Hunt on for Magpies' charity partner

Magpies saluting the 2020 charity strip with the first win over Canterbury in 38 years. Photo / NZME

The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union has started the hunt for the Magpies' charity partner as it looks forward to another big season of Ranfurly Shield and national provincial championship rugby.

A set of 23 jerseys will be produced to be worn in a match during the season and auctioned off, with a limited number of others produced for sale. All auction and sale proceeds will go to the chosen charity.

Two years ago $16,813.75 was raised for Rural Support Trust Hawke's Bay when the venture was introduced, the non-traditional jerseys gaining added value for being worn when the Magpies scored Hawke's Bay's first win against Canterbury in 38 years.

Last year, when more than 50 nominations and applications and 19 charities were considered, $10,642.17 was raised for food charity Nourished for Nil, after the jersey was used for the year's first NPC-match Ranfurly Shield defence - a win over Otago, from whom the shield had been won in Dunedin October 2020.

Union commercial manager Dan Somerville said the result against Canterbury two years ago created more sales demand and although the union wanted the one-off jersey to be special to those who had them - including those who collect souvenir rugby jerseys – a small number of extra jerseys were produced to meet some of the initial demand.

"We are conscious of not bastardising the jersey and the black and white stripes, and we want to make the jersey special to those who have it," he said.

Charity applications close on February 11 at 5pm, and a decision on which to support will be made in discussions among union staff, team management and players, and jersey and major sponsor Total Oil.

"It does need to be a local charity, in terms of the need and the timing," Somerville said.

The 2020 choice reflected the needs of farmers and families amid a worsening drought, and last year's choice reflected increasing poverty among families - the two in combination becoming synonymous with a new era of major victories for the Magpies.

Showing their support, players last year helped with packaging and distribution at Nourished for Nil.

The complexities of the Covid crisis mean match schedules can't be confirmed yet, but some unions are getting in early in the hope of Ranfurly Shield challenges against Hawke's Bay.

Hawke's Bay has to allocate challenges to its expected five Bunnings NPC home premier division opponents and to the 2021 winner of the Heartland amateur championship division.

But HBRU chief executive Jay Campbell said eight of the 12 Heartland union teams have applied for challenges.

"Everyone wants to have a crack," he said. "We'll sit down soon and sort it out."

Hawke's Bay has had nine successful defences since winning the Shield off Otago in Dunedin in October 2020, and is now the third-most successful union in the Log o' Wood's 118 years.