Two trophies of different eras and origins will be up for grabs during the North v South match with the Te Matau a Māui - The Fishhook of Maui - unveiled in Wellington today.
Te Matau a Māui, a carved rimu fish hook on a kauri base, will be presented to the winning team at Sky Stadium on Saturday night alongside the recently discovered Loving Cup, a trophy first presented to the 1924 All Blacks nearly a century ago.
Designed and carved by Ngāi Tahu father and son, John and Dave Burke, Te Matau a Māui celebrates the Māori creation story of New Zealand's two main islands Te Ika a Māui and Te Waka a Māui.
The Burkes, originally from Otepoti in Dunedin and now resident in Tauranga, were invited to create a new trophy after a New Zealand Rugby (NZR) search for the Loving Cup initially failed to find a piece of silverware first contested during the North v South match in 1932.