NZ Provincial Rugby - ITM Cup

[Thin Thighs]

Interesting thing is bit like what happens in Aust with players Club and S15 teams not necessarily being geographically co-located. The ITM (Shute shield/Brissie comp Club) team a player plays for is no guarantee that they will play for the S15 team that covers that geographic area.

F'r instance Hawkes Bay is in Hurricanes S15 territory but many top Hawkes Bay Players (Dagg and Guildford) play for other than the Hurricanes.

What I do like about the team nicknames, as per Scorz post, is that they have not succumbed to Americam cultural imperialism and pinched their nicknames. They all seem unique and appropriate for New Zillund.

Would you imagine the Yanks having the Dallas Taniwha in the NBA, or the Miami Sheep Shaggers in the NFL, however Northland Taniwha and Canterbury Sheep Shaggers seems so apt for teams competing for the ITM cup.

 

[qwerty51]

Why can't Australia get a team in the ITM Cup, NZ has a team in our NRL, NBL, A-League and Netball competitions. Have we not tried or are the Kiwis not letting us in?

 

[Scorz]

Why can't Australia get a team in the ITM Cup, NZ has a team in our NRL, NBL, A-League and Netball competitions. Have we not tried or are the Kiwis not letting us in?

We let you into Super Rugby. There's nothing in it for NZ other than more air travel expense. Whereas the Phoenis and the Worriers generate more revenue since there was nothing here before representing Pro-Football or League.

 

[Muttonbird]

...Jimmy Cowan, the bogun pisshead halfback for the AB's.

Bogan. Thought you'd know that.

 

[I like to watch]

:thumb and Yarpie Thugs! 8)

Been a bit in exciled now and not lurking that much. Whats the feel around the 7 team cut in the ITM? Look like the CC is also going that route and myself think its a really big joke the way the ITM pans out this year. The most difficult comp to tip in the universe.
.

There is a cut?
what is the process this year?
As an aside who can explain how the Ranfurly Shield works?

 

[MrTimms]

The ITM cup is due to change to a two tiered comp next year, with the top 7 playing the ITM cup and the bottom 7 playing a 2nd division comp. The bottom and top teams will swap each year.

The Ranfurly shield was integrated into the NPC come time ago, and it works now that the holder defends the shield at all home games. it doesn't work in seasons so it could change hands every week. Southlands hold it now, so every home game if the away team win, they take the shield home with them. in a nut shell.

 

[I like to watch]

Thanks for that Mr T,
All my kiwi mates have given me different versions of the R Shield that made no sense. The theme generally that a series of challenges were made at the start of each year.
seems a bit bizarre of the kiwis's to fuck around with the NPC that IMO is working great.
promotion/relegation generally makes the strong teams stronger & the weak teams weaker.

 

[Ham]

I like the concept of the Ranfurly shield. How do we go about having something similar for the Aussie Super 15 teams?

 

[MrTimms]

It would be a good idea, the simplest way for it to happen would be to donate a trophy and specify that is how it is to be decided.

You would probably have to be important for the ARU to buy in though.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

S15 is a bit high level I think for the Ranfurly Shield. The draw of the shield is the real provincial feel about it. It goes everywhere & the local communities can feel connected to it.

It's a special day to be a fan of your team when your up for a shield challenge & if you win it, it'll be one of the best rugby days out in your life. I've been fortunate to attend a couple of matches where Waikato took it off Auckland, first to break the longest streak in the history of the shield & secondly to claim it back again. Both would in my top 5 rugby matches I have attended, with the second one, being the number 1.

 

[en_force_er]

The ITM cup is due to change to a two tiered comp next year, with the top 7 playing the ITM cup and the bottom 7 playing a 2nd division comp. The bottom and top teams will swap each year.

The Ranfurly shield was integrated into the NPC come time ago, and it works now that the holder defends the shield at all home games. it doesn't work in seasons so it could change hands every week. Southlands hold it now, so every home game if the away team win, they take the shield home with them. in a nut shell.

