The All Blacks have secured a unique sporting title with their victory over Ireland.
They are now the Raeburn Shield holders and the title will again be on the line when the All Blacks meet the Springboks in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.
What is the Raeburn Shield?
The Raeburn Shield is the unofficial lineal world title that was created by fans to signify the winner stays on winner in international rugby. The Rugby World Cup acts as a reset on the title every four years, with the winner of the World Cup being guaranteed to hold the Raeburn title.
The Raeburn Shield almost acts as a boxing style title, where the holders put the title on the line in every match they play.
The Shield is named after Raeburn Place, the location of the first ever rugby international in 1871. The match between Scotland and England in Edinburgh saw the home sside win to become the first ever holders.
On their website it is put as follows: “This isn’t just a thought experiment—it’s already happening. The Raeburn and Utrecht Shields bring this concept to life, tracking the lineal champions of men’s and women’s Test rugby. They prove that rugby’s deepest
