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A Brief History of the Ross Shield
Past - Present - Future
The Ross Shield Tournament is now well established as the pinnacle of primary schools’ rugby in the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union’s district and has been competed for by the various districts of Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Central Hawke’s Bay, Taupo and Dannevirke since 1902. This makes it older than even the Ranfurly Shield.
Each year players under the age of 14 travel to play a weeklong festival of rugby; it is competitive and challenging but it creates levels of discipline and skill which become life-long lessons. From this nursery have come many footballers who have gone onto higher honours in the various aspects of the game, as well as in life.
The hosting township embraces the tournament and celebrates these youngsters who represent their families, their schools, their districts with passion and commitment.
Mr J R Ross, a Napier businessman and keen sports’ enthusiast, donated the shield for competition among primary schools in the HBRU area. The record of the individual school holders is engraved on the shield itself and since 1923 the name of the winning district was engraved.
The centenary was held in Napier in 2002 and was attended by 700 past players and coaches and dimmed memories were rejuvenated, not always with accuracy.
The Ranfurly Shield did not command respect in its early days, and it has survived much controversy, dispute, and criticism, to be the most sought-after trophy in New Zealand rugby.
The Ross Shield has been through all of that and survived, in fact growing from strength to strength. It is a tournament for players who are striving to help their team win, and for five teams to accept defeat, this can’t be a bad thing.
Those of us who have shared in the Ross Shield experience say so with pride and so too will future generations of players, managers, and enthusiasts.
Mr James. R. Ross
The man behind the trophy, that is still contested 123 years later.
Jim Ross was one of eleven children of William Fraser and Mary Susan Ross. His father was a South Australian by birth who, attracted by the discovery of gold on the West Coast, came to New Zealand with his family about 1866.
Jim Ross, a West Coaster by birth, was 23 at the time of his father’s death. His early business training was received in Wellington working with his father in a shop selling high grade confectionary and crystallised fruits. Then, as a young man, he moved to Napier where he established a business as a tobacconist. A younger brother was with him for some time and ran a hairdressing salon, but Jim Ross is best remembered for his sports shop in Hastings Street, Napier, and his experience and knowledge as a trout fishing authority.
The name of the William Fraser Ross branch of the Ross Clan has now died out. Of the five brothers only one had children and he had seven daughters. The other brothers did not marry or died without children. It is unfortunate that Jim’s marriage to Alice Fenton was without issue as he would have made an ideal father.
One of his nieces remembers him as a kind considerate and very quietly spoken man with a delightful sense of humour. He was also very much interested in young people and their activities and his presentation of the Ross Shield emphasises this. His wife’s nephew, Mr Bob Fenton of Hastings, had the pleasure of a very close association with his uncle during the formative years of his life and fully appreciated the many virtues of Jim Ross.
It is of interest to realise that the Ross Shield is now the only means by which the family name of this branch of the Ross Clan is carried forward for posterity.