Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

It's the hurry and scurry of the modern world - history is what shapes where we are today. Sideline Sid has a loose connection with two grand sporting trophies that seemed destined to gather dust in a back cupboard, before being revitalised within new competitions.

The Jordan Cup, which is a magnificent silver cup of some stature, languished in the rooms of the Western Bay of Plenty Rugby Sub-Union. In the mid 1920s, the Jordan Cup was presented to the (then) Tauranga Rugby Union in recognition of the services of the TRU Chairman Mr JH Jordan.

Over the decades the Jordan Cup was one of the premier prizes in Tauranga rugby. During 1995, the Tauranga and Te Puke Sub-Unions merged to form the Western Bay of Plenty Sub-Union, which gifted the long time trophy to the new Sub-Union

At the turn of the Millennium, the Jordan Cup sat unwanted before, in a stroke of genius, the local Sub-Union put the time honored trophy on the line in Baywide rugby, whenever the current holder met a fellow Western Bay side.

During the last dozen or so years, there has often been a merry-go-round during the season, before the silver prize was locked away in the holders' trophy cabinet for the summer break.

Last season Rangataua started the rugby year with the trophy, with Te Puke Sports, Mount Maunganui, Rangataua (again) and Te Puna grabbing the prize, before Tauranga Sports defeated Te Puna to resist the last four challenges.

The re-introduction of a local round of premier competition this year, before teams square off in Baywide battles in early May, has seen the Jordan Cup up for grabs every weekend.

Tauranga Sports will enter the last qualifying round of the local championship on Saturday - with the cup - after an unbeaten start to the current season.

However, standing in their way of a fifth straight win is Te Puna, who have had some terrific battles with the Tauranga Domain-based side in recent seasons.

The Jordan Cup will then be on the line during the Baywide season irrespective of home or away fixtures. The only time that the cup isn't contested is during post section play in both Western Bay and Baywide competitions.

The second old time rugby trophy to have a new life is the Peace Cup. Formerly an Auckland provincial Sun-Union trophy, which dates back to presentation in 1920 by a Mr English, the Peace Cup has also become a challenge prize within another meaningful competition.

In 2011 a new regional competition, named after one of the country's most decorated All Black forwards, was put in place.

The Stan Meads Cup saw a competition established between the Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Central (Rotorua) and Eastern and Western Bay of Plenty Sub-Unions, along with the King Country and Thames Valley B sides.

In order to ensure that the time honoured Peace Cup didn't become another lost symbol of former rugby glory, the cup was taken into the Stan Meads competition as a challenge trophy. The Peace Cup is put on the line in both home and away fixtures in every game except the annual SMC playoffs.