The Official TRF International Shield

[nickdnz]

All Blacks are working hard to maintain possesion of one of the most important awards in world rugby...the TRF Shield! Who would have thought we'd still have it after two tests against the Boks?

 

[Natas]

Australia coming on strong with the last test in Hong Kong. Be afraid Kiwis, be very afraid. A loss here could see the ABs spiral to a string of defeats before the RWC(awaiting the ensuing onslaught of abuse)

 

[Shaggy]

Australia coming on strong with the last test in Hong Kong. Be afraid Kiwis, be very afraid. A loss here could see the ABs spiral to a string of defeats before the RWC(awaiting the ensuing onslaught of abuse)

HAHA ... I wasn't aware of this trophy ... great that there is something to play for in this test match

... In the unlikely event that Australia win, this trophy should match all of the other invisible trophies in the ARU trophy cabinet

 

[Draggs]

Australia are now the holders of the shield.
Can Wales take it off them next Saturday, or perhaps England the week afterwards?

 

[Shaggy]

Australia are now the holders of the shield.
Can Wales take it off them next Saturday, or perhaps England the week afterwards?

Could be ... I have serious concerns over the Wallabies ability to string a series of wins together, and with their scrum ... and their goal kicking

 

[Shaggy]

Thought I'd update the holders since the shield's inception

Springboks at Paris, Rugby World cup Final 20 Oct 2007
All Blacks at Wellington 5 Jul 2008
Springboks at Dunedin 12 Jul 2008
Wallabies at Perth 19 Jul 2008
All Blacks at Auckland 2 Aug 2008
France at Dunedin 13 Jun 2009
All Blacks at Wellington 20 Jun 2009
Springboks at Bloemfontein 26 Jul 2009
Wallabies at Brisbane 5 Sep 2009
All Blacks at Wellington 19 Sep 2009
Wallabies at Hong Kong 30 Oct 2010
England at Twickenham 13 Nov 2010

... Current Holders - Springboks at Twickenham 27 Nov 2010

 

[dullonien]

Damnit, would have been nice if the Shield had gotten a taste of the 6 nations. Might have found it's way into Wales' hands then.....

 

[Shaggy]

Damnit, would have been nice if the Shield had gotten a taste of the 6 nations. Might have found it's way into Wales' hands then.....

Yeah, the great thing about this concept is that most of the teams get a crack at it at a fairly regular basis - I thing I saw that Samoa had a challenge against the AB's last year, and the NH sides visit the SH, and vice-versa, quite regularly now ... it's probably slanted towards the SH tri-nations sides at the moment because they play each other so often at the moment, but with Argentina coming in in 2012, and the 4N only playing each other twice, it might move around some more.

I think it may have moved more if England had held off the springboks today, as their are more NH sides, and they usually only get to play each other once a season

... I think you guys that were on this forum from the beginning, and supported this concept, should be congratulated - it's a great idea which the IRB should support with a real trophy, as it would give added interest to some of the existing fixtures

 

[Carrington]

well done SA looks like Aussie or My ALL BLACKS will have the next shot at this ***le come next years tri nations

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

well done SA looks like Aussie or My ALL BLACKS will have the next shot at this ***le come next years tri nations

SA end off our 3N 2011 series with home fixtures against both the Aussies and Kiwi's so even if we lost it touring (probable) we at least get a crack at taking it back at home and have no excuses not going into the RWC with the TRF trophy in the baggage train. Long wait till then.

 

[Teh Mite]

Nobody "goes into" the RWC with it. It's stripped at the start of the tournament and awarded to the WC winners at the end.

 

[Seaton]

So this is kind of like the 'Unofficial Football World Champions' thing

Of which Scotland is the record holder I might add

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Edit:
Missed Bullits post, so there goes my dream of seeing Namibia leave the WC with it :lol:

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

But why? Isn't it nice to see, for instance, Wales beating South Africa, taking the shield, not advancing and taking the shield to the Six Nations

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Would have been nice but there we are.

 

[Teh Mite]

But why? Isn't it nice to see, for instance, Wales beating South Africa, taking the shield, not advancing and taking the shield to the Six Nations

Lets assume SA hold onto it until the WC now.

In the group stage they could then draw all of their group games and fail to progress, but because they've not been beaten they can't lose the shield. Therefore someone else wins the World Cup but doesn't hold the shield.

Unlike that other thing which goes around, the TRF shield tracks the "World Champion" after the tournament is over, as though it were a boxing-belt where it's up for grabs every match thereafter.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I know, but why reset it every 4 years? Would be awesome to have a Shield that is not starting over every 4 years? Like the Nasazzi Baton... Maybe we can create a new name for this one and start the TRF Shield in the way it was supposed to go.

 

[Teh Mite]

This IS The way the TRF shield is supposed to go.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I know, so can we make a seperate shield that isn't given to the World Champion every 4 years? Like a platter or something?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Allright. It makes sense. For all practical reasons, though;

- if a team with the shield progresses then the shield is garaunteed to go to the RWC champions by default of the knock-out system so the only place for things to go skewed is in the pool stages where

- even though not garaunteed, the chances of the holder of the shield (being a tier 1 nation or having beaten one) not going through to the kanck-out stages are about.. kinda neglegiable?

Although there is room for the holder not making the knock-out stages, I admit. But on that off chance.. gives the other nations a chance where the set-up is currently skewed in the favour of the 3N countries.

*edit: I don't think having 2 seperate cups/plates etc would work; detracts from the 'prestige'. Just giving another perspective..