INTER-UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20026, 6 September 1930, Page 21

INTER-UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL.

AN HISTORIC MATCH. The first mutch between the Universities of New Zealand was played on the Christ's College grounds, Christchurch, on August 9th, 1886. 'lhe teams, photographs of which appear in this issue, represented Otago University jind Canterbury College, and the game was a great success. From an old newspaper clipping, preserved by Dr. James Fitzgerald, who took part in the match, we learn that "Just before time VVeDb made a good run, and being collared by bauchop, kicked the ball over the line, and following up, touched it down at the extreme end of the lme. Bean took the kick, which was an exceedingly difficult one, and succeeded in placing a really splendid goal. There was great cheering, and Webb and Bean were carried shoulder high from the field. Certainly the University had very hara luck losing the game just on time, as tliey had decidedly the best of the gamt<." The score prior to Webb's sensational try was Otago four points, Canterbury nil. Dr. Fitzgerald says that Webb in his day was the fastest man on the football field—faster than his modern namesake, and Bean was a phenomenal goal-getter. The teams dined together in the evening at the City Hotel. The toast of the evening was "The Annual Match." Some of the speeches were very interesting in the light of recent events. Mr J. C. Stephens proposed '"Rugby Union Football," and in doing so expressed the hope that the Otago University would soon have a ground of their own. Mr Milne (captain of the Otago team), in responding "expressed the belief that the Otago students would have a ground in about three years—that being the period usually allowed the autnorites of the University- to wake up." The Umvers.ty football ground at Logan Park was officially opened this year, so that the prophets were in this case much too provious. The Rev. Mr Hoatson, who also responded to Mr Stephens' toast, in what is described as "a speech full of capital advice to footballers, strongly condemned wing play on the grounds that the wing men not only spoilt their own half-backs, but by not going into the scrum did not do a fair share of the-work, and he hinted pretty strongly that the Canterbury interprovincial team of 1886 would bo minus wing men."

Forty-four years later the wing forward is still a subject for heated discussion.