It's official - the 2025-26 Plunket Shield will be the 100th season of the men's domestic first-class competition.
The Shield was introduced in 1906 and originally competed for on a challenge basis.
The inaugural season of first-class competition was 1921-22 when the historic Shield was first contested over a round-robin format by all New Zealand's first-class teams.
The centenary season, for which the fixtures were released today, was officially confirmed by NZC statistician and Almanack editor Francis Payne, who noted the complex nature of defining domestic cricket seasons in Aotearoa.
“It’s certainly an interesting topic,” he said.
“The first game regarded as first-class in New Zealand was in 1863-64 and that was a retrospective ruling, as there had been inter-provincial matches before then that weren’t considered to the same standard.
“The Plunket Shield was first awarded in 1906, by the Governor of New Zealand, Lord Plunket, and was given to Canterbury as the association with the best record that season.
“The 1921-22 summer was the start of the men's domestic first-class competition as we know it, with the Plunket Shield competed for on a seasonal basis featuring four of today's six Major Associations, with Central Districts (1950-51) and Northern Districts (1956-57) later additions.
“Fast forward to 2025 and, accounting for the five suspended seasons during World War 2 (1939-1945), the upcoming summer is the 100th season of the men’s first-class competition, known as the Plunket Shield.
“It's a significant milestone for the game in this country and one worth celebrating.”
Mr Payne noted the competition had undergone a number of name changes during its evolution, at one stage named the Shell Trophy and later the State Championship. The short-lived Shell Conference in the late nineties was a separate first-class competition that ran parallel to the Shell Trophy.
Wellington Firebirds pace-bowler Michael Snedden has perhaps the strongest connection to the Plunket Shield as a fourth generation first-class player, following in the footsteps of his father Martin, grandfather Warwick and his great grandfather Nessie Snedden who played in the inaugural 1921-22 season.
NZC CEO Scott Weenink said the Plunket Shield history was an immense source of pride for the organisation.
“All the players who've been involved in that competition, the stars, the journeymen, and the those who only appeared briefly - they've all contributed to one of the country's best known sporting competitions, and helped build it into the success it is today,” he said.
"It's been said before and I agree, our domestic competitions are the equal of any others in the world, and the Plunket Shield is the jewel in that crown.
"The basis for the BLACKCAPS side that won the inaugural ICC World Test Championship and achieved that wonderful piece of history in India last year is the Plunket Shield.
"It continues to produce international-ready BLACKCAPS and demonstrate its relevance, more than 100 years on from when it began".
New Zealand Cricket has designed a special commemorative logo to mark the 100th season and will also unveil a Plunket Shield all-time XI as part of centenary celebrations leading into and during the coming season. The full competition schedule can be viewed here.
