Effectively it'll mean the shield will be locked in the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup competitions amid heightened excitement of anyone capable of winning it on their day until the start of the 2016 season when the ITM Cup challengers will come into play.
In the event of the unthinkable, neighbouring subunions such as East Coast, Poverty Bay, Wanganui and King Country will come into the equation.
"I don't even want to think about it or entertain it at all," Philpott said.
He was mindful of how Mid Canterbury lost 46-10 to Counties Manukau on July 10.
"They should have been ahead at halftime but they bombed a try.
"Counties eventually ran away with it but Mid Canterbury gave it a good go."
Mid Canterbury have had 13 challenges since 1933 and lost them all, scoring 92 points and conceding 494.
Horowhenua-Kapiti have no wins from nine challenges since 1914-2013 while a fledgling Wairarapa-Bush union has had eight win-less attempts from 1973-2009.
A former Canterbury player, Philpott, who hails from Christchurch and is visiting relatives there on holiday, has coached Mid Canterbury openside flanker, Gary Redmond, who was in the Canterbury Colts squad since 2008.
Redmond was voted the best Heartland player last winter. He moved to Mid Canterbury last season after helping the Tasman Makos qualify for the Premiership competition the year before.
"There's no guarantee he'll play next year," Philpott said of Redmond, a builder who is content with enjoying a beer after a game with teammates.
"He's not so tuned into nutrition and all the other things like that," he said, adding while other players gravitated towards Super Rugby contracts Heartland XV representative Redmond moved in the opposite direction.
Philpott , who also coached "the mighty under-15Bs" at Christchurch Boys' High School before landing the Magpies coaching stint in 2012, said the Magpies would have five challenges at McLean Park, Napier, next winter.
The Heartland shield games will encroach the business end of the 2015 Super Rugby season so the Magpies could be without some of their key 16 players who face the risk of injuries and/or remaining in the playoffs should their franchises make the cut.
However, Philpott, who has a two-year contract that expires at the end of next season, has no qualms about the Bay having the depth to accommodate those variables.
After a forgettable 2012 season, Philpott coached the Championship campaigners to reclaim the shield for the second consecutive season as well as retaining it until next year despite missing promotion to the Premiership in 2013-14.
"That's what the shield is for. There's no point in locking it away so we have to look for challenges," he said, keen to retain it next year to give other neighbouring subunions a shot.
He dispelled speculation he's leaving the Bay.
"I'm certainly back working hard for Hawke's Bay union next year."
