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New Zealand retains the Raeburn Shield! What is the Raeburn Shield, you ask? The Raeburn Shield has a hypothetical lineage stretching back to the very first game of international rugby union.
The first game ever was Scotland Vs England at Raeburn Place, Scotland (hence the name) in 1871 and the winner took the shield, this has continued to be won and lost untll today and is similar to New Zealand’s Ranfurly Shield (except it is always on the line home or away)
According to the raeburnshield.com website:
“International test rugby would be improved by the introduction of a new trophy, one which all serious rugby nations would have a realistic chance of winning, by introducing a Challenge trophy to be put up by the holder, or Defender, in every match it plays (in the same manner as a world boxing title, or New Zealand’s Ranfurly Shield). The winner would either remain or become the holder. A draw would result in the Defender retaining the title. (Composite teams such as the British and Irish Lions and the Pacific Islanders would not be eligible to challenge).”
The Rugby World Cup is the game’s show-piece but it should not be regarded as the be-all and end-all of test rugby.
Test matches between World Cups, especially those outside of the Six Nations and Tri-Nations, ought to be regarded as important matches where winning is the main aim, rather than as “friendlies”. It now seems that outside of the World Cup, one virtually never sees a full-strength Northern Hemisphere team play a test against a full-strength Southern team.
This is not good for the game.
Another issue in modern rugby is the gulf between the top nations and the rest.
The prospect of a serious trophy available for a one-off match would increase interest from fans and media in matches where an upset would not just be embarrassing (but perhaps tolerable in the name of “development”) but would result in the loss of an important international trophy.
An additional prize open to all nations would assist in remedying the above problems by giving the unions, players, fans and media a reason to take non-World Cup matches seriously. A Challenge Trophy of the type proposed would fit the bill as follows:
* All nations could compete.
* It would be independent of the World Cup and the existing regional championships.
* Because a one-off upset would be sufficient to lift the trophy, it would be realistically winnable by non-top tier nations even when playing against elite nation series.
* It doesn’t require any additional Tests to be scheduled.
* The trophy would be likely to change hands several times in a season, making it relevant far more often than the World Cup, and meaning that virtually any future match has the potential to be a Trophy match.
* It would take only one upset result for a minor rugby nation to win the Trophy at which point other minor nations may well be able to successfully challenge.
* The nature of the competition and the ability to recognise hypothetical past winners gives this Trophy an existing history and records.
In practical terms, this would be a simple competition to institute.
There would be no need for extra matches to be scheduled, or other such organisation. All that would be needed is the provision of a suitable trophy plus a little promotion and marketing to the public and to the national unions.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.