CHAMPION RUNNER ON LEAGUE WING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 115, 17 May 1941, Page 3 (Supplement)

CHAMPION RUNNER ON LEAGUE WING

Ny scoring four tries for Richmond last Saturda3 r , A. ( A!an '> J. Sayers quickly came into the limelight at the Rugby League code in which he was really making his debut. A speedy threequarter, Savers lias a tine record on the athletic field and is a convert from the Rugby game. He first played Rugby while attending the Royal Oak Primary School, captained the fifteen, and also played for the Primary Schools' reps. Alwavs a centre or wing. Alan went on to the Auckland Grammar School, playing for the first fifteen for two years and being awarded the school cup for the best player in the team. Shortly afteleaving Grammar. Sayers was transferred to Hamilton, where he joined the Hamilton Old Boys' Club and gained representative honours for Waikato. In the Waikato senior competition for the Stas trophy he scored the most tries for the season with ">rj to his credit. A broken collarbone received in a match at Te Awamutu put him out of action in 193 ( J and he has just taken up football again. It was in athletics, however, that Alan won fame, and he has some very line performances to his credit in this branch of sport.

Starting his career at the Auckland Grammar School, he first won the junior championship, and was next senior champion of the school At the combined collegiate sports in ]9:;4 he performed a feat which has not yet been equalled by winning the three flat raccs—loo. 22*1 and 440 yards. His times for these events are well worth recalling— 100 <10 2-ss*. 220 12: i 2-r>s>, and 410 <">1 2-os>. His time for the 440 is still a Xew Zealand schoolboys' record. While at the Grammar School. Savers went to Melbourne with the N'ew Zealand schoolboys' team to compete in the inter-Kmnire sports. He ran second to M of Canada, in the -HO yards run in 5!) 9-10s on a rain-sodden track.

Savers has won several Auckland provincial titles, including the SBO and 440 yards. He was Xew Zealand 440 yards champion in 13.17. and concluded a most successful career by representing the Dominion at the Empire Games in Sydney in 1935. Sayers' all-round versatility as an athlete is shown by his following official times—loo yards (10 l-10s), 220 yards (21 2-ss)—equal to A. J. Elliot's New Zealand record for a straight track, but di sal lowed owing to a following wind: 440 yards (4S 4-ss>—equal to the New Zealand record held bv S. Black, of New Plymouth, a performance done in a heat at the Empire Games: 880 yards (1.57): long jump, 21ft 9in: high jump. sft 7in. Alan attributes much of his success to Tom Mclntyre, who coached him from his Grammar School days. Mclntyre is a former Hawke's Bay Rugby representative and champion professional athlete.