But the Ranfurly Shield still means a lot to this province and Otago gets another chance to end 52 years of hurt when it challenges Wellington on July 31.
Over the next four Saturdays, the newspaper will tell the stories of Otago players who have memories, fond or otherwise, of the Log o' Wood.
Alistair McMurran opens the series with a chat to 1957 halfback d.
The Ranfurly Shield is special to former All Black Lindsay Townsend.
He was a key member of the last successful Otago challenge when Wellington was beaten 19-11 at Athletic Park in 1957.
Townsend (75), a retired insurance broker from Whangarei, told the Otago Daily Times yesterday the team talk by coach Charlie Saxton had been a crucial factor in the win.
"Charlie was a great motivator, but I think he was too nice. I went from Charlie to Ted Griffin, the North Auckland coach, who was the complete opposite."
After the game, Saxton came down on to the paddock and shook hands with every member of the team.
"I didn't realise how important it was until then," Townsend recalled.
"It was like winning a test match. There are a lot of players who have played for the All Blacks who have never won the shield."
Otago defended the shield against South Canterbury 6-3 and then lost it to Taranaki 11-9 in the last game of the season.
In the second spell, Otago attempted to use the backs and spread the ball wide.
"We spun it a couple of times, dropped the ball, and Taranaki scored. It was quite sickening afterwards, because we knew we had blown it."
The Otago players trooped into the dressing room with their heads down before Saxton came in.
"He told us that we'd had our turn with the shield," Townsend recalled.
"He told us to go into the Taranaki dressing room and congratulate them. It was their day. There were no sour grapes. They beat us. That was Charlie to a tee."
Townsend moved to Whangarei at the end of 1957 and played 46 games for North Auckland from 1958-63 and coached the province from 1976-79.
He was in the North Auckland squad in 1960 but had Achilles tendon problems and did not play when it beat Auckland 17-11 to lift the shield.
But he was in the team that lost the return game to Auckland, 6-3.
His involvement with Shield rugby had not finished and he coached North Auckland when it ended Manawatu's long reign with a 12-10 win in 1978.
"It's amazing what the shield does. Winning the shield was the highlight of my coaching career."
