The teams competing in the Rebel Sport Super 14 aren't the only ones with their eyes on a glittering new trophy. Now the same silversmith that created the One Ring for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy has handcrafted a trophy for the winner of the country's biggest online rugby picking competition - Telecom Virtual Rugby.

More than 143,000 rugby fans are playing Telecom Virtual Rugby's Super 14 competition and Telecom Head of Sponsorship Peter Parussini says Telecom decided to commission the trophy after learning how much prestige last year's winner of the Virtual NPC competition attracted.

"We heard that last year's competition winner was being asked for his autograph wherever he went and, given that there's a trophy for the team which wins the Super 14, we thought it only appropriate that New Zealand's cleverest rugby fan be awarded a trophy for their efforts.

"The trophy is a slightly smaller version of that commissioned by the New Zealand Rugby Union to award to the winning team in the Rebel Sport Super 14 competition. It is valued at $10,000, which makes it a significant prize - especially as it is something that the Virtual Rugby winner can keep forever," he said.

Both trophies were handcrafted by Nelson-based jeweller and silversmith, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold and Silversmith.

"This has got to be the most coveted trophy in the country for rugby fans," says Halfdan Hansen. "Designing and creating the Rebel Sport Super 14 trophy was a special thrill, and then to be asked to produce a trophy that would be avidly contested by more than 140,000 people - that was something else."

Halfway through the competition, statistics on those playing virtual rugby make interesting reading. Parussini said a Hurricanes fan is perhaps the most likely to win the trophy with Canes supporters comprising 30% of virtual rugby players.

Two Hurricanes fans ("forsyth" and "Hutt Demons") are tied for the lead in Telecom Virtual Rugby after round 10 of the competition with a total of 392 points.

Crusaders fans make up 21% of virtual rugby players, Blues fans 19%, Chiefs fans 12% and the Highlanders 11%.

Auckland has the greatest number of virtual rugby players with about 28,600 players (22% of total players), followed by 15,730 (11%) for both Wellington and Christchurch. More than 35,000 players (26%) are based outside New Zealand's major cities and towns, while a further 10% of players are based overseas.

As well as winning the Telecom Virtual Rugby trophy, the winner will also receive a Ford vehicle previously driven by the captain of their favourite NZ Rebel Sport Super 14 team.

Trophy facts:

The Telecom Virtual Rugby trophy is cast in solid sculptor's bronze and richly plated in sterling silver (92.5 percent pure silver) and was made by Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith from Nelson, New Zealand. The trophy stands 33 centimetres high and weighs 2.1 kilograms. It is valued at $10000.

The actual Rebel Sport Super 14 trophy stands 49 centimetres high and weighs 2.7 kilograms.

About Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith, Nelson:

Regarded as a leading bespoke jeweller and silversmith in New Zealand, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith's 35 year old heritage remains forever contemporary. Based on traditional Scandinavian design, Jens Hansen's jewellery and trophies are lovingly sculptured into unique, timeless pieces. (for more info see www.jenshansen.com)