RUGBY FOOTBALL

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 248, 18 October 1924, Page 57 (Supplement)

RUGBY FOOTBALL

PRIMARY SCHOOLS. The Rugby football season for the primary schools opened this year on 29th April, and closed on 7th October, 1 hub occupying twenty-three weeks. The ordinary competitions lasted till the end fif the second term (22nd August), after u'hich a knock-out competition was held, extending over five weeke of the third term. The senior teams were divided into four grades, eight in A grade, ten in B, nine in C, and six in D, making a total of thirty-three teame. In the lightweight or junior competition, twenty-two teams participated, these heing divided inta three sections of four and two eections/of five. The length of the Beason made it possible to play two complete rounds in A jrrade, three in D grade, and in B and C jsfrades one complete round and one short round of six weeks' duration, for which the six leading teams were grouped. In the juniors, three grades played three rounds each, and two played two rounds, after which the leading teams of each grade were grdnped for a final round. As only one trophy exists for the juniors, this final grouping is necessary, < Interest in the competition was well sustained throughout the season, owing to the fact that in nearly every grade the issue was uncertain until the last week's play. In A grade the first round fiided with Beresford Street and Maungawhau even for first place, and Kowhai B and Vermont A even for sfcond place. In the second round. Maungawhau dropped out of the running, and Kowhai B came up even with Bereeford Street, the issue remaining in doubt until the last week, when these two teams met, and Beresford Street gained the victory. In B grade, Te Papapa won the distinction of being unbeaten throughout both rounds. For second place Epsom and Onehunga drew. The competition in C grade was particularly close between the winners and the runiiere-up. At the end of the first round, Parnell had not been beaten, and Reniuera had been defeated only once. Both teams went unbeaten through the second round until the last week, when they met, and Remuera defeated Parnell. Aβ this made the points even, a third match had to be played after the holidays, when Remuera won the championship. In D grade, Curran Street was unbeaten throughout the thrSe rounds. For second place, Devonport and Nelson ■Street ran close in the first round, after which Nelson Street gave place to Baytield, who fell out of the running in tho third round, leaving to Devonport the position of runners-up. The winning teams of the junior sections were: Richmond Road, Kowhai, Vermont A, Curran Street and Remuera. In the final round, held to decide the championship among these five teams, Vermont A won, and Kowhai and Remuera drew for second place. For the knock-out competition twenty teams entered, these being placed in their previous grades. The championship of each grade was first decided, this resulting in Beresford Street winning in A grade, Epsom in .gjjrfcdc, Remuera in C grade, and Devoffport in D grade. When these four placed off among them- . selves, Beresford Street defeated Epsom, and Remuera beat Devonport. Beresford Street then met and defeated Remuera, thus winning the championship. Towards the end of the season three separate representative teams visited other centres. On August 9 the B team visited Thames, where it defeated the local representatives. On August %A the A team played the Hamilton representatives, at Hamilton, and was defeated by ft narrow margin. On August 25, howover, the teams met again, and this time Auckland secured a victory. At Pukekohe, on August 23, our C team was outclassed, but in the return match, played at Auckland on September 13, our A team defeated the Pukekohe fifteen. The English touring team in South Africa fared badly in the tests, being beaten three times and drawing once, the points being 15 for and 43 against. A London cable to the Sydney "Sun" says: Great consternation has been caused among French Rugby players at the Rugby Union's demand of 200,000 francs for allowing the All Blacks to play twice in France. It is pointed out that the rate of exchange is responsible for the high figure. A big factor in Manawatu Rugby is W. Dustin, a former North Island representative, and undoubtedly one of the finest forwards New Zealand has ever turned out. He played magnificently for Manawatu against the Springboks in 1021, in a match which the Afrikanders won by only a bare three points (an unconverted try)) to nil, and the Springboks acclaimed him, next to Cupples, the finest forward in Maoriland. Perhaps they were not far wrong, but at that time Dustin was considered to be past his prime, and, though he ■skippered the Manawatu representative team in dashing fashion, he was never given higher recognition after the war, and is now touring with the All Black team, having retired from active Rugby. A Wellington writer pays a generous tribute to a Canterbury man: —The success of Parker, who took Porter's place as wing-forward, and scored three tries against Cornwall, came as no surprise to those who knew the Capabilities of this fleet-footed Canterbury rover. Parker is one of the fastest men playing Rugby today. In a race at Christchurch, while the South Island trials were in progress, he beat Steel in a sprint over 100 yarde. The man who can do this must be a great runner, as Steel has proved-him-self one of the fleetest sprinters in the Dominion on the running track. Parker is an ideal rover. He does not mar hie play by getting continually offside, as do so many wing-forwards. His pace enables him to dart upon the opposing backs without cribbing the advantage of a flying start. A writer touring with the Britisn Rueby team in South Africa has exposed the doubtful tricks of one Van Schoor, who played scrum-half for tne Town and Country side. Whenever the wily Van Schoor put the ball into the scrum, the British forwards saw nothing of it. He simply threw the ball to the back of the wrum, and not a heel touched it, excepting that of a forward in the back rank, before Van Sphoor himself swooped down upon it and whipped it away to Weepener, the -tnnd-off half. These were the only tactics employed throughout the game that called for anything but favourable comment. And (juite enough, tooj,