A piece of silverware on the sidelines at the rugby game between Alexandra and Arrowtown today holds a special place in the hearts of Central Otago rugby fans.
The coveted White Horse Cup is at stake in the match. Described by club officials, players and coaches as being the local equivalent of the Ranfurly Shield, the cup has been the symbol of Central Otago rugby supremacy since 1926.
Housed in a protective case, the silver cup will be displayed on the sideline to motivate the cup holder - Alexandra - and also act as an incentive for the challengers - the Arrowtown Bulls.
Alexandra coach Lindsay Breen says the cup means the same thing to all clubs in the district.
"It's our Ranfurly Shield," Mr Breen says.
"The White Horse Cup is what all clubs covet and it's used to motivate teams to win," Mr Breen said.
Arrowtown Rugby Club president Simon Spark says the challenging side is keen to add the cup to its trophy cabinet.
Details are sketchy about the history of the trophy, but it was presented by White Horse Distilleries Ltd of Glasgow, London and Cape Town and the first holder was Matakanui in 1926.
Winning the White Horse Cup holds a special meaning for players and club supporters and its appeal has never waned in 83 years.
Former Otago and assistant All Blacks coach Tony Gilbert was a member of the Alexandra side that won the cup from Cromwell in 1970.
He remembers the game vividly and said the team managed to hold on to the cup for a couple of games before surrendering it.
"The White Horse Cup has a special place in Central Otago rugby history and it certainly fires up local teams like no other trophy,"Mr Gilbert said.
The cup is at stake at all home games and the holder at the end of the season is allowed to have their club's name engraved on the trophy.
Eight country clubs were eligible to compete - premier grade teams from Alexandra, Arrowtown, Clyde-Earnscleugh, Cromwell, Maniototo, Matakanui Combined, Upper Clutha and Wakatipu.
Mr Gilbert said the holder of the trophy was " the boss rooster of the season, if you like".
"That might be despite another club winning the overall trophy for the top club in the competition. It all depends on the timing of the White Horse Cup challenges and if the holders have many home games left."
"And all that adds to the legend of the trophy. One week you might win it and the following week might be a home game, when the cup is on the line, and you lose it again."
Poems and songs have been written in honour of the cup and White Horse winning teams at many of the clubs have formed their own social clubs, meeting annually to recall the highlight of their rugby careers.
Mr Gilbert belongs to one such club made up of the 1970 Alexandra team, while Bill Wilson, also of Alexandra, is a member of the 52 Club, which comprises members of the Matakanui White Horse cup winning team.
Matakanui was the first holder of the cup and it has a proud tradition, having had its name engraved on the cup 33 times, first as Matakanui, then as Matakanui Valley and in later times as Matakanui Combined.
Matakanui has also held the cup for long stretches at a time - for five years from 1947, for eight years from 1955 and for seven years from 1981.
Mr Wilson was the second generation of his family to play in cup matches and his son, All Black Bevan, was the third.
"It was always sought after and there was quite a ceremony around the challenges," Mr Wilson said.
"I remember playing Alexandra and the Alexandra Pipe Band led everyone on to the paddock; there was quite a bit of hype and ceremony involved and that made it even more special.
"As well as promoting rivalry, the cup also promoted camaraderie.
"You only have to look at all the spectators at the last cup game, between Alexandra and Clyde a couple of weeks ago, and see how many loyal supporters turned up, especially in the 50-80 age group, to see that there's as much interest in the cup as ever there was," Mr Wilson said.
Although only a few members of the 52 Club were still around, they still met every year for dinner and to reminisce and had joined forces with Matakanui's "63 Club".
Former All Black Don Clark, of Bannockburn, said holding the cup, even if it was only for a match or two, was a special achievement.
He played for Cromwell in the 1960s and recalled taking the cup off Gimmerburn but losing it to Alexandra in the final game of the season, meaning the Alexandra team had its name engraved on the trophy.
"Cromwell had won all its games all season but lost that last one; but that's just the way it went," Mr Clark said.
The stronger teams in the competition had several players in representative sides and often had to defend cup challenges with their best players away, he said.
"The White Horse Cup was, and still is, the pinnacle of Central Otago rugby. Everyone wanted to get their hands on it."
For many years winning sides were presented with a trophy depicting a white horse as a keepsake from the distillery, to mark their tenure of the cup. Clubs throughout the district have those in their trophy cabinets, alongside photos of winning teams.
Otago Country Rugby Administrator Greta Mason said it would be difficult to put a value on the cup but it was "irreplaceable".
- Alexandra plays the Arrowtown Bulls at Molyneux Park today, starting at 2.45pm.
• White Horse Cup rules
(updated in February this year)
- Clubs in the Central region of Otago Country rugby can play for the cup.
- The cup will be played for during the club competition indefinitely and will be retained by the holder until lost.
- All club matches, including semis and finals, played on the holder's ground will automatically be a challenge.
- There will be no special challenges.
- The cup will be presented to the winning team's captain immediately after the game on the field.
- The team holding the cup at the end of the season will be entitled to have its club name engraved on it.
- The Otago Country Rugby Board, following consultation with the Central Region Council of Clubs, may from time to time amend these rules.
• White Horse Cup holders
Names on the cup from 1926-2008-
Matakanui 33 times
Alexandra 9
Wakatipu 8
Gimmerburn 7
Maniototo 6
Patearoa 5
Ranfurly 4
Clyde 3
Cromwell 2
Upper Clutha 2
Ida Valley 2
Tarras 1
Becks 1
Bannockburn 1
