PLAYED RUGBY FOR ENGLAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 195, 31 May 1946, Page 4

PLAYED RUGBY FOR ENGLAND

MAURICE GODDARD RETURNS One of the many New Zealanders who, during the Avar, earned high honours in the field of sport and the only one to claim the distinction of representing England on the international Rugby field, returned to his home in Timaru yesterday after nearly five years of service with the Army and the ' R.N.Z.A.F. both at home and overseas. He is Warrant Officer Maurice Goddard Avho Avill be remembered in Rugby circles as a promising young fiveeighth of five or six season ago, and one of three brothers who have made the name of Goddard Avell-knoAvn in South Canterbury sport. Maurice Goddard first distinguished himself in Army Rugby when in camp at Westerfield. With several other South Canterbury players he represented Ashburton in 1942, and Avas one of the stars of the team that defeated a strong Canterbury representative side at Ashburton that season. After being transferred to. the R.N.Z.A.F. Warrant Officer Goddard made a name for himself in Canada not only as a first-class Rugby player but as an athlete. He won the 220 yards sprint at an inter-Empire Air Force sports meeting in Canada in the smart time of 23 4-5 seconds, and, according to the local neAvspaper, he Avas instrumental in putting the name of his home town on the sporting map. “After leaving New Zealand, I seemed to develop a new turn of speed,” he told a representative of “The Timaru Herald” yesterday. The “turn of speed” and the qualities of elusiveness and determination on the Rugby field quickly won him a reputation in English Rugby. Brilliant play with the N.Z. Services Rugby team then earned him the supreme honour of being chosen three times to represent England. He played against Wales a.nd Scotland and on all occasions received unstinted praise from the English Press. Goddard also played for the English Services team against the Scottish Services, the latter team also including two wellknown New Zealanders —Fit. Lieut. Eric Grant and the 1935 All Black Rod McKenzie. The three New Zealanders each scored a spectacular try in this match. Scotland Avon by IS points to 12.