Canterbury retakes Ranfurly Shield from Otago

Canterbury has retaken the Ranfurly Shield after defeating Otago 19-15 in Dunedin. Captain Brodie McAlister scored two tries, while Jamie Hannah added another to secure the victory for the reigning NPC champions.

Despite facing disciplinary challenges, including a yellow card for Manumaua Letiu and a brief period playing with 13 men, Canterbury maintained their lead. Otago attempted a comeback with tries from Lucas Casey and Ben Lopas, but fell short in the final minutes. Canterbury will defend the shield next week against Bay of Plenty in Christchurch.

In other National Provincial Championship (NPC) action, North Harbour secured a dominant 59-19 victory over Counties Manukau. Meanwhile, Waikato maintained a perfect season record with a 38-32 win against Taranaki, narrowly avoiding a late surge from their opponents.