10
The Sun
one on one with the Sun
Wednesday August 31, 2011
Snatching the Shield On an overcast winter’s day at Christchurch’s Lancaster Park in July, 1973, Marlborough’s Red Devils snatched rugby’s prized Ranfurly Shield off star-studded holders Canterbury. Sun reporter Damian George talks to the man at the helm of the Marlborough side on the day the Shield came north, Ramon Sutherland. It remains the most prized possession in New forwards were in the Canterbury team, so we Zealand provincial rugby. knew them pretty well and we knew we had First contested in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield to dominate up front if we were going to win (donated by the Earl of Ranfurly, the country’s and we were pretty confident we could do that.” Governor General at the time) has brought As with most provincial areas, the hisboth jubilation and despair; it has galvanised toric piece of silverware created a buzz in communities; and it has produced some of the Marlborough which will be hard to match. most famous rugby matches ever seen in this Crowds flocked to Blenheim’s Lansdowne country. Park to watch local stars like All Black No In 1973, Marlborough’s Red Devils, led by 8 Alan Sutherland (Ramon’s brother), first captain Ramon Sutherland, carved out its own five-eighth Tony Goddard, loose forward piece of Shield history, etching itself into the David Neal and, of course, Ford, during six trophy’s folklore with a 13-6 win over holders successful defences. Canterbury in Christchurch. “The park was full, which is rarely seen these It is the one and only time Marlborough days,” Sutherland says. has won the shield and, with the Red Devils ‘It was great, and a real talking point for the no longer playing in the national provincial town.” championship, it is likely to be the last. Even through the professional era, the RanIt is often said to win the Log o’ Wood, you furly Shield has held its appeal and remains the have to really “play some rugby”. In other most hotly-contested prize among provincial words, you must chance your arm, be brave, unions, both big and small. run the opposition ragged. “It’s huge for the area it goes to. It’s just unBut, despite being a team which “liked to fortunate that in this professional area it doesn’t play 15-man rugby”, this Shield get much exposure, because it’s challenge, played in overcast but “The park was the only thing that really draws dry conditions, produced anything people to a provincial game. but an expansive display from the full, which is “If it’s a Shield game, there visitors. seems to be a lot more interest.” “It was a pretty dour sort of a rarely seen The Tasman side (an amalgame, pretty close all the time,” gamation of Marlborough and these days.” Sutherland recalls. Nelson Bays), almost won the “I think it might have been 6-6 Log o’ Wood three years ago, at halftime and then we sort of got on top in when it pushed Wellington close. the second half and Ford scored that try and But Sutherland says the team, which finished we managed to hang on.” last in this year’s competition, has been disap‘That try’, scored by winger Brian Ford, pointing to date. came after the speedster “burst out of a ruck” “The Makos system is not working like it and sped 70 metres to clinch the match four was designed to. minutes from fulltime. “There’s not enough Marlborough players in History books have labelled the win as a the side, but you can’t blame [the selectors] for “great upset”, but Sutherland says this is far that ‘cause they’ve got to pick the best players from the reality. and our players are not good enough. “The team had played pretty well the year “We’ve got to lift the standard of club rugby before – we’d had wins over Auckland and in Marlborough so we can get more players in Otago in provincial games, so the team was [the team], and we’ve got to attract more players starting to develop,” he says. to Marlborough.” Then, maybe, the Marlborough region can “We played against Canterbury quite a bit over the years. We especially used to play write a second chapter in its brief Shield Canterbury Country a lot and most of their history.
GOOD OLD DAYS: Marlborough rugby great Ramon Sutherland with the tie worn by the 1973 side. Inset: The 1973 Marlborough rugby side, led by Ramon Sutherland [front row, fourth from left] with the Ranfurly Shield, Seddon Shield, Hogg Cup and Washington Cup. Photos by Damian George.
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