The chance to be written into Ranfurly Shield folklore is a New Zealand rugby dream, yet throughout its history there are fine Heartland players and coaches who never got an opportunity to challenge for the coveted prize.
Yet straight off the bat, new Horowhenua-Kāpiticoach Aleni Feagaiga is preparing a team for a Ranfurly Shield challenge. His very first fixture as head coach will be a match for the log o’ wood against holders Wellington at the Levin Domain on July 12.
Feagaiga, 40, said he is not daunted by the prospect, and neither are his players. As supreme underdogs, they’ve got nothing to lose. It really is a case of David versus Goliath, with the gulf between amateur and professional rugby in New Zealand an ever-widening chasm.
But then - and you should never discount the prospect - there is a possibility Horowhenua-Kāpiti could win the match and claim the Ranfurly Shield. One must always believe.
“If you look at where things sit, it is David versus Goliath, but if we go in with the mindset that the mountain is too big to climb then what’s the point?” he said.
“We’ll give it our best to put ourselves in a position to make history. There is an excitement that comes with an opportunity to be part of history.
“We want to focus on us and prepare the best we can. Our mindset is we want to put our best foot forward, and know that anyone can win a game of rugby on the day. The rugby ball has a funny way of bouncing.
Feagaiga is well aware that his entire squad are amateurs. They’ve all got day jobs... farmers, chefs, plumbers and builders - they’ll all be asking the boss for the day off. In contrast, their big-city opposition are reigning provincial champions with contracted players on the payroll.
“Our guys all do it for the love of the game, the love of their club and the love of their union. This is a massive challenge. It doesn’t get much bigger, and it’s an opportunity in itself,” he said.
Feagaiga said he was heartened by the approach his squad was taking to the game, as a chance to experience a Ranfurly Shield match, an opportunity not afforded every player.
“There is the suggestion that the Shield has lost some of its spark in the professional era... I’m not so sure. Knowing its history, this is a massive opportunity for the players that take the field, in front of their friends and family too, which is awesome. We’re grateful to Wellington for this challenge,” he said.
And even if Horowhenua-Kāpiti don’t win the Ranfurly Shield, there is still a shot at greatness, because sometimes a rugby game isn’t remembered so much for the result as for its moments of magic.
Ask anyone who was at the first and only Ranfurly Shield match to have been played at the Levin Domain. In 1993, an All Blacks-laden team coached by Graham Henry and captained by Sean Fitzpatrick took the Shield on the road and won the match comfortably.
No one remembers the exact score (it was 80-17). What they will remember are the tries scored that day by future All Black Carlos Spencer and his Waiopehu College schoolmate Nopera Stewart.
Carlos Spencer throws a dummy to score in the 1993 Ranfurly Shield Challenge against Auckland at the Levin Domain.
Spencer sold a dummy to All Blacks fullback Shane Howarth to score under the posts, while Stewart showed supreme pace in running half the length of the field to finish off a counter-attack that started at the Horowhenua goal-line.
That’s the enduring memory of that match for most. Oh, and Inga Tuigamala in full flight. That’s the magic left behind by the Ranfurly Shield. It was the first and only time a Shield match had been held at the Levin Domain.
Meanwhile, having the match at 2.05pm next Wednesday is helped by the fact that it falls during a school holiday break. The Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby Football Union purposely made a decision not to schedule any club rugby this weekend to allow the Shield squad a chance to prepare.
An initial squad of 41 was assembled a few weeks ago so the coaching staff could spell out expectations and share the roadmap for the season ahead, in which the focus after the Shield match will turn to the Heartland Championship.
That squad was whittled down to 31 players for the Shield clash. They will have their first proper training run tonight.
