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NZ Herald

Rugby's Peace Cup returns: Rotorua v Maniapoto in regional showdown

There has been almost unbroken competition for the rugby prize, except for 2006, with the Thames Valley, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and King Country sub-union representative sides engaging in Peace Cup battles. The 105 year-old Peace Cup is on the line in Rotorua this Saturday. Photo / Ben Fraser While the Central North Island rugby landscape has changed dramatically over the last century, the legend of the Peace Cup will be kept alive by a one-off game between the Central Bay of Plenty and Maniapoto rugby sub-unions this Saturday. The match between the Rotorua hosts and the King Country visitors takes place at Marist St Michael's Rugby & Sports Club. The combined names of the Central Bay of Plenty sub-union, which was constituted from the Rotorua sub-union, have been engraved on the trophy at season's end on 12 occasions. Rotorua had an unshakeable grip on the Peace Cup after their first victory in 1951. The side held on to the trophy until Matamata took it in a direct challenge in 1955. Central Bay of Plenty last lifted the Peace Cup in 2019 when they won the then Challenge trophy in a Stan Meads Cup contest. Te Awamutu had held the Peace Cup for six seasons before Central Bay of Plenty came out on top with a 38-31 victory. The Peace Cup visits a Rotorua school in 2004. Photo / NZME Both sides scored five tries apiece with the difference being the Central Bay sharpshooter, who nailed all five conversions and added a penalty goal. The first half had been a genuine arm wrestle with the home side holding a 10-7 advantage at the break in play. Maniapoto have an even longer Peace Cup history than their rivals this weekend, having taken the cup into the summer break at the end of the 1943 rugby season. The Te Kūiti-based sub-union were a dominant force in the Peace Cup stakes a half century later, after winning and holding the rugby prize between 1991 and 1995. Last year's holders, Hamilton, have not fielded a team for this year's Peace Cup so Central Bay of Plenty will play Maniapoto for the trophy at Marist St Michaels Rugby & Sports Club at 2pm this Saturday. 'Ugliest' trophy in New Zealand The Peace Cup trophy can lay claim to being the ugliest trophy in New Zealand sport. On a permanent tilt, it looks like it has been taken to by a small hammer – and in some ways it has. It's been dragged behind buses, battered, beaten, taped up and thrown out of hotel rooms, while it went missing for 12 years before it was found by a farmer. Famously, the cup was stolen in 2004. An excerpt from the New Zealand Rugby Museum website reads: 'It was taken to a preliminary game between Hamilton and Te Awamutu to showcase, and subsequently disappeared without trace at the after-match function. 'A small storm of publicity followed and on the morning of the Peace Cup final, Kit Fawcett answered a knock on his front door. 'While no one was to be seen, a black rubbish bag sat on his doorstep. Inside was the Peace Cup, which was taken to the final.' PEACE CUP WINNERS 1920 - 2018: 1920 – Thames 1921 – Thames 1922 – Thames 1923 – Hamilton 1924 - Hamilton 1925 - Thames 1926 - Thames 1927 -Hamilton 1928 – Morrinsville 1929 – Hamilton 1930 – Hamilton 1931 – Matamata 1932 – Morrinsville 1933 – Morrinsville 1934 – Matamata 1935 – Morrinsville 1936 – Thames 1937 – Thames 1938 – Morrinsville 1939 – Matamata 1940 – Waahi 1941 – Pukekohe 1942 – Pukekohe 1943 – Maniapoto 1944 – Hamilton 1945 – Morrinsville 1946 – Morrinsville 1947 – Morrinsville 1948 - Hauraki 1949 – Thames 1950 – Hauraki 1951 – Rotorua 1952 – Rotorua 1953 – Rotorua 1954 v Rotorua 1955 – Matamata 1956 – Thames 1957 – Rotorua 1958 – Paeroa 1959 – Morrinsville 1960 – Morrinsville 1961 – Matamata 1962 – Paeroa 1963 – South Waikato 1964 – South Waikato 1965 – South Waikato 1966 – Thames 1967 – Te Awamutu 1968 – South Waikato 1969 – South Waikato 1970 – Cambridge 1971 – Rotorua 1972 – Rotorua 1973 – Rotorua 1974 – Morrinsville 1975 – Te Awamutu 1976 – Te Awamutu 1977 – South Waikato 1978 – Hamilton 1979 – South Waikato 1980 – Tauranga 1981 – Te Puke 1982 – Tauranga 1983 – Tauranga 1984 – South Waikato 1985 – South Waikato 1986 – Tauranga 1987 – Te Awamutu 1988 – Te Awamutu 1989 – Te Awamutu 1990 – Te Awamutu 1991 – Maniapoto 1992 – Maniapoto 1993 – Ōtorohanga 1994 – Maniapoto 1995 – Maniapoto 1996 – Matamata 1997 – Matamata 1998 – Te Awamutu 1999 – Western Bay of Plenty 2000 – Western Bay of Plenty 2001 – Central Bay of Plenty 2002 – Hamilton 2003 – Hamilton 2004 – Central Bay of Plenty 2005 – Te Awamutu 2006 – Te Awamutu 2007 – Hamilton 2008 – Hamilton 2009-2018 – Te Awamutu 2019 – Central Bay of Plenty 2020-2024 – Hamilton – SUPPLIED CONTENT