A Hawke’s Bay Magpies player has been charged in relating to a drink-driving crash on a night of Ranfurly Shield revelry which ended trophy smashed in two at the weekend.

The charge was reported by Stuff saying it had been confirmed by Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union chief executive Jay Campbell, and it was also an employment matter.

Hawke’s Bay won the shield on Saturday with a 20-18 win over Wellington, travelling back to Hawke’s Bay by bus and being welcomed by fans at sponsor’s West Quay Napier pub in Napier.

But the recently-remade shield lasted just a few more hours, Campbell confirming on Sunday evening it had broken in half when dropped on a kitchen floor on Sunday morning, about 8.30am, he told Hawke’s Bay Today.

Campbell described the dropping of the freshly refurbished shield as a “genuine accident”.