It seems that no Heartland Championship team wants to keep the Bill Osborne Taonga.
For the fourth straight week, heartland rugby's equivalent of the Ranfurly Shield exchanged hands, with Whanganui holding off holders Thames Valley 16-14 at Thames' Rhodes Park in Round 4 on Sunday.
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Whanganui finally claimed the Taonga, which is named after one of Whanganui’s greatest players in their first challenge, and joined Ngati Porou East Coast as the second union to hold all three Heartland trophies.
The game went nearly 90 minutes as the home side carried the ball from their own half in injury-time, with the final play seemingly lasting forever.
Despite being reduced to 14 men for the third time in the match, Whanganui held their line, with a strong wall up the middle and going for jarring tackles on the fringes when the Swamp Foxes looked to spread the ball.
Finally, a missed pass near halfway saw Thames Valley fumble possession and gift Whanganui the challenge prize.
Thames Valley struck first in the 10th minute through flanker Cam Dromgool, who was the first to an attacking chip-kick from experienced wing Alex Thrupp.
Through the rest of the first half and into the second half, Whanganui were able to chip away, with second-five Ethan Robinson slotting three penalties for a 9-7 lead, having weathered losing influential centre Alekesio Vakaorogo in the 43rd minute and lock Rueben Allen in the 61st minute to the sin-bin.
Needing a spark, Whanganui got it from fullback Tyler Rogers-Holden in the 70th minute with a brilliant solo try to go up 16-7. However, the Swamp Foxes closed the gap when wing Charlie Marsh dived over under the posts, setting up the thrilling conclusion.
In shades of the 2018 Meads Cup semifinal, Thames Valley made carry after carry out of their half, but found Whanganui players putting bodies on the line to stop them, despite reserve prop Kereti Tamou picking up yet another professional foul yellow card.
The Taonga was the fourth challenge trophy to change hands last weekend in NZ rugby, following the Ranfurly Shield in the NPC, the Farah Palmer Cup's JJ Stewart Memorial Trophy and 1st XV rugby's Moascar Cup.
Away teams continued to prosper in the Heartland Championship in Round 4, winning five of six matches, improving to 17-7 overall.
West Coast was one of those teams, beating Buller 20-17 at Westport's Victory Square on Saturday, after trailing 14-6 at halftime, to reclaim the Rundle Cup in the union's 900th first-class match.
A big first half propelled Mid Canterbury to a 39-19 win over Horowhenua Kapiti in Levin, moving the Hammers into the top-four, while East Coast picked up their third win, 24-18 over North Otago in Oamaru and Wairarapa Bush their first, 39-24 over winless Poverty Bay in Gisborne.
The only home team to win on Saturday was defending Meads Cup champions South Canterbury, who improved to 6-0-0 and remained four points clear at the top of the standings with a 33-19 win over King Country at Geraldine's Raukapuka Reserve.
HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS - ROUND 4
Mid Canterbury 39 Horowhenua Kapiti 19
West Coast 20 Buller 17
East Coast 24 North Otago 18
Wairarapa Bush 39 Poverty Bay 24
South Canterbury 33 King Country 19
Whanganui 16 Thames Valley 14