhaps you are from somewhere near Masterton, his name wouldn’t be familiar. But to Wairarapa rugby fans of yesteryear, Alf Mahupuku became a legend after one famous drop goal.
When Wairarapa ran onto Lancaster Park to challenge Canterbury on September 2, 1950, it soon became apparent Wairarapa were up for the fight. Their forward pack were matching the home team for possession and doing better in the ball-carrying stakes.
Then just before halftime, with the score still deadlocked at 0-0, Canterbury kicked a long restart drop-out. The man who caught the ball was Mahupuku caught the ball, advanced a few paces, balanced himself and let fly with a 40-metre drop goal just attempt from a few yards in from the touchline. It soared up and dropped over the middle of the posts as sweet as a nut. It was a kick of legend. And it was enough for Wairarapa to take the game and the Shield, 3-0.
In the weeks that followed, the suddenly famous fullback’s goalwinning boot was displayed in a Masterton shop window like a priceless artefact, ensuring the name Mahupuku would forever be recalled with reverence by all rugby heads around the region.
POTENTIAL DESECRATION
Finally, this writer was sent a Shield tale, which still remains unsubstantiated – and it’s quite possible it may for ever remain as such.
In the very next match of the 1950 shield season, South Canterbury defeated Wairarapa to take possession of the Log for the first time in their history.
The story goes that a Gerry Cleary was a policeman stationed in Timaru at the time. Soon after, Cleary was tipped off that the players from the South Canterbury team had been showing off the Shield in the bar of a hotel, whereby they concocted a madheaded plan to chop it into pieces as a way of keeping hold of it for time immemorial. The tale finishes by Cleary arriving in time to stop the act.
Perhaps it is a case of a story with a ring of truth to it, but one where the facts have been embellished. And because all the participants have long since passed on, the myth concerning the potential hacking up of the Ranfurly Shield may well stay as that! Stuff checked and could not verify it.