The Brumbies and the Hurricanes have today announced the launch of the Captain Shout Cup ahead of this weekend’s fixture between the two clubs.
The cup will become a new, annual trophy that will be contested during the Smartech Super Rugby Pacific regular season, beginning on Saturday at GIO Stadium during Anzac Weekend Round.
Named in honour of Captain Alfred Shout VC, MC, a hero of Gallipoli with ties to both Australia and New Zealand, the cup symbolises the enduring legacy of Anzac, sacrifice, and shared history.
The captains of both the ACT Brumbies and the Hurricanes, Allan Alaalatoa and Brad Shields respectively, paid tribute to Captain Alfred Shout and praised the competition’s organisers for raising the profile of the fixture and providing a Trans-Tasman rivalry.
“I think it adds a bit more meaning to this game. It's always a big game for us when we play the Hurricanes and it's great now that it's an annual Anzac Weekend Round fixture for us,” Alaalatoa said.
“We know the Hurricanes are a massively physical team. So, to add a bit more meaning to that, it's special. To understand the man that we're playing for in Captain Alfred Shout and the man that we represent, the sacrifices that he made, and the leadership that he showed. Both countries are extremely grateful for his sacrifice.”
Shields commented: “There aren’t really many traditions between Super Rugby teams where you play for something during the season, so I think this is going to be special.
“Captain Shout was obviously an incredible human being. For us to be able to represent him through what we do in our profession, while we try and pay him a little bit of respect for what he's done for the armies of Australia and New Zealand, it's the least we can do. We want to go out and put a performance in on Saturday and hopefully we get to take the trophy back to Wellington where he was born. That would be amazing.”
The annual ACT Brumbies v Hurricanes clash is always a highly anticipated fixture on the Super Rugby Pacific calendar and with Canberra and Wellington (being the home ground of the Hurricanes) having been Sister Cities for almost a decade, it was determined between the clubs to bring some greater meaning to this fixture with the implementation of a ‘cup’.
With Wellington being the birthplace of Captain Alfred Shout who served both the New Zealand and Australian military with distinction, it was decided that it would be fitting to honour Captain Shout through the naming of the cup.
With the support of Super Rugby Pacific, this match will become an annual Anzac Weekend Round fixture. In honour of the bravery and sacrifice of the ANZACs whose legacy of courage we commemorate and remember Captain Shout’s service. Shout’s bravery on ANZAC Cove was recognised with a Mention in Dispatches, a Military Cross and a posthumous Victoria Cross.
The announcement of the new cup was made during a joint media session in Canberra this morning.
The media event was attended by representatives from both clubs, the ACT Government Commissioner for International Engagement, the New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia and the New Zealand Defence Force Military Adviser.
As part of their visit to Canberra later in the week, the Hurricanes alongside the Brumbies and the Raiders will attend the Anzac Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial on Anzac Day on Friday, joining a national moment of remembrance.
Alfred (Alf, Whisper) Shout - Profile
'As brave as ever wore the uniform of the King…'
Captain Alfred John Shout was awarded Military Cross (MC) for his actions during the Battle of the Landing in 1915 and the Victoria Cross (VC) for bravery at the Battle of Lone Pine in 1915.
- Full name: Alfred John Shout, VC, MC
- Born: 7 August 1881
- Place of Birth: Wellington New Zealand
- Died: 11 August 1915 (34) at sea
- Occupation: Carpenter, Joiner
- Fate: Died of wounds
- Highest rank: Captain
- Enlistment: 19 September 1914
- Decorations/ commendations: Victoria Cross (VC), Military Cross (MC), 1914–1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Queen's South Africa Medal, King's South Africa Medal
- Service: Australian Imperial Force
- Conflict: World War I 1914-1918
- Military event: Battle of Lone Pine 1915, Gallipoli Campaign 1915
- Unit: 1st Infantry Battalion, AIF
Brendan Smyth, ACT Government Commissioner for International Engagement, said: “The ACT Government and the Wellington City Council are very, very pleased to present this cup. It's another bond between the two cities and between the two countries, at a time when we need bonds and at a time when we need to remember these links.
"Anzac stands for everything that is so important about the Australia-New Zealand relationship. And we'll see on Saturday when the Brumbies play the Hurricanes how tight that relationship gets. It gets a bit rocky at times when you're on the football pitch, but we come together every Anzac Day and so on behalf of the ACT Government, we're very pleased to be able to present this cup today.”
His Excellency, Mr Andrew Needs, New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia, said: “The term Anzac is probably the most recognised acronym across the Tasman, Australia-New Zealand Army Corps. It reflects so many things, it reflects history, but it also reflects the opportunity for us to think about our place in the world today.
“Alfred Shout, born in Wellington but who served in the Australian Imperial Force, in so many ways captures the familial, the cultural and the historical ties that continue to bind Australia and New Zealand over 100 years. After he was mortally wounded and died after the Battle of Lone Pine. We've just been on a tour and I didn't realise that Lone Pine was about the size of a football field. So many men, and they were men at that stage, died there. I think it's both wonderful and poignant that as we look forward to the match on Saturday, playing for the Captain Shout Cup, that we take a moment to reflect on our place in the world and our responsibility to each other.”
