Captains Michael Collins (left) and Luke Whitelock shake hands as Otago hand the Ranfurly Shield over the Canterbury. Otago held the shield for six defences - its third-best reign - but could not keep out Canterbury in its last challenge of the year, going down 35-25 on Saturday night. The shield reign did not translate into a financial bonanza for the union. Otago Rugby Football Union general manager Richard Kinley said the shield got the rugby message across as it was taken out to schools, rest homes and the wider community. The Otago union is not hosting a test this year which is a blow to the union's bottom line.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 07, 2019 15:33 UTC