Wanganui will make Ranfurly Shield history when it challenges Waikato for the Ranfurly Shield on Saturday, August 6 in Cambridge.
Waikato, which lifted the trophy off Hawke's Bay 36-30 late last season and has a proud Shield history, third behind Auckland and Canterbury on the honours board, will be playing its first-ever Mitre 10 Ranfurly Shield match at Memorial Park in Cambridge, home of the Hautapu club.
It will be the third time that Wanganui has challenged Waikato for the trophy, provided the Mooloo Men defend the shield against neighbouring Thames Valley at Paeroa on Queen's Birthday Monday, June 6, and King Country at Matamata on Saturday, July 30.
The three challenging unions have yet to win the famous Log, with Steelform Wanganui meeting Waikato for the trophy for a third time while the KC Rams and TV Swamp Foxes are each having a fifth challenge against their near neighbours.
Wanganui first challenged Waikato in 1951, losing 14-0 in Hamilton, and was hammered 86-3 at Tokoroa in a 2000 challenge, Wanganui's heaviest Shield defeat.
The surprise win by the young Waikato side against the Magpies in Napier last year was the 10th time that Waikato has lifted the shield and the union has been successful in 56 defences over the years.
This is the third best record in the trophy's history, coming in behind Auckland (16 wins - 148 defences) and Canterbury (14 wins - 132 defences). Behind Waikato come Southland (7 - 22), Hawke's Bay (5 - 56), Taranaki (5 - 43) and Otago (5 - 32).
It will be Wanganui's 29th shield challenge, the first a 5-6 loss to Auckland at Alexander Park in 1907 and the most recent a 51-7 defeat at the hands of Taranaki at Rugby Park, New Plymouth, in 2012.
Cambridge will be the 16th different shield venue for Wanganui challenges against 11 unions over a 109-year span.
The only other venues Wanganui has played at outside of the main union grounds have been the Hawera Showgrounds in 1914 (3-17 loss to Taranaki) and Tokoroa in 2000. Wanganui played on both Alexander Park and Eden Park, which were then main Auckland venues, and at Nelson Park (Hastings) and McLean Park (Napier) which were top Hawke's Bay venues.
There have been seven challenges against neighbouring Taranaki, five against Wellington, four against Auckland, two each against Hawke's Bay, Southland, Waikato and Canterbury and one each against Manawatu, Manawhenua, Otago and Marlborough.
Wanganui's Ranfurly Shield record -
V Taranaki (seven games) - Rugby Park, New Plymouth: 1958 Lost 9-22. 1959 Lost 11-17. 1963 Lost 12-14. 1964 drew 15-all. 1965 Lost 9-23. Hawera Showgrounds: 1914 Lost 3-17.
V Wellington (5) - Athletic Park: 1919 Lost 3-30. 1920 Lost 14-20. 1957 Lost 5-34. 1982 Lost 8-30. Cooks Gardens, Wanganui - 2009 Lost 6-61.
V Auckland (4) - Eden Park: 1963 Lost 15-41. 1976 Lost 9-16. 1987 Lost 6-59. Alexander Park: 1907 Lost 5-6.
V Hawke's Bay (2) - McLean Park, Napier: 1934 Lost 16-39. Nelson Park, Hastings: 1926 Lost 3-36.
V Canterbury (2) - Lancaster Park: 1954 Lost 13-17. 1956 Lost 6-19.
V Southland (2) - Rugby Park: 1930 Lost 0-19. 2010 Lost 6-62.
V Waikato (2) - Rugby Park, Hamilton: 1951 Lost 0-14. Memorial Sports Ground, Tokoroa: 2000 Lost 3-86.
V Manawatu - Showgrounds PN: 1977 Lost 9-26.
V Manawhenua - Showgrounds PN: 1927 Lost 6-25.
V Otago - Carisbrook: 1948 Lost 3-20.
V Marlborough - Lansdowne Park, Blenheim: 1973 Lost 6-30.
Should Waikato win early challenges from the three Heartland unions - Meads Cup champions Wanganui, Lochore Cup holders King Country and Thames Valley - North Harbour, Manawatu, Taranaki, Canterbury and Hawke's Bay are in line for Shield matches in conjunction with ITM Cup fixtures in Hamilton.
Waikato won only four of 10 ITM Cup games last year, beating Manawatu 28-21, Bay of Plenty 43-10, Southland 30-25 and Hawke's Bay 36-30 to finish sixth in the seven-team premier division, two points ahead of relegated Manawatu.
Waikato, with a policy of developing young players last season, supplied loose forward Liam Messam, lock Tawera Kerr-Barlow and halfback Brad Weber to All Black teams, six NZ under-20 reps, five Maori All Blacks and five NZ Sevens players.
