Awarded for | Rugby Union Lineal Title |
---|---|
History | |
First award | 13 June 1982; 43 years, 98 days ago |
First winner | France |
Most recent | England 12 October 2024; 342 days ago |
Website | raeburnandutrechtshields.com |
The Utrecht Shield is a prestigious trophy in Women's rugby union, awarded to the current lineal champion. Unlike traditional tournament trophies, the Shield can only change hands when the holder is defeated in a sanctioned international match - similar in concept to boxing world titles or New Zealand’s Ranfurly Shield. [1]
Named after the city of Utrecht, where the first-ever women’s international rugby match between the Netherlands and France took place on 13 June 1982, the Shield celebrates the roots of the Women’s international game. [2] Being a lineal title, the shield winners at that first match would have been France who would have held it until they were beaten. It would then be held by the winners of that match until they were beaten themselves, and so on. This unique title does not belong to a tournament; instead, it is held by the team that most recently it, adding an extra layer of excitement to every match they play. [3]
The shield itself was first conceived by New Zealander; David Algie [1] in 2008 and was fabricated by an Edinburgh-based woodworker [2] and ex-Watsonian Women head coach Freddie Main. [4] Since then the shield challenges have become part of match reports by major news outlets, such as the BBC. [5]
Men's rugby union has its own version; the Raeburn Shield. Both of these shields have been highlighted by RugbyPass owned by World Rugby. [2]
Match | Defender | Score | Challenger | Date | SD | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Netherlands | 0-4 [6] | ![]() | 13 June 1982 | - | - |
2 | ![]() | 0-10 [7] | Netherlands | 1 May 1986 | 3 | 1418d (3y10m18d) |
3 | Netherlands | 3-22 [8] | ![]() | 31 May 1987 | 1 | 395d (1y30d) |
4 | ![]() | 0-13 [8] | Great Britain [Note 1] | 4 March 1989 | 4 | 643d (1y9m4d) |
5 | ![]() | 6-19 [9] | United States | 14 April 1991 | 6 | 771d (2y1m10d) |
6 | United States | 6-17 [10] | ![]() | 8 June 1993 | 1 | 786d (2y1m25d) |
7 | ![]() | 15-17 [8] | ![]() | 23 February 1997 | 17 | 1356d (3y8m15d) |
8 | ![]() | 10-15 [11] | ![]() | 4 April 1997 | 1 | 40d (1m12d) |
9 | ![]() | 0-67 [8] | ![]() | 13 August 1997 | 1 | 131d (4m9d) |
10 | ![]() | 17-22 [12] | ![]() | 16 June 2001 | 13 | 1403d (3y10m3d) |
11 | ![]() | 17-22 [13] | ![]() | 1 March 2002 | 2 | 258d (8m13d) |
12 | ![]() | 0-30 [14] | ![]() | 21 May 2002 | 4 | 81d (2m20d) |
13 | ![]() | 3-10 [15] | ![]() | 21 November 2009 | 19 | 2741d (7y6m) |
14 | ![]() | 10-13 [16] | ![]() | 5 September 2010 | 9 | 288d (9m15d) |
15 | ![]() | 0-10 [17] | ![]() | 26 November 2011 | 0 | 447d (1y2m21d) |
16 | ![]() | 0-25 [18] | Ireland | 9 February 2013 | 15 | 441d (1y2m14d) |
17 | Ireland | 10-17 [19] | ![]() | 22 February 2014 | 5 | 378d (1y13d) |
18 | ![]() | 0-13 [20] | Wales | 8 February 2015 | 8 | 351d (11m17d) |
19 | Wales | 7-28 [21] | ![]() | 27 February 2015 | 1 | 19d |
20 | ![]() | 12-17 [22] | Italy | 14 March 2015 | 0 | 15d |
21 | Italy | 0-39 [23] | ![]() | 6 February 2016 | 1 | 329d (10m23d) |
22 | ![]() | 8-10 [24] | Wales | 28 February 2016 | 1 | 22d |
23 | Wales | 13-20 [25] | ![]() | 12 March 2016 | 0 | 13d |
24 | ![]() | 12-17 [26] | ![]() | 18 March 2016 | 0 | 6d |
25 | ![]() | 13-17 [27] | ![]() | 5 July 2016 | 1 | 109d (3m17d) |
26 | England ![]() | 20-25 [28] | ![]() | 19 November 2016 | 3 | 137d (4m14d) |
27 | New Zealand ![]() | 21-29 [29] | ![]() | 17 June 2017 | 4 | 210d (6m29d) |
28 | England ![]() | 32-41 [30] | ![]() | 26 August 2017 | 4 | 70d (2m9d) |
29 | New Zealand ![]() | 27-30 [31] | ![]() | 17 November 2018 | 4 | 448d (1y2m22d) |
30 | France ![]() | 26-41 [32] | ![]() | 10 February 2019 | 1 | 85d (2m24d) |
31 | England ![]() | 13-28 [33] | ![]() | 14 July 2019 | 6 | 154d (5m4d) |
32 | New Zealand ![]() | 12-43 [34] | ![]() | 31 October 2021 | 2 | 840d (2y3m17d) |
33 | England ![]() | 31-34 [35] | ![]() | 12 November 2022 | 16 | 377d (1y12d) |
34 | New Zealand ![]() | 17-18 [36] | ![]() | 21 October 2023 | 4 | 343d (11m9d) |
35 | France ![]() | 20-29 [37] | ![]() | 28 October 2023 | 0 | 7d |
36 | Australia ![]() | 14-33 [33] | ![]() | 11 May 2024 | 1 | 196d (6m13d) |
37 | Canada ![]() | 12-21 [34] | ![]() | 12 October 2024 | 3 | 154d (5m1d) |
38 | England ![]() | Ongoing | 9 (as of 22nd August 2025) | Ongoing |
Team | Total | Chal. | Cons. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | England | 90 | 13 | 17 |
2 | New Zealand | 42 | 6 | 19 |
3 | France | 15 | 8 | 4 |
4 | Ireland | 5 | 1 | 5 |
5 | Canada | 3 | 1 | 3 |
6 | Wales | 1 | 2 | 1 |
7 | Italy | 1 | 1 | 1 |
8 | Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 1 |
9 | United States | 1 | 1 | 1 |
10 | Australia | 1 | 1 | 1 |
No. | Team | Start | Def. | Score | End | Score | Chal. | Tenure |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 | New Zealand | 21 May 2002 | France | 0-30 [14] | 21 November 2009 | 3-10 [15] | England | 2741d (7y6m) |
17 | England | 8 June 1993 | United States | 6-17 [10] | 23 February 1997 | 15-17 [8] | France | 1356d (3y8m15d) |
16 | England | 31 October 2021 | New Zealand | 12-43 [34] | 12 November 2022 | 31-34 [35] | New Zealand | 377d (1y12d) |
15 | England | 26 November 2011 | New Zealand | 0-10 [17] | 9 February 2013 | 0-25 [18] | Ireland | 441d (1y2m14d) |
13 | New Zealand | 13 August 1997 | England | 0-67 [8] | 16 June 2001 | 17-22 [12] | England | 1403d (3y10m3d) |