Magpies' draw announced: Seven potential Shield defences lined up

A 50th-minute try for the Magpies in the most recent successful Ranfurly Shield defence against first-time challenger Tasman last season. Photo / NZME

The Hawke's Bay Magpies have been spared the might of Auckland and Canterbury in Bunnings NPC home games, which double as potential Ranfurly Shield defences this year.

In a 10-round, 14-teams Bunnings Warehouse NPC draw announced on Wednesday, 2021 beaten semifinalists the Magpies have an away game against Canterbury, as they did for a historic first win in Christchurch for 44 years last season, and there will be no game against Auckland unless they meet in the playoffs.

Starting with non-championship Shield defences against Heartland amateur rugby sides South Canterbury and Poverty Bay, the Magpies open the NPC campaign with an away match against Waikato in Hamilton on August 6.

The side will return to Napier for what is expected to be the third shield defence of the season, and the 12th of a reign that started with a 28-9 win over Otago in Dunedin in late 2020, a Friday-night match against Counties Manukau on August 12, 100 years and three days after Hawke's Bay's first win in a Ranfurly Shield match.

All going well, there will be seven Shield defences for the Magpies in 2022.

It was Counties Manukau who in 2013 left the Magpies with the legacy of the shortest reign in more than a century of Ranfurly Shield rugby – just six days after Hawke's Bay had beaten Otago in Dunedin to claim the shield for the first time since the great era of 1966-1969.

But, ranked third behind only Auckland and Canterbury in shield successes over the years, Hawke's Bay has a better record in matches against each of the seven prospective 2022 challengers, five of whom have never beaten the Bay in matches for the prize Log o' Wood.

Other NPC home games, designated shield defences as long as Hawke's Bay remains the holder, are against North Harbour, Southland, Wellington and Tasman.

North Harbour have been allocated a challenge after a 2021 challenge was scrapped because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Wellington will be particularly determined challengers having been well beaten in Shield matches at McLean Park in Napier in their two most recent bids in 2014 and 2020, and Tasman will be back for another chance after being beaten by eight points in their first challenge against the Magpies last season.

The away matches in the NPC draw following the opener against Waikato are against Otago, Manawatu, Canterbury, and Bay of Plenty, all five being teams that have won the NPC at least once.

The Magpies, beaten NPC semifinalists last year, will not play Auckland, Taranaki or Northland unless they meet in the playoffs, which start with quarterfinals on October 7-9, but the shield is not at stake in championship playoffs.

The Hawke's Bay Magpies draw for 2022 is (RS Ranfurly Shield NPC National Provincial Championships):

June 29 (Wed), v South Canterbury (RS), Napier.
July 30 (Sat), v Poverty Bay (RS), Napier.
August 6 (Sat 4.35pm), v Waikato (NPC), Hamilton.
August 12 (Fri 7.05pm), v Counties Manukau (NPC, RS), Napier.
August 17 (Wed 7.05pm), v Otago (NPC), Dunedin.
August 21 (Sun 4.35pm), v Manawatu (NPC), Palmerston North.
August 27 (Sat 2.05pm), v North Harbour (NPC, RS), Napier.
September 4 (Sun 2.05pm), v Canterbury (NPC), Christchurch.
September 10 (Sat 2.05pm), v Southland (NPC, RS), Napier.
September 17 (Sat 7.05pm), v Wellington (NPC, RS), Napier.
September 24 (Sat 2.05pm), v Bay of Plenty (NPC), Tauranga.
September 30 (Fri 7.05pm), v Tasman (NPC, RS), Napier.

The NPC quarterfinals will be on October7-9, the semifinals on October 14-15, and the final on October 22.

Hawke's Bay's current Ranfurly Shield era

2020: Beat Otago (challenge) 28-9, beat Northland 33-17, beat Manawatu 47-12, beat Wellington 34-18.

2021: Beat North Otago 85-0, beat Ngati Porou East Coast 93-5, beat Otago 34-10, beat Bay of Plenty 36-33, beat Tasman 34-22, beat Waikato 41-14.