I believe the rules are you must defend it in all home games and after a certain amount of time you have to defend it in away games as well.

 

[MrTimms]

From Wiki:

The Shield holder at the end of each season is required to accept at least seven challenges for the following year. All home games during league play, but not during knockout playoffs, in the ITM Cup or Heartland Championship are automatic challenges. The remaining shield defences must be made up of challenges from unions in the other domestic competition. For example, since North Harbour, an Air New Zealand Cup (now ITM Cup) team, held the Shield at the end of the 2006 Cup season despite losing their home quarter-final to Otago, they were forced to defend the Shield against Heartland Championship teams during the 2007 pre-season. Having successfully done so, all their home fixtures in the round-robin phase were Shield defences until they lost the shield to Waikato.

The Shield-holder is never forced to defend the Shield in an away match, although they may choose to, as Auckland, for example, did on a number of occasions during their record tenure as Shield-holder between 1985 and 1993. More recently, Auckland played both their mandatory defences against Heartland teams in 2008 on the road.[1]

If a challenger successfully takes the Shield, all of their home matches for the rest of the season are defences of it.

So they never HAVE to take a challenge on the road, but can if they want.

 

[en_force_er]

So they never HAVE to take a challenge on the road, but can if they want.

Fair enough. Well, now I can sound extra knowledgeable next time I talk about it.

 

[Scorz]

Ranfulry Shield - you get to nominate which games you want to be a "Shield Game" and there is a minimum number - so neot every home game, I think it's 5? Fucked if I know, I'm just hoping it moves soon so Waikato get another shot at it. It ROCKS being the holders. Auckland held it for like 10 years and then Waikato, led by John Mitchell, went up to Eden Park and ambushed the bastards, it was epic.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

Ranfulry Shield - you get to nominate which games you want to be a "Shield Game" and there is a minimum number - so neot every home game, I think it's 5? Fucked if I know, I'm just hoping it moves soon so Waikato get another shot at it. It ROCKS being the holders. Auckland held it for like 10 years and then Waikato, led by John Mitchell, went up to Eden Park and ambushed the bastards, it was epic.

Twas indeed! For some reason though, I enjoyed the second ambush much much more.

 

[Ham]

Thanks for the information. Perhaps a Ranfurly Shield type of trophy would prove too complicated to introduce to the Aussie S15 sides while the new conference system is new. However, I do think it could have some merit in the future.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Shithouse weather conditions at the games this week. Real Old School.

Some very attractive footy played despite the conditions.

 

[PaarlBok]

A Ranfury Shield will work fine in test rugby.

 

[PaarlBok]

Big round coming up for my MooLoo men vs the Southlanders!

My tips for round 8 (winners bolded) :
Waikato vs Southland, Manawatu vs Aucks, Naki vs Cantabs, Wellington vs HB, Tasman vs Harbour, Otago vs Taniwha, BoP vs Counties

This weekend again show the surprises in this competition and cant still understand the NZRU fuckwits who want to cut the teams in half.

Only got 3 right

Waikato v Southland 6-7, Manawatu v Auckland 6-32 , Taranaki v Canterbury 31-20, Wellington v Hawke's Bay 17-13, Tasman v North Harbour 21-28, Otago v Northland 8-13, Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau 24-21

Looking at the log:
*Team</B< p> Played Points Bonus Points Total*
1 *Southland 8 28 2 30*
2 *Auckland 8 24 3 27*
3 *Taranaki 8 24 3 27*
4 *Canterbury 8 22 4 26*
5 *Wellington 8 20 5 25*
6 *Waikato 8 18 4 22*
7 *Northland 8 16 5 21*
8 *Bay of Plenty 8 16 5 21*
9 *Counties Man 8 16 4 20*
10 *North Harbour 8 12 1 13*
11 *Tasman 8 8 3 11*
12 *Hawke's Bay 8 8 3 11*
13 *Otago 8 8 2 10*
14 *Manawatu 8 4 3 7*

Otago and Magpies in trouble to be relegated.

 

[DPK]

WTF does Hosea Gear have to do to get in the NZ squad?