Local Pride

The end of a proud Taranaki rugby Ranfurly Shield era has been captured in this chocolate box. Most of these supporter's badges were collected by the Donnelly family during the 1965 season when the Taranaki team, which included Neil Wolfe and Ross Brown, saw off five challenges before going down fighting to Auckland 11-16.

Judy Jones (nee Donnelly) remembers her family went to every Shield game during the season and made great efforts to swap badges with visiting supporters. Sometimes they would even scavenge discarded badges from the ground. The family made a point of sitting in the south eastern corner and normally feasted on home-made bacon and egg pie while surrounded by families who also sat in the same spots every week.

While many supporters would have been sad to see the Shield head north, the Taranaki coach J. J. Stewart noted that it could sometimes be a mixed blessing. "Families tend to spend their money going to the football and where they might have had a roast they make do with mince instead… For a province like Taranaki six matches is long enough to hold it."