When it comes to Rugby Unions Southland has a rich history and while we talk about about winning the 'CJ Soper' or prized 'Galbraith Shield', it pays to understand the importance of the men whose names don these precious trophies.

Robert Galbraith (Galbraith Shield) 

Robert Galbraith was the first provincial representative from Southland. He played his first game for Otago in 1882, and was joined in 1883 by Harry Braddon and Jim O'Donnell, also of Invercargill Rugby Club. In 1885 Galbraith presided over the first meeting of the Southland Referees Association.  In 1887 Robert Galbraith proposed that a Rugby Football Union be formed in Southland and it was adopted at the next meeting on March 5th 1887.  In 1888 he came out of retirement to play for Southland. From 1891-1908 Robert served as Secretery to the union and after his 16 years of service he was gifted $50, which would then be gifted back the union in 1908 as the 'Galbraith Shield'. Star were the first team to have their name engraved by Robert and the rest is history. 

In 1907 Galbraith and the Southland Rugby Union commitee took up the option to purchase the Lindisfarne ground , now known as Rugby Park. It was subdivided into 20 sections, and sold by public auction on 19 October 1907, at a total cost of $3700, with Robert purchasing the most expensive section at $210. 

Without Robert's devotion to the founding of our union we would not have the game we have today. 

Clarence John (C.J.) Soper (C.J. Soper Trophy)

Clarence was born in Athol, Southland on 12 March 1907. The Soper name is a name that is famous in the Southland game. 'Clarrie' as he was known, worked on the farm when he left school at East Lynne. He played for the famous Northern Southland 'Soper Team' and for Country Pirates Rugby Club in Athol. From 1936-1940 Soper played 30 games for Southland. Soper was President and Life Member of Southland Rugby Union as well as being involved in refereeing. Clarence and Ack Soper remain part of the rare father and son combination that have both won the Ranfurly Shield, Clarence in 1939 and Ack in 1959. 

Alastair "Ack" Soper (Ack Soper Shield) 

From the New Zealand under 21 team which in 1955 toured Ceylon (or Sri Lanka as it is now known), two players emerged to eventually become absolute rugby legends, Colin Meads and Wilson Whineray. But at the time they may not have been top of everyone's list as the youngster from that side who was most likely to succeed in future seasons.The vote probably would have gone to the team's captain, a talented teenager from the rural regions of Southland, Alistair Soper.

For his first few years in New Zealand first class rugby Soper, who was always known by the nickname "Ack," was seen as a prodigy destined for greatness.He had a lengthy spell in the Waitaki Boys High School first XV and had no sooner returned to the family farm than he was in the Southland representative side in 1954. He was still a few weeks short of his 18th birthday when he made his debut and went on to play 103 games for Southland. At 1.83m tall and weighing nearly 90kg Soper was a No 8 in the classical mould, a fierce tackler and a natural on cover defence or as it was then known, corner flagging. As a province Southland has had a proud loose forward tradition. Just before Soper, Eddie Robinson and Bill McCaw had been Southland mainstays in the backs and in latter years there were the likes of Ken Stewart, Leicester Rutledge and Paul Henderson.

In that illustrious company Soper was very much in the forefront. Soper's impact was immediately noted and in the 1955 Rugby Almanack the youngster was acclaimed as one of the five promising players of the 1954 season. In 1956, still in his teens, Soper was in that year's South Island match and played in the trials to help pick the All Black sides to meet the touring Springboks. Soper missed playing for Southland against the tourists because of an injury. But the expectations he would become one of the game's greats saw him chosen in 1957 for the All Blacks' tour of Australia. He did not make either of the two tests against the Wallabies but played in eight of the matches and scored a try against New England. Surprisingly for he was still short of his 21st birthday while on that tour that proved to be his one and only involvement in the All Blacks.

However, for a number of seasons he remained in national calculations. He was in the New Zealand under 23 team which under the captaincy of Whinerary toured Japan in early 1958 and in 1959 he made the last of his three appearances for the South Island.He was a trialist, too, for the 1960 All Black team to tour South Africa and when he was passed over for selection went off on a private overseas trip, missing the entire 1960 season in New Zealand playing instead for the Blackheath club in England.But he resumed playing for Southland in 1961 and gave his province admirable service up until the 1966 season, climaxing his career by being in the team which in the tour's opening match beat the British Lions.

Soper finished with 103 matches for Southland, becoming the first to reach a century for the union. He played in several other notable matches in Southland's history, including the 1959 Ranfurly Shield win over Taranaki. After retirement Soper continued to work hard for the game as an administrator and coach at club and subunion levels. In 1985 he was president of the Southland union and was made a life member of the Union. His father Clarence represented Southland 1936-40 and was also made a life member of the Union. 

Gerald Dermody (Gerald Dermody Shield) 

The Dermody name is woven into the Southland Rugby DNA, and there is no doubt that Gerald Dermody was one of the greatest. The Dermody family were born tough and played tougher. From Tokanui, Dermody was a member of the Southland team for 13 years from 1965-1977.  He was Southland's most capped player for 30 years, until the record was taken over be Jason Rutledge. 

If Northland had its Goings, Waikato had its Clarkes, then Southland is known as the Dermodys. 

Article added: Tuesday 11 August 2020