Taihape will be looking to become the first team since Ruapehu in 2010 to go through the first round of the Tasman Tanning premier club championship with a perfect record when it takes on titleholders Pirates at Memorial Park on Saturday.
Ten sides have gone through unbeaten to win the Paul Mitchell Cup and Breakers' Bar $500 voucher, although the 2003 Ratana and 2013 Ruapehu winners were each held to an away draw.
The scalp of Black Bull Pirates on Saturday with a bonus point will enable the Kerry Whale-coached PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape squad to join Harvey Round Motors Ratana (2000-2001-2006), Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau (2004-2005-2009), Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist (2008) and McCarthy Transport Ruapehu (2010) as Mitchell Cup holders with perfect records.
Pirates, a side struggling this season to win a third successive overall championship title, may hold a 21 to 14 advantage in the 36 games played since 2000 but the Northern Wanganui club has been a real force over the past two seasons. There was a 20-all draw at Taihape in 2013.
Last year Pirates dropped only three games and two of them against Taihape - 19-18 at home in the first round and 10-5 in Taihape. Pirates, however, held off Taihape 25-24 in a nail-biting semi-final at Spriggens Park.
Pirates has won just six times at Memorial Park during the new millennium including a highest score of 44-6 in 2009. Biggest win was 71-14 at home the same season. Taihape's highest score was 48-5 at home in 2007.
The two sides go into Saturday's game with the extra spur of a Grand Hotel Challenge Shield fixture.
Taihape's unbeaten six-match run this year has included a bonus point (four or more tries) each outing with the closest game, surprisingly, 22-12 against bottom-placed winless Ratana last weekend.
Pirates has only claimed two scalps - 60-24 v Ratana and 35-14 v Utiku OB , the two sides at the tail of the field - but can spoil Taihape's hopes will an unlikely win on Saturday.
Taihape only needs a point from the match to win the Mitchell Cup..
Waverley Harvesting Border or Kaierau, who share second place and play each other at Devon Road this weekend, can head off Taihape if they claim a five pointer and Taihape misses out on any points.
Two teams could finish level at the top of the table but then Taihape, which has beaten both Border and Kaierau, would win the first round trophy.
Border has held the whip hand against Kaierau in recent games with only two losses in nine matches since returning from the Taranaki competition,.
Although Kaierau has shown a tremendous improvement on 2015 form, Border will start favourites this weekend. Ratana has sprung two away victories but only managed one home win against Ruapehu in the last nine years and it is hard to see Ruapehu losing at the Pa on Saturday.
Ratana, however, played well against Taihape last weekend.
Fourth-placed Marist, despite a 57-23 loss in the last visit to Memorial Park to play Utiku OB, could avenge that defeat when the two sides meet in Taihape on Saturday.
The two clubs have beaten each other three times in a season since 2011, all on home soil.
Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri will be home to defend the senior grade Stihl Shop Wanganui Challenge Shield against neighbours Border on Saturday.
Top of the table Kaierau (v Counties), Taihape (v Pirates) and Speirs Food Marton (v Utiku OB) have home games, Marist Celtic and Marist Buffalo's play at Spriggens Park, Kelso Hunterville win by default from Ratana and defending champions Ruapehu have the bye.
All premier and senior teams have a rest with a mid-season break the following weekend - May 21.
Latest Wanganui premier club stats -
Individual points: 108 Nick Harding (Border), 63 Sam Monaghan (Marist), 58 Anaru Saurara (Kaierau), 55 Dane Whale (Taihape), 45 Keveni Dabonaise (Border), 38 Ace Malo (Kaierau), 35 Clive Stowers (Pirates), Kameli Kuruyabaki (Kaierau) and Andrew Evans (Ruapehu), 30 Isaiah Hooper (Border), Jaye Flaws (Taihape) and Jamie Brett (Uiku OB).
Goal-kicking: 78 pts Harding, 48 Monaghan, 45 Whale, 35 Evans.
Individual tries - 9 Dabonaise, 8 Saurara, 6 Brett, Hooper, Flaws and Harding, 5 Tom Symes (Border) and Stu Brosnahan (Kaierau), 4 Cole Baldwin (Border), Rewi Hudson (Utiku OB), Cyrus Paringatai and Taylor Transom (Taihape).
Team tries: For: 46 Border, 37 Taihape, 33 Kaierau, 24 Pirates, 23 Marist, 22 Ruapehu, 18 Utiku OB, 11 Ratana. Conceded: 12 Taihape, 14 Border, 19 Marist, 20 Kaierau, 29 Pirates, 31 Ruapehu, 39 Utiku OB, 50 Ratana.
