Canterbury retain Ranfurly Shield with 33-28 win over Bay of Plenty

Canterbury successfully defended the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since reclaiming it from Otago, securing a 33-28 victory against Bay of Plenty in Christchurch.

Canterbury established a commanding 21-7 lead by halftime, driven by two tries from Dallas McLeod and one from Jone Rova. Although Ngane Punivai extended the lead early in the second half, Bay of Plenty mounted a significant comeback. The Steamers scored three unanswered tries through Benet Kumeroa, Lucas Cashmore, and Reon Paul to level the score at 28-all with 14 minutes remaining.

Toby Bell scored the decisive try in the 70th minute following a break by Chay Fihaki and an inside pass from Daniel Lienert-Brown. Despite a late surge from Bay of Plenty and a disallowed Canterbury try, the visitors were unable to score again after a knock-on in added time sealed the win for the home side.