The RSRU Shield has been invented way back in 1996 by John Williams, even though it was Craig Harris who worked it out later on. The idea is, in a way, simular to the Ranfurly Shield in New Zealand. Every time (contrarily to NZ, it doesn't matter whether this is a home or an away match) the holder plays an international the Shield is at stake. The winner is awarded the virtual Shield. The Shield is not at stake against non-International teams, such as provinces, or invitational teams, such as the British Lions or the Barbarians. In case of a draw, the original holder retains the Shield. The Shield was first awarded to the winners of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, South Africa.

Alex Goff has tried to track the Shield even further down than 1995. His account, that includes a number of statistics, can be found on http://www.esportsmediagroup.com/e-sports/articles/1,1090,46--2759--1-2,00.html. For the RSRU Shield in ASCII-art (credits to Bill Taylor, who else), see http://www.dmsystems.co.nz/rsru.

The Shield history is as follows (handovers are printed bold):

2009 28/11/2009 (Vélodrome, Marseille) 21/11/2009 (Twickenham) 14/11/2009 (San Siro, Milan) 07/11/2009 (Milennium Stadium, Cardiff) 30/10/2009 (Olympic Stadium, Tokyo) 19/09/2009 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 05/09/2009 (Ballymore, Brisbane) 29/08/2009 (Subiaco Oval, Perth) 08/08/2009 (Newlands, Cape Town) 01/08/2009 (Kings Park, Durban) 25/07/2009 (Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein) 18/07/2009 (Eden Park, Auckland) 27/06/2009 (Jade Stadium Christchurch) 20/06/2009 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 13/06/2009 (Carisbrook, Dunedin) 2008 29/11/2008 (Twickenham) 22/11/2008 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 15/11/2008 (Croke Park, Dublin) 09/11/2008 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 13/09/2008 (Lang Park, Brisbane) 03/09/2008 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 16/08/2008 (Newlands's, Cape Town) 02/08/2008 (Eden Park, Auckland) 26/07/2008 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 19/07/2008 (Subiaco, Perth) 12/07/2008 (Carisbrook, Dunedin) 05/07/2008 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 21/06/2008 (Newlands, Cape Town) 14/06/2008 (Loftus Fairfeld, Pretoria) 07/06/2008 (Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein) 2007 24/11/2007 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 20/10/2007 (Stade de France, Paris) 13/10/2007 (Stade de France, Paris) 06/10/2007 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 29/09/2007 (Le Stadium, Toulouse) 23/09/2007 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 15/09/2007 (Stade Gerland, Lyon) 08/09/2007 (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille) 21/07/2007 (Eden Park, Auckland) 07/07/2007 (Stadium Autralia, Sydney) 30/06/2007 (Melbourne Cricket Ground) 23/06/2007 (Kings Park, Durban) 16/06/2007 (Newlands, Cape Town) 09/06/2007 (Subiaco, Perth) 02/06/2007 (Ballymore, Brisbane) 26/05/2007 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 17/03/2007 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 11/03/2007 (Twickenham, London) 24/02/2007 (Stade de France, Paris) 11/02/2007 (Croke Park, Dublin) 04/02/2007 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 2006 19/11/2006 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 11/11/2006 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 09/09/2006 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg) 02/09/2006 (Royal Bafokeng, Rustenburg) 26/08/2006 (Loftus Fairfeld, Pretoria) 19/08/2006 (Eden Park, Auckland) 29/07/2006 (Lang Park, Brisbane) 22/07/2006 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 08/07/2006 (Jade Stadium, Christchurch) 25/06/2006 (Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires) 17/06/2006 (Eden Park, Auckland) 10/06/2006 (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton) 2005 26/11/2005 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 20/11/2005 (Twickenham, London) 13/11/2005 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 06/11/2005 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 02/09/2005 (Eden Park, Auckland) 27/08/2005 (Carisbrook, Dunedin) 20/08/2005 (Subiaco, Perth) 06/08/2005 (Nuweland, Cape Town) 30/07/2005 (Loftus Fairfeld, Pretoria) 23/07/2005 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg) 09/07/2005 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 25/06/2005 (EP Rugby Stadium, Port Elizabeth) 18/06/2005 (Kings Park, Durban) 19/03/2005 (Stadio Flaminio, Rome) 12/03/2005 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 27/02/2005 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 12/02/2005 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 06/02/2005 (Stadio Flaminio, Rome) 2004 27/11/2004 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 20/11/2004 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 13/11/2004 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 06/11/2004 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 21/08/2004 (Kings Park, Durban) 07/08/2004 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 25/07/2004 (Lancaster Park, Christchurch) 26/06/2004 (Loftus Fairfeld, Pretoria) 19/06/2004 (Nuweland, Cape Town) 12/06/2004 (Vodacom Park, Bloemfontein) 27/03/2004 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 20/03/2004 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 06/03/2004 (Twickenham, London) 21/02/2004 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 15/02/2004 (Stadio Flaminio, Rome) 2003 22/11/2003 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 16/11/2003 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 09/11/2003 (Suncorp, Brisbane) 02/11/2003 (Suncorp, Brisbane) 26/10/2003 (Docklands, Melbourne) 18/10/2003 (Subiaco, Perth) 12/10/2003 (Subiaco, Perth) 06/08/2003 (Twickenham, London) 30/08/2003 (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille) 23/08/2003 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 21/06/2003 (Telstra Dome, Melbourne) 14/06/2003 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 30/03/2003 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 22/03/2003 (Twickenham, London) 09/03/2003 (Twickenham, London) 22/02/2003 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 15/02/2003 (Twickenham, London) 2002 23/11/2002 (Stade de France, Paris) 16/11/2002 (Stade de France, Paris) 09/11/2002 (Stade Vélodrome, Marseille) 17/08/2002 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg) 03/08/2002 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 20/07/2002 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 13/07/2002 (Lancaster Park, Christchurch) 29/06/2002 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 22/06/2002 (Eden Park, Auckland) 15/06/2002 (Carisbrook, Dunedin) 08/06/2002 (Waikato Stadium, Hamilton) 2001 01/12/2001 (River Plate, Buenos Aires) 24/11/2001 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 17/11/2001 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 11/11/2001 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 20/10/2001 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 16/06/2001 (San Francisco) 09/06/2001 (Burnaby, Vancouver) 02/06/2001 (Fletcher's, Toronto) 07/04/2001 (Twickenham, London) 03/03/2001 (Twickenham, London) 17/02/2001 (Twickenham, London) 03/02/2001 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 2000 02/12/2000 (Twickenham, London) 25/11/2000 (Twickenham, London) 18/11/2000 (Twickenham, London) 11/11/2000 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 04/11/2000 (Stade de France, Paris) 26/08/2000 (Kings Park, Durban) 05/08/2000 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 22/07/2000 (Lancaster Park, Christchurch) 15/07/2000 (Stadium Australia, Sydney) 08/07/2000 (Docklands, Melbourne) 24/06/2000 (Bruce Stadium, Canberra) 17/06/2000 (Ballymore, Brisbane) 1999 07/11/1999 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 31/10/1999 (Twickenham) 24/10/1999 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 20/10/1999 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 14/10/1999 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 09/10/1999 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 01/10/1999 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 28/08/1999 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 21/08/1999 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 26/06/1999 (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff) 12/06/1999 (Buenos Aires) 05/06/1999 (Buenos Aires) 11/04/1999 (Wembley, London) 30/03/1999 (Twickenham) 06/03/1999 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 20/02/1999 (Twickenham) 1998 05/12/1998 (Twickenham) 28/11/1998 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 21/11/1998 (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) 14/11/1998 (Wembley, London) 22/08/1998 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg) 15/08/1998 (King's Park, Durban) 25/07/1998 (Athletic Park, Wellington) 18/07/1998 (Subiaco, Perth) 11/07/1998 (Melbourne Cricket Ground) 27/06/1998 (Eden Park, Auckland) 20/06/1998 (Carisbrook, Dunedin) 1997 06/12/1997 (Twickenham) 29/11/1997 (Wembley, London) 22/11/1997 (Old Trafford, Manchester) 15/11/1997 (Lansdowne Road, Dublin) 16/08/1997 (Carisbrook, Dunedin) 09/08/1997 (Eden Park, Auckland) 26/07/1997 (Melbourne Cricket Ground) 19/07/1997 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg) 10/06/1997 (Nuweland, Cape Town) 1996 15/12/1996 (Cardiff Arms Park) 07/12/1996 (Parc des Princes, Paris) 30/11/1996 (Parc Lescure, Bordeaux) 16/11/1996 (Buenos Aires) 09/11/1996 (Buenos Aires) 31/08/1996 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg) 24/08/1996 (Loftus Fairfeld, Pretoria) 17/08/1996 (King's Park, Durban) 10/08/1996 (Nuweland, Cape Town) 27/07/1996 (Ballymore, Brisbane) 13/07/1996 (Sydney Football Stadium) 02/07/1996 (Loftus Fairfeld, Pretoria) 1995 18/11/1995 (Twickenham) 12/11/1995 (Stadio Olympico, Rome) 02/09/1995 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg) 24/06/1995 (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)

