Boots that brought home the Shield

A pair of dirty-looking rugby boots wouldn't normally attract more than passing attention.
But when they are encased in a glass cabinet and kept for posterity at the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Union's headquarters at Memorial Park you know they have to be of special significance.
Even more so now that Wairarapa-Bush are challenging Wellington for the country's most iconic sporting trophy, the Ranfurly Shield, at Masterton's Memorial Park next Thursday.
You see the boots in question were worn by Greytown fullback Alf Mahupuku when he dropped the goal to give Wairarapa a famous 3-0 win over holders Canterbury in their Shield match of 1950.
It was only the third time Wairarapa had challenged successfully for the "log o' wood", following on from 1927 and 1928, and there have been no repeats since, either for Wairarapa or Wairarapa-Bush which came into being in 1971. Fifty-nine years is a long time between drinks in anybody's language, isn't it?
The 1950 win over Canterbury by a Wairarapa team skippered by Alan "Kiwi" Blake was a huge upset.
The Wairarapa Times-Age report the day after began: "Fielding a set of fast, fit and intelligent forwards and with every man tackling with devastating effect, Wairarapa rose to the occasion in beating Canterbury 3-0. A magnificent dropped goal by Alf Mahupuku at a wide angle and 45 yards out gave Wairarapa their win".
An accompanying article from Christchurch noted that after Wairarapa had launched a strong attack halfway through the spell Canterbury had been awarded a 25-yard drop out and the ball was taken by Mahupuku, who had steadied himself and kicked what was to be the match-winner from near the left-hand touch line.
Mahupuku's son George-later to play over 100 first-class games at flanker including 80 for Wairarapa and 16 for the New Zealand Maoris which he captained was just 7 at the time of his father's famous deed .
He remembers being told that "Kiwi" Blake had yelled at Alf Mahupuku to "have a go, have a go" when he gathered the drop out in question, but that his father, who was farming near Greytown, had been pretty low-key about his effort.
"He wasn't really the sort of guy to talk it up, he had cows to milk and pigs to look after and he just got on with his daily life," George Mahupuku recalled. "He was always inclined to take everything in his stride and this was no different."
The Wairarapa rugby community celebrated big time, however, and Mahupuku's boots appeared in shop windows all over the region.
Even to this day George Mahupuku is unsure of whether his father landed the vital three-pointer with his right or left foot as he was able get good distance with both, just as he was able to bat either right or left handed on the cricket field.
And his kicking skills came naturally as the only time he honed them was either at team training sessions or on match day. "He never seemed to do any practising around the farm, he was too busy working for that."
Thoughts immediately after that 1950 win over Canterbury were that Wairarapa would not have to defend the Ranfurly Shield for the remainder of that season but the South Canterbury and North Auckland unions, who were set to challenge Canterbury after Wairarapa, had other ideas.
They canvassed the NZRFU and the decision came down that Wairarapa had to defend the trophy against South Canterbury at Solway Showgrounds a fortnight late. Another close, tense battle ensured with South Canterbury winning 17-14.