The victorious Magpies have been welcomed back to Hawke's Bay with the Ranfurly Shield safely in hand by a crowd of passionate rugby fans at the airport.
Hawke's Bay became the third team in three weeks to hoist the Log o Wood after taking down Otago with a convincing 28-9 win in Dunedin yesterday.
Less than 24 hours later, the shield was back in Magpies' country with the team arriving back in the region this morning.
Fans told 1 NEWS before the shield's arrival seeing it come back to the Hawke's Bay was always special.
"It means everything," one supporter said.
"Growing up as a kid, I always wanted to play for the Magpies but I was never good enough. But I never ever thought we would see the shield - now this is the third time in 10 years."
Another keen fan brought his sons out to welcome the Log o Wood back to the region.
"It's important to bring these boys up here and show them the history of the shield and what it means to everyone."
Hawke's Bay are the fourth holders of the Ranfurly Shield in 2020 after Taranaki took it off Canterbury's hands last month, only to lose it a week later to Otago.
They last held the shield in 2014-2015 when they defended it 11 times before a 30-36 loss in their final home game of the 2015 season saw them hand it over to Waikato.
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