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Southland Rugby Football Union

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Southland Rugby Football Union
NameSouthland Rugby Football Union
UnionNew Zealand Rugby
Founded1887
RegionSouthland Region
GroundRugby Park Stadium
Capacity18,000
LeagueHeartland Championship
ColoursMaroon and white

Southland Rugby Football Union. The Southland Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Southland Region of New Zealand. Founded in 1887, it is one of the country's oldest provincial unions and a founding member of the New Zealand Rugby Union. The union is renowned for its passionate supporter base, known as the "Southland Stags" faithful, and its historic home at Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill.

History

The union was established in 1887, joining the newly formed New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1893. Early competitions involved matches against neighboring provinces like Otago and Canterbury. Southland claimed its first major silverware by winning the Ranfurly Shield in 1920 with a victory over Wellington. The province enjoyed a golden era in the late 1950s and early 1960s under the leadership of players such as Wilson Whineray and Brian Lochore, who both later captained the All Blacks. This period included a famous tenure as Ranfurly Shield holders from 1959 to 1963. The union competed in the National Provincial Championship from its inception in 1976, and later in its premier division. Financial challenges and on-field results led to relegation to the Heartland Championship in 2015, marking a new chapter in its storied history.

Representative teams

The union's premier men's representative team is the Southland team, universally known as the Southland Stags. The Stags compete in the Heartland Championship and the associated Lochore Cup competition. The union also fields a women's representative team, historically known as the Southland Tikis, which competes in the Farah Palmer Cup. Age-grade representative teams, including Under-19 and schoolboy sides, participate in national tournaments like the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 Tournament. The union has a strong tradition of contributing players to the South Island team for inter-island matches and to various New Zealand age-grade and development squads.

Competitions

The senior club competition is the Southland Club Rugby Championship, featuring historic clubs such as Star, Woodlands, and Marist. The premier representative team's primary competition is the Heartland Championship, a nationwide tournament for New Zealand's developing provinces. Within this, the team contests the Lochore Cup for sides not qualifying for the Meads Cup final. The women's team competes in the Farah Palmer Cup, often in its championship division. Schoolboy rugby is highlighted by the annual Condor Sevens tournament and the traditional interschool rivalry between Southland Boys' High School and Waitaki Boys' High School.

Stadium

The union's home ground is Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill, a venue with a rich history dating back to 1901. The stadium underwent a significant redevelopment in 2010, which included the installation of a revolutionary sand-based artificial turf—the first of its kind in New Zealand for professional rugby. This surface, nicknamed "The Gridiron," allows for high-usage and all-weather play. Rugby Park Stadium has a capacity of approximately 18,000 and has hosted numerous Ranfurly Shield challenges, Super Rugby matches for the Highlanders, and a historic test match for the All Blacks against Fiji in 2011.

Notable players

Southland has produced a remarkable number of All Blacks, with over 50 players earning the national jersey. Legendary forwards include Wilson Whineray, Brian Lochore, and Les Munro. More recent All Blacks from the province include hard-running midfielder Jason Kawau, prop Jamie Mackintosh, and lock Josh Bekhuis. The union is also famous for producing iconic halfbacks, such as Chris Laidlaw and Jimmy Cowan. Other notable figures include Jeff Wilson, who represented New Zealand in both rugby and cricket, and long-serving captain and cult hero David Hall. Many players have also featured prominently for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.

Honours

The union's trophy cabinet includes the prestigious Ranfurly Shield, which it has won on four separate occasions (1920, 1959, 1960, 1961). Southland was the inaugural winner of the National Provincial Championship Second Division in 1976. The Stags won the Heartland Championship's Lochore Cup in 2017. In club rugby, the Galbraith Shield is awarded to the winner of the Southland club championship, with teams like Star and Woodlands among its most frequent winners. Individual players from the union have received honours such as the Tom French Cup for Māori player of the year and selections for the New Zealand Rugby Awards.

Category:Rugby union governing bodies in New Zealand Category:Sport in the Southland Region Category:Rugby union teams in New Zealand Category:1887 establishments in New Zealand