Sideline Sid - Sports blogger Sideline Sid is a local sport fanatic. Not only is he a classic rugby bloke but he has views, opinions and knowledge on all sports played in the Bay of Plenty.

In the days of professional rugby, there is often scant regard given to long time symbols of success in the game.
One such long-time Bay of Plenty trophy is the Te Hirinui Apanui Shield, which is the prize at stake in the annual Bay of Plenty Sub-Union series, which kicks off on Wednesday night in Rotorua.

Both the Shalfoon Shield, which is the Colts trophy in the annual series between the Eastern, Western and Central (Rotorua) Sub-Unions, and the Te Hurinui Apanui Shield are currently held by Western Bay of Plenty.
Last year the Western Bay senior representative team had two battles of attrition, before lifting aloft the Te Hurinui Apanui in victory. The local Colts side easily swept aside the opposition in defence of the Shalfoon Shield

The prestigious symbol of Bay regional Sub-Union superiority was presented for Sub-Union competition in 1927, by the Stewart Family from Whakatane. The Shield commemorates the highly respected Chief Hurinui Apanui.
It is worth travelling back over eight decades in history to look at the inaugural battles for the prestigious Sub-Union shield.

The Stewart Family wishes were that the Whakatane Sub-Union become the first holder of the Shield. In the first year of competition, Rotorua defeated Whakatane 16-6, before Te Puke travelled to Rotorua to lift the trophy from the home side by a margin of 11-6.
In a time where regular Bay of Plenty Sub-Union competition took place, the then new Rangataiki Sub-Union took the Shield from Te Puke 9-6. In a busy period in the inaugural season of competition, Rangataiki defeated Taupo 12-3 and repelled the Apanui challenge 22-14.
Opotiki were unlucky not to lift the Te Hurinui Apanui trophy, with their game ending in a 6 -ll draw. In an unusual season format, the last game of the season was a final between the holders and Whakatane, which was won by Rangataiki, by a almost unheard of score in today's era of 3-nil.
Thus the Rangataiki Sub-Union was the first name engraved on Te Hurinui Apanui Shield.

In today's world where everything has a sponsor's name attached, Sideline Sid believes two sports in the country have got it right when it come to prestigious long time trophies.
In football, the Chatham Cup was first contested in 1923 when Otago club Seacliff defeated Wellington YMCA 4-nil in the final. The replica of the FA Cup was presented by the crew of HMS Chatham as the prize at stake for the New Zealand champion club each year.
Like the FA Cup, any team in the country can enter the Chatham Cup with a number of secondary school sides putting their hat in the ring in recent years.

In cricket, the Plunket Shield goes even further back than the Chatham Cup. In the 1906-07 season, the Governor General of New Zealand, Lord Plunket, presented a shield for competition between the major associations.
With demise of the sponsorship of first class cricket, NZ Cricket reintroduced the Plunket Shield as the prize at stake in this season's first class (four-day) games.

Seeya at the Game.