New Zealand beat France New Zealand beat England New Zealand beat Italy New Zealand beat Wales New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat Australia Australia beat South Africa South Africa beat Australia South Africa beat Australia South Africa beat New Zealand South Africa beat New Zealand New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat Italy New Zealand beat France France beat New Zealand New Zealand beat England New Zealand beat Wales New Zealand beat Ireland New Zealand beat Scotland New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat Samoa New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat Australia Australia beat New Zealand Australia beat South Africa South Africa beat New Zealand New Zealand beat South Africa South Africa beat Italy South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat England England beat France France beat New Zealand New Zealand beat Romania New Zealand beat Scotland New Zealand beat Portugal New Zealand beat Italy New Zealand beat Australia Australia beat South Africa Australia beat New Zealand New Zealand beat South Africa South Africa beat Australia Australia beat Fiji Australia beat Wales Australia beat Wales Wales beat England England beat France France beat Wales France beat Ireland Ireland beat Wales Ireland beat Australia Ireland beat South Africa South Africa beat Australia South Africa beat New Zealand New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat Argentina New Zealand beat Ireland New Zealand beat Ireland New Zealand beat Scotland New Zealand beat England New Zealand beat Ireland New Zealand beat Wales New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat South Africa South Africa beat Australia South Africa beat New Zealand South Africa beat Australia South Africa beat Australia Australia beat South Africa South Africa beat France France drew with South Africa France beat Italy France beat Ireland Ireland beat England Ireland beat Scotland Ireland beat Italy Ireland beat Argentina Ireland beat USA Ireland beat South Africa South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat Australia Australia beat New Zealand New Zealand beat South Africa South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat Ireland South Africa beat Ireland Ireland beat Scotland Ireland beat Italy Ireland beat England England beat Scotland England beat Italy England beat Australia England beat France England beat Wales England beat Uruguay England beat Samoa England beat South Africa England beat Georgia England beat France France beat England England beat Wales England beat Australia England beat New Zealand England beat Ireland England beat Scotland England beat Italy England beat Wales England beat France France beat Canada France drew with New Zealand France beat South Africa South Africa beat Australia Australia beat New Zealand New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat Fiji New Zealand beat Ireland New Zealand beat Ireland New Zealand beat Italy New Zealand beat Argentina New Zealand beat Scotland New Zealand beat Ireland Ireland beat Samoa Ireland beat England England beat USA England beat Canada England beat Canada England beat France England beat Scotland England beat Italy England beat Wales England beat South Africa England beat Argentina England beat Australia Australia beat Scotland Australia beat France Australia beat South Africa Australia beat New Zealand New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat Australia Australia beat South Africa Australia beat Argentina Australia beat Argentina Australia beat France France beat New Zealand New Zealand beat Scotland Scotland beat Samoa Samoa beat Wales Wales beat Japan Wales beat Argentina Wales beat France Wales beat Canada Wales beat South Africa Wales beat Argentina Wales beat Argentina Wales beat England England beat France England beat Ireland England beat Scotland England beat South Africa South Africa beat Ireland South Africa beat Scotland South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat Australia South Africa beat New Zealand South Africa beat New Zealand South Africa beat Australia Australia beat New Zealand New Zealand beat England New Zealand beat England New Zealand drew with England New Zealand beat Wales New Zealand beat England New Zealand beat Ireland New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat Australia New Zealand beat South Africa South Africa beat Tonga South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat France South Africa beat France South Africa beat Argentina South Africa beat Argentina South Africa beat New Zealand New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat South Africa New Zealand beat Australia Australia beat South Africa South Africa beat Fiji South Africa beat England South Africa beat Italy South Africa beat Wales South Africa beat New Zealand

39-12 19-6 20-6 19-12 32-19 33-6 21-6 32-25 29-17 31-19 28-19 22-16 27-6 14-10 27-22 32-6 29-9 22-3 32-6 28-24 101-14 19-0 39-10 34-19 16-9 30-20 19-8 26-0 37-21 43-17 34-12 15-6 14-9 20-18 85-8 40-0 108-13 76-14 26-12 25-17 20-15 26-21 22-19 49-0 31-0 29-23 27-18 26-18 32-21 20-17 19-9 21-6 32-15 24-16 21-20 45-26 34-27 13-9 35-17 32-12 25-19 27-17 34-23 29-10 23-19 45-7 41-3 34-24 31-27 22-19 22-16 22-16 33-20 30-12 27-13 30-30 56-13 26-19 19-13 40-13 28-17 21-19 55-6 17-12 38-36 23-19 23-18 23-21 53-18 26-17 31-17 37-16 19-3 19-13 35-13 50-9 20-17 (AET) 24-7 28-17 113-13 35-22 25-6 84-6 45-14 17-16 43-9 25-14 15-13 42-6 40-9 40-5 26-9 25-17 35-3 20-20 30-10 33-31 16-14 41-20 12-6 68-18 40-8 15-6 64-10 24-20 37-6 40-29 35-8 20-14 48-19 59-20 22-10 48-19 43-3 80-23 44-15 25-17 19-0 22-19 30-9 18-13 19-18 24-23 25-12 39-35 44-23 32-25 53-6 35-12 43-31 30-18 35-20 38-31 64-15 23-18 34-23 33-19 39-19 23-16 36-26 32-31 21-10 27-15 24-21 13-7 27-13 35-10 28-20 29-15 24-23 13-3 14-13 24-16 40-10 64-22 26-26 42-7 25-8 63-15 36-24 55-35 33-18 35-32 74-10 37-20 13-12 22-12 44-21 46-15 32-22 33-26 23-19 29-18 32-25 21-16 43-18 24-14 40-21 40-11 15-12 (AET)

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