The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is perhaps the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the Shield in challenge matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the Shield.

Holders

Two different unions held the Ranfurly Shield between 1940 and 1949. Due to the outbreak of World War 2, however, no matches were played between 1940 and 1945.

Union	Won	Successful defences
Southland	Held at beginning of decade	5
Otago	2 August 1947	17

Fixtures

1946

	3 August 1946	Southland	3–0	Otago	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Pen: Tom Webster			Referee: E.J. Barron (Southland)

	24 August 1946	Southland	11–3	Canterbury	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: E.D. Calder Con: Tom Webster Pen: Tom Webster (2)		Try: W.P. McHugh	Referee: E.J. Barron (Southland)

	31 August 1946	Southland	35–9	South Canterbury	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: A.S. Chandler (4), Alexander Sutherland (2), R.H. Hazlett, N.J. Bennett, R.F. Waldron Con: Tom Webster (2) Drop: R.F. Waldron		Try: P.G. Fitzgerald Con: R.G. Prattley Drop: G.W. Pratt	Attendance: 7,000[1] Referee: R. Ferguson (Southland)

	7 September 1946	Southland	12–3	Wairarapa	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: R.H. Hazlett Pen: Tom Webster (2), R.J. Campbell		Pen: M.P. Hurley	Referee: E.J. Barron (Southland)

	28 September 1946	Southland	15–3	North Otago	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: Alexander Sutherland (2), J.J. Prendiville, R.H. Hazlett Pen: Tom Webster		Pen: E.V. Wright	Referee: J.J. North (Southland)

1947

	2 August 1947	Southland	11–17	Otago	Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill
		Try: G.S. Kennedy, G.H. Spittle Con: L.F. Ward Pen: L.F. Ward		Try: Ron Elvidge (2), Ian Botting, John Tanner Con: Rex Orr Pen: Rex Orr	Attendance: 21,000[2] Referee: R. Ferguson (Southland)

	9 August 1947	Otago	31–12	North Auckland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: John Tanner, L.S. Woodhouse, Graham Moore, Jim Kearney Con: Rex Orr (3) Pen: Rex Orr (3) Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: Doc Paewai Pen: Nau Cherrington (3)	Attendance: 25,000[3] Referee: J.J. North (Southland)

	20 August 1947	Otago	18–12	Auckland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: John Tanner, Ron Elvidge Con: Laurie Haig Pen: Laurie Haig (2) Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: Les Deas (2) Con: Bob Scott Drop: D.J. Ewert	Referee: Leslie Walsh (Canterbury)

	13 September 1947	Otago	8–0	Southland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Kevin O'Connor Con: Jim Kearney Pen: Jim Kearney			Referee: J.G.G. Fitzpatrick (Wellington)

	27 September 1947	Otago	42–3	North Otago	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Ron Elvidge (2), Kevin O'Connor (2), John Tanner, Ian Botting, Graham Moore, D.H. Hamilton, Jim Kearney, Jack McNab, L.S. Woodhouse Con: Rex Orr Pen: Rex Orr Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: M.D. Fountain	Attendance: 12,300[4] Referee: L.K. Murray (South Canterbury)

1948

	31 July 1948	Otago	25–0	Southland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Meates (3), Ian Botting (2), Ray Dalton, Ron Elvidge Con: Laurie Haig, Graham Moore			Attendance: 30,000[5] Referee: Arthur Fong (West Coast)

	18 August 1948	Otago	31–0	Canterbury	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Jim Kearney (2), Bill Meates, L.S. Woodhouse, Ian Botting Laurie Haig, Ron Elvidge Con: Jim Kearney, Laurie Haig Pen: Laurie Haig (2)			Referee: R. Ferguson (Southland)

	21 August 1948	Otago	20–3	Wanganui	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Meates (3), L.S. Woodhouse, Laurie Haig Con: Laurie Haig Drop: Jim Kearney		Try: Don Beard	Referee: L.K. Murray (South Canterbury)

	28 August 1948	Otago	12–6	Hawke's Bay	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Ian Botting Pen: Laurie Haig (2), Graham Moore		Pen: Barney Wishnowsky (2)	Referee: Bill Firmin (Wellington)

	4 September 1948	Otago	40–0	Poverty Bay	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Jim Kearney (3), Kevin O'Connor (2), Ian Botting (2), Bill Meates, Laurie Haig L.S. Woodhouse, Ron Elvidge Con: Laurie Haig (2) Pen: Graham Moore			Attendance: 9,000[6] Referee: Robert Pratt (Buller)

	8 September 1948	Otago	36–6	South Canterbury	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Meates (5), Laurie Haig, Ron Elvidge, Jim Kearney Con: Laurie Haig (3) Pen: Laurie Haig (2)		Try: J.L. Taylor Pen: R.G. Prattley	Referee: J.G.G. Fitzpatrick (Wellington)

	25 September 1948	Otago	11–0	Wellington	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Ian Botting, Peter Johnstone Con: Laurie Haig Drop: Jim Kearney			Referee: George Sullivan (Taranaki)

1949

	30 July 1949	Otago	6–6	Buller	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: N.M. McKenzie Pen: Graham Moore		Try: R.P. Hawes, W.M. Cunniffe	Referee: Leslie Walsh (Canterbury)

	6 August 1949	Otago	22–3	Manawatu	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Bill Lunn, Kevin O'Connor, Ray Bell, C.J. MacDonald Con: Ray Bell, Willis Perriam Pen: Ray Bell, Willis Perriam		Pen: H.D. Harkness	Referee: T.V. Cahill (North Otago)

	13 August 1949	Otago	6–3	Southland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Pen: Ray Bell Drop: L.S. Woodhouse		Pen: Tom Webster	Referee: Bill Firmin (Wellington)

	17 August 1949	Otago	27–5	Waikato	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: Graham Moore (2), Willis Perriam, R.F. Waldron, Bill Lunn Con: Willis Perriam (2), Ray Bell Pen: Willis Perriam, Ray Bell		Try: B.A.C. Cowley Con: G.R. Brunskill	Referee: W. Bruce Mitchell (Southland)

	17 September 1949	Otago	6–5	Taranaki	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: N.M. McKenzie Pen: Ray Bell		Try: Roy Roper Con: M.S. Cockerill	Referee: C.G. Wallace (Waikato)

	28 September 1949	Otago	16–5	Auckland	Carisbrook, Dunedin
		Try: C.R. Moore, Ray Bell, Ross Wightman, L.S. Woodhouse Con: Ray Bell (2)		Try: Ivan Versalko Con: R.G. Sorenson	Referee: George Sullivan (Taranaki)

References

Sources

External links

• Results at Scrum.co.nz