The team secured domestic rugby union’s most prestigious prize after an 18-6 victory over holders Marlborough in Blenheim on August 17, 1974.
The victory was South Canterbury’s second shield tenure after previously defeating Wairarapa 17-14 in 1950 and still stands as the last time the coveted "log ’o wood" had its home in the region.
The team successfully defended the shield against North Otago 9-3 before losing it three days later in a controversial challenge by Wellington by the same score.
On September 14, team members attended the South Canterbury v North Otago game at the Temuka Domain, followed by a 50-year reunion dinner at the new Fraser Park pavilion.
The evening also featured a special cap and badge presentation ceremony to mark the occasion.
Organiser and winger Murray Roberts said the latest reunion was a very special night.
"John is fantastic, and of course coming from here he knew everybody. He was at the game in Blenheim, but by his own admission he didn’t remember a lot, particularly after the game.
"I put together a PowerPoint display that featured the team, bits of photos that we’d taken from Marlborough and then memories of the players that are no longer with us."
He said family members of some of the players who had died attended the reunion in their stead.
"Noel Dennison’s granddaughter was there. She’s 6 years old and was just perfect. She never took his cap off."
Vice-captain and halfback Ken Tarrant said when looking back on the game the thing that stood out was the belief.
"We had good coaches, we were well disciplined, and it showed up in our defence. There was no stone left unturned.
"The public was behind us. We had a parade down the main street, we had a song made up that we were going up to win the shield and all that, everybody believed that we might do it."
Prop Peter Walsh said he remembered the pace of the game and thinking that it was like being a "cork in the sea".
"You’d go for one thing and bounce it to another and the next thing something else happens. It was all so fast and then you’d get to the pace of it.
"We had a very balanced team, and some classy players. There was Kenny at halfback and you had Tom Lister, an All Black, probably one of the best flankers I’ve ever played with.
"When you have people like that you can lean back."
He said it was special to bring the shield back to South Canterbury.
"You couldn’t get into the airport in Timaru and I think that tells you what it meant to the public.
"We were just sort of shell-shocked, thinking ‘what have we done here?’ and pinching ourselves to make sure it was true."
Flanker Noel Glass unfortunately could not finish the game due to injury but still had fond memories of the experience.
"I was just a young fella coming in. I was only 19, but the thing that struck me was just how professional Jim, the coaching and the senior players were.
"The Ranfurly Shield holds special mana. It’s never subdued — everyone always talks about all the other levels but there’s something special about the Ranfurly Shield."
He said their reunions were always bittersweet.
"Unfortunately we have said goodbye to quite a few mates and that’s the sad part. We can’t all be here to join in the good memories. A lot of good men have gone."
"It’s strange because we came from all the different nine or 10 clubs that were around at that time.
"We were all arch-enemies on the paddock, and that still continued after we won the shield but afterward from that time on we’ve just been a big family.
"It’s just been amazing how that one event could bring grown men so close to one another."
He said he was proud that the victory was still remembered and celebrated.
"It is nice to be honoured that we’ve done something many years ago that still is standing.
"We’d like to thank all those that have supported us over the 50 years, and particularly the crowd that was there to see us all receive our special caps.
"I think it’s great that they’ve stuck by us and they remember it. Even those who weren’t born still seem to remember it!
"It’s great that they do that so we’re not just brushed away and it’s just another game."
The 1974 South Canterbury team was: Doug Nicol (fullback), Murray Roberts (wing), Larni Palmer (wing), Gene Thomson (centre), Alan McLaren (second five), Rod Dorgan (first five), Ken Tarrant (halfback), Dave Cochrane (No 8), Tom Lister (flanker), Noel
Glass (flanker), Noel Dennison (lock), Bill Anderson (lock), Peter Walsh (prop), Ken Milne (hooker, captain), Mick Lindsay (prop), Brian Wilton (replacement for Glass). Coach: Jim Dawson, selectors: Des Mulcahy, Stuie Sutherland.
