James Dwan, the craftsman responsible for creating the latest version of the Ranfurly Shield, has expressed his disappointment after the shield was damaged over the weekend.
Dwan said the shield was crafted from tough timber and should not have been so easily damaged.
He lamented the incident's impact on the rich history of New Zealand rugby.
"It's getting depressing, it really is. You see, not just myself but the people who've put their time and effort into an iconic piece of New Zealand rugby history and you see this happen."
"I hope they do get to the bottom of it and whoever did it, those involved, are reprimanded in a pretty severe way," Dwan said.
NZ Rugby's general manager for community rugby Steve Lancaster said it is investigating.
"The Shield has undergone a tremendous amount of restoration work over the past 12 months to ensure it remains a focal point and source of pride for the rugby community.
"NZR will now take possession of the Shield, begin the process of repair and reassess the protocols in place to look after it.
"Our intention is that the Ranfurly Shield remains a part of the community, is enjoyed by the those who hold it and cared for as a taonga of our game."
Yesterday, Campbell said the union will pay to repair the shield after it was dropped.
"Having taken some time to understand from those present what has happened, this was a genuine accident which occurred this morning when a player has unfortunately dropped the Shield onto a concrete kitchen floor."
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