Thousands welcome shield to Invercargill

The Ranfurly Shield has arrived in its new home in Southland to a rapturous welcome by thousands of joyous fans.

Invercargill Airport was crammed to the rafters as eager supporters waited for their rugby heroes to touch down with the treasured Log of Wood, with hundreds more forced to wait outside.

They began arriving before 10am, by car and by bus, a sea of maroon and gold, with flags for waving, balloons for holding and rugby balls for signing.

And while anticipation grew, the stories flowed with strangers happily chatting about their own Ranfurly Shield experiences, with all agreeing the final 15 minutes of the game were the longest in their lives.

There were tales of children crying, drunken dads keeping families awake, phone calls to and from friends from round the country, overloaded lines, dozens of texts and of a pride in their province.

And just as the rugby gods were smiling down on the Southland Stags last night, seeing them beat Canterbury 9-3 and take the shield for the first time in 50 years, so too were the weather gods smiling down on the team today.

With the announcement of Air New Zealand flight 5061 and the arrival of the Ranfurly Shield at 11.25am, the long wait was finally over.

Stags captain Jamie Mackintosh was one of the last from the team to exit the plane, briefly holding the shield aloft at the top of the steps, to the delight of the watching crowd.

He told NZPA the turnout meant a lot, while coach David Henderson struggled for words: "It's huge eh? You dream about this."

Stags sensation Robbie Robinson, who kicked all Southland's points last night, was humble in his reaction. "It's every good feeling that's possible. It's overwhelming."

One passenger on the flight, not associated with the team, said there had been a great "buzz" on the plane.

"They were singing and cheering," she said as she prepared to battle her way through the crowd.

Rugby Southland director Donald Hay, who was there to welcome the team home, was 12 when Southland last won the Ranfurly Shield. "In '59 they had a big parade. Mum and Dad brought me in from Wyndham - we couldn't get into town."

He said that after a successful Air New Zealand Cup campaign to date, the shield win was the icing on the cake for the team, the union and its financial supporters.

"This will help us hold on to some players that missed out on the Super 14."

Celebrations will no doubt continue throughout the weekend, although the team is expected to be back in camp, training, on Sunday.

But Southlanders will have another chance to celebrate their heroes and get a glimpse of the shield during a ticker-tape parade, planned for Tuesday in Invercargill, at 4pm.

- NZPA