RugbyRebels

I'm sure we use to have a fred for this. Anyway, here's a new one.

Ireland's win in the 3rd test v Australia means they will carry the Raeburn Shield into the November tests. 11 sides could emerge from November as holders. Italy gets first crack, with the possible successive fixtures as follows:
I presume Georgia will have some other fixtures after Italy but I can't find any list.

Had Australia won on Saturday, and the Shield taken in The Rugby Championship, any one of the current top 15 teams could have held it by December. South Africa, Wales, Japan and Tonga will no longer have that chance.

Dates of the last tenure for each team in the running last held the Shield, and team that took it off them:
Ireland: 16 June 2018 - ?, ?
Australia: 9 - 16 June 2018, Ireland
Scotland: 24 Feb - 10 March 2018, Ireland
England: 18 Nov 2017 - 24 Feb 2018, Scotland
New Zealand: 19 Nov 2016 - 21 Oct 2017, Australia
France: 13 - 20 June 2009, New Zealand
Argentina: 31 May - 7 June 1986, France

Georgia (2 challenges), USA (5) and Italy (23) have never won the Shield.

Update: Georgia has some more fixtures, including against Tonga so it is back in with a (slim) chance of playing for the Shield. Samoa and Spain are also now in the mix.

The matches unfold as follows, with italics showing the possible progression of holders.

3.11.2018:
Ireland will have its 3rd defence of its current reign against Italy in Chicago. All signs point to Italy extending its record 23 challenges without a win.

10.11.2018:
Ireland: A tough match v Los Pumas, who I think will have European players available. I reckon Ireland will still be too good though.

Italy: A fascinating match regardless of the Shield, with Georgia getting its first crack at the weakest 6N team since 2003. Georgia is still looking for a first win against a 6N side to make another crack in the ring-fence around that tournament, and also its first Shield win in its 3rd challenge.

17.11.2018:
Ireland/Ireland: The All Blacks loom in the World Ranking 1 v 2 clash. Ireland have a great chance at home to double their win tally against the World Champions but I suspect the odds will be slightly with the New Zealanders.

Ireland/Pumas: France get to have a nudge against their fellow Latins. Jupiter knows what sort of XXIII either side might field or what the result will be. These two sides each have 10 wins against the other in their last 20 matches back to 1998.

Italy/Italy: No matter how bad things get for Cheika, I can’t see this going too far wrong for the Wallabies.

Italy/Georgia: Unlikely to be a Shield match but theoretically a chance for Samoa to get their hands on it a second time.

24.11.2018:
Ireland/Ireland/Ireland: If the Irish can hold off the All Blacks, they should carry the Shield into the 6N. I can’t see the USA getting a first win.

Ireland/Ireland/New Zealand: The Italians could a second challenge in the same month, but if so it would be equally futile. This is the only match in November that has two potential routes to be a challenge.

Ireland/Pumas/Pumas: Scotland have had the upper hand against Argentina of late, so should pick this one up. If so, and it turns out to be Shield game, the Scots first defence will be at Murrayfield v Italy providing a very high likelihood of a first successful Scottish defence since 1984 (following first defence failures after gaining the shield in 1986, 1999 and earlier this year).

Ireland/Pumas/France: Fiji have at least a shot here, and a potential first Shield victory in 7 challenges stretching back to the same opponent in 1964.

Italy/Italy/Italy: See Ireland/Ireland/New Zealand

Italy/Italy/Australia: England are on a 5 game winning streak against Aussie, but seem to be declining. An intriguing match-up.

Italy/Georgia/Georgia: Almost zero chance of the Shield taking this route but if it did, Tonga would have its second ever challenge and quite possibly its first win.

Italy/Georgia/Samoa: It’s only slightly more likely that this will be a Shield game, but if so Manu Samoa should comfortably hold off Spain in their first successful defence after briefly holding the Shield following the RWC1999 upset v Wales.

https://www.cityam.com/the-raeburn-and- ... -in-rugby/

The Raeburn and Utrecht Shields: The newest, oldest trophies in rugby?

It’s the one thing clubs strive for. Silverware. A piece of, usually, silver metal or varnished wood shaped into something teams grow to idealise.

The trophies of note tend to be the ones which have been around for the longest, and adopting new ones doesn’t always have a lasting effect.

So just what happens if a sport’s newest trophy has a history matching the oldest?

Article Continues...

Dave's getting a real Utrecht Shield made up!

Oooh, nice. Is there a real Raeburn Shield already or is this something just being done for the Utrecht?

Puja

Puja wrote:Oooh, nice. Is there a real Raeburn Shield already or is this something just being done for the Utrecht?

Puja

He says they'll get onto it, but it's about time the women's game came first for something

Which Tyler wrote:

Puja wrote:Oooh, nice. Is there a real Raeburn Shield already or is this something just being done for the Utrecht?

Puja

He says they'll get onto it, but it's about time the women's game came first for something

Excellent. Plus, from a cynical point of view, the womens' game are more likely to formally adopt it than the men's game as there are fewer long-standing traditions in that side of the game.

Puja

He's also already presented an early mock-up to the England lasses last year, if only for posing for the cameras.
From what I gather, they loved the idea

Utrecht is up for grabs in Auckland tomorrow; Fiji vs England