Northland snatch Ranfurly Shield from Canterbury to end 46-year drought

Northland claimed the Ranfurly Shield for the first time in 46 years with a commanding 35-12 victory over Canterbury at One NZ Stadium in Christchurch, a ground the Taniwha had not won at since 1989.

All Blacks Sevens flyer Rob Rush was the standout performer, crossing twice as Northland piled on 29 unanswered points after Canterbury had led by five at the break. Kicker Reihana was accurate throughout, and the emotion at full-time reflected just how significant the result was for the visiting side.

“Pretty emotional, man,” Reihana said after the game. “We spoke about it at the start of the week, we wanted to inspire the next generation, and the only way that we were going to do that was to bring back the Shield. Hopefully we’ve done that.”

Canterbury had taken the lead early through tries to Tahlor Cahill and Jone Rova, but Northland gradually asserted control. Marcel Renata struck to shift momentum, before halfback Sam Nock produced a moment of individual brilliance to break the game open. Northland led by nine at half-time.

Rush then put the result beyond doubt just three minutes into the second half, crashing over from close range after a clever set-piece tap move. He completed his brace on the final whistle to seal a historic night for the Taniwha.

“Canterbury, they’re the top side for a reason and we knew we had to bring our A-game,” Reihana reflected. “What I’m most proud of is the effort areas that we showed on our defence. It’s awesome to see.”

The Shield had last changed hands when Canterbury defeated Otago in a rematch of the 2025 NPC decider, before the Cantabrians backed that up with a five-point win over Bay of Plenty the previous weekend. Their unbeaten home record at One NZ Stadium is now gone.

The result lifts Northland to the top of the NPC ladder, though an unbeaten Hawke’s Bay side are yet to play this week. Canterbury remain in the top three despite the defeat ending their perfect start to the season.