Crowd at South Canterbury Ranfurly Shield game, 1974

South Canterbury supporters watch a conversion sail between the posts during their team's successful Ranfurly Shield defence against North Otago at Timaru, 31 August 1974. The home side won a tight match 9-3.

This was South Canterbury's second shield tenure. In 1950 they defeated Wairarapa 17–14 in Masterton. It was Wairarapa’s first defence, and the same fate awaited South Canterbury when in their first defence they lost to North Auckland 20–9. In 1974 South Canterbury ended Marlborough’s fairy-tale reign as shield holders before defending the shield against neighbours North Otago with a gritty 9-3 victory. Four days later they faced a powerful Wellington side and lost by the same scoreline.