GOING TO WIGAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 287, 4 December 1945, Page 8

GOING TO WIGAN

BRILLIANT WINGER NORDGREN HAS CONTRACT Brian Nordgren, brilliant Auckland and North Island Rugby League winger, has accepted a three-year contract to play for the powerful Wigan League Club in England. He hopes to leave New Zealand at an early date as the club is anxious to have him on hand for the cup ties in January. The English club first offered a five-year contract, but Nordgren held out for three years with the right of renewal.

From a financial point of view, the offer to the Aucklander is most attractive and runs into four figures sterling. Nordgren's present intentions are to gain further playing experience in England and then to return to the Dominion. Exceptionally fast—he is co-hokler of the New Zealand junior 100 yards record —Nordgren has proved a highly prolific scorer this season. At the close of the 1944 Rugby season he left the Manukau Club and joined up with -the Ponsonby League thirteen, which that year won the Roope Rooster contest. His form improved considerably this year and he played for Auckland in all representative engagements and also gained North Island honours. Nordgren this year established a fresh New Zealand League points record, scoring a total of 267 points for the season. The previous record was 220, set up by Jack Hemi (Manukau) in 1941. They both played in 20 matches. Nordgren was also the first League player in the Dominion to collect 100 points exclusively from tries. The Wigan Club is one of the strongest in England and other New Zealanders who have been under contract to it in the past are Charlie Seeling, George Smith and Lou Brown. Nordgren also received a fairly attractive ofler to play for a Sydney League club.