RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 80, 6 April 1926, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE FORTHCOMING SEASON.

PARS ABOUT THE PLAYERS.

It is anticipated that the club competitions in Auckland will start on May 1, three weeks from next Saturday.

The Auckland senior teams will be the same numerically as last year, six in the A division and five in the B division. The only alteration will be that in the B section Ellerslie will take the place of King's Old Boys.

Sheen, who has been one of the mainstays of the King's Old Boys in the back division, and showed great form at five-eighths for Auckland at the end of last season, will be with the Grammar Old Boys this year. He is expected to take the place of A. E. Cooke in the Auckland rep. team, a hope that has grown out of his brilliant displays in the Wellington and Hawke's Bay games at the end of last year.

It is very many years since Auckland's rep. team was dependent on the co-ope-rative work of a selection committee. The line of sole selectors goes' back into the nineties, and includes G. Nicholson, V. R. Meredith, D. Gallaher and Fred Murray.

H. Wilson, C. Anderson and Karl Ifwersen are the ex-players who comprise the first selection committee the province has had for a very long time. The first-named is better known as "Blazer" or "Ham" Wilson, who was a forward for City Club and the province some years back. Charlie Anderson has figured for several years as wing-forward for Marist Old Boys, and at times for Auckland, while last year he acted as understudy to the sole selector, Mr. G. Nicholson, in connection with the choosing of 'the B teams. Karl Ifwersen is the well-known player who has represented New Zealand at Rugby and League as five-eighths and centre threequarter.

Karl Ifwersen did some coaching last year for the North Shore team, and he will no doubt continue to give them the benefit of his experience when he is available, but he has agreed to do coaching work this season for Grammar Old Boys, with which team he concluded his playing days the year before last.

Supporters of the University Club are of opinion that the student senior team will put a very stronj side in the field this year. They will have at their disposal the services of Jenkin and Butler, who were stars in the Mount Albert Grammar School back team last season.

A writer in "Smith's Weekly" deplores what he calls the subservience of New South Wales to New Zealand in Rugby football since the war period, and without actually saying so, suggests, by quoting the financial loss on international games in Sydney as compared with the profits made in New Zealand on tours by New South' Wales teams, that New Zealand has been taking some advantage of the sister union. Of course, everyone who has followed the Rugby code of football in Australasia knows that the explanation is the loyalty of the New Zealand public to Rugby and the swinging of the Sydney public to League. They also know that, with the assistance ° f *r^ ew Zealand Union, the New South Wales Union has been gradually swinging the pendulum back in Sydney and that there is a great possibility of this coming season seeing Rugby reinstated in popularity with the public of the New South Wales capital. The official opening of the season in Wellington has been fixed for Saturday Apnl 24, Nest Saturday the Poneke and Petone Clubs are staging a oeuefit match for Tom Cross a wellknown Wellington rep. of the nineties, who is seriously ill, and on the following Saturday a seven a-aside tournament will be held as a preliminary to the opening of the season

It is reported that H. E. Nicholls who accompanied the All Blacks to England as a spectator and did not take part m the games in New Zealand last year, will turn out again this year for his old club in Wellington, Petone

South, the Hawke's Bay flve-ei<rhth who played against Auckland at Eden Park last year, has left Napier and it is stated that he will play for the University team in Wellington this year Another ex-Hawke's Bay player, Yates, who was the fullback for the Ranfurly Shield team in 1924, will be in Wellington, and he is expected to turn out for the Athletic team.

Young Cooke, who was half-back for Grafton last year, is now in Wellington, and it is reported that he will be playing for the Berhampore team. Another northerner who will be playing in Wellington is Emerson, the North Auckland forward, who is mentioned as being a likely member of the Old Boys* team.

Two old hands in whom players will be interested are Jim Moffitt and "Moke" Belliss, both of whom are reported to be turning out again this year. It is stated that Moffitt will lock the scrum for Oriental in Wellington, and that Belliss will take the field in Taihape. A Wellington writer says: A. E. Cooke, the ex-Aucklander, is evidently remaining in Hawke's Bay this season. He will be the leading light in a new senior team in Hawke's Bay-Technical Col ege Old Boys. Swain, formerly of Wellington, may also be a member Players -who are picked as likely to 'be selected for the Maori team which is due to take a trip to Prance this year are the Hawke's Bay contingent Nepia Mill, Paewai, Falwasser,- Gemmett Oγmond, and Walker.

It is reported that the Wellington Rugby Union will propose at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Ru°-by Union that the Ranfurly Shield rules be altered back to the old regulation that Shield games must be played on the ground of the holders. The first Ranfurly Shield match this year will be on June 3, when Wairarapa will play their usual game with Hawke's Bay, while Wangamu has a challenge in for June 5.

The Hastings Club will be without the services of C. Brownlee this season, as that player has taken up his residence in Wairoa. It is possible that L. Brownlee, brother of ■ Maurice arid Cyril, who las . been spelling, may be stripping again this season.