Ferdinand the Bull Proudly Sponsored by

It was 1952, Waikato were the holders of the Ranfurly Shield. Football fever had attacked the province and street parades were the order of the day preceding a challenge game. Mooloo had become the emblem of Waikato. That same year when Waikato were to play the annual game with Taranaki at New Plymouth, there appeared in the Press an item that Mooloo would invade the city with a procession of decorated cars.

A chance remark by New Plymouth city council official that something should be done about that resulted in a few council employees getting together a Taranaki gate and suitably adorning it with notices. A quick word among members of a local football club produced helpers to staff it and when erected across Devon Street this provided a suitable counter to the invasion.

The year following, a few of this tiny band of organisers visited Hamilton together with slogans and proof of Mooloo's ancestry in an endeavour to assist the Taranaki side on that memorable day of July 5 when a 3-all draw enabled Waikato to retain the shield. Wellington were shortly to be successful in lifting the shield, and on the occasion of Taranaki's visit to the capital city, again in quest of the coveted trophy, a small bull built by these Council supporters was conveyed to Athletic Park and duly pranced around to the delight of the spectators and the Taranaki supporters.

They called it Ferdinand, a name which was to become the cause of much comment. This later became an emblem of Taranaki rugby just as Mooloo had done in Waikato.

Ferdinand or Ferdie as he is more affectunately called, has become a regular fixture at Yarrow Stadium.  He was proudly represented by McGilly for a number of years and in 2005 Big Ferdie joined the Taranaki Rugby Family.