SHIELD COMES TO CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27150, 21 September 1953, Page 8

SHIELD COMES TO CANTERBURY

7000 At Station To Greet Team WELCOME BY MAYOR

Nearly 7000 l Rugby enthusiasts gathered at the railway station and in Moorhouse avenue early yesterday morning to welcome Jhe victorious Canterbury Rugby team and the Ranfurly Shield. When the steamer express train pulled into the Christchurch railway station at 7.56 a.m. hundreds crowded the platform. As the team and its followers, headed by the Woolston Band, filed off the station with the shield and a replica about three times as big in their possession, they were loudly cheered. The Mayor of Christchurch, Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., who welcomed members of the team on a dais erected on Moorhouse avenue, said the city had every reason to be proud of the part their men had played in this notable game and equally proud of every man who had represented the province during the season. The whole team had played like AU Blacks and had left no doubt as to which was the better team. A few reputations might have gone and others had been made. He congratulated members on their splendid team-work which counted in everything in life. It was a fine performance by a fine team. Evidence of the intense interest taken by Canterbury residents was first shown at Lyttelton when a crowd of several hundreds gathered on the wijarf to welcome the players on board the Rangatira and the combined Sumner and Lyttelton bands played the ship, to its berth. On the LytteltonChristchurch line there were small crowds at each station and from neighbouring houses pyjama-clad figures appeared at windows and on verandas to give the members of the team a cheery wave. , Procession Suggested

Mr W. C. Dailey, president of the Canterbury Rugby Union and manager ; of the team, replying to the Mayor’s : welcome, said the players thoroughly deserved the enthusiastic reception they had been given. The game against Wellington was one of the best he had ever seen a team play. “They pushed Wellington from one end of the paddock to the other, and if the selection of the All Blacks had been delayed another week we would have had at least two more men in the team,” he said. In, the procession before the game at Wellington on Saturday, about 60 floats had been included, and he though something on the same lines could be attempted when Canterbury met Buller on Saturday in what would probably be a Ranfurly Shield game. Each member of the Canterbury team and the selectors were greeted with cheers as they were introduced by the Mayor, especially good receptions being given to K. C. Stuart and A. W. McPherson, who was greeted as “the boy from the Country,” and R. H. Duff, one of New Zealand’s outstanding forwards “Before we went on the field at Athletic Park yesterday we said: ‘Now there are 40,000 miserable one-eyed Wellingtonians on the bank, and only one boatload of miserable one-eyed Canterbury supporters here, so let’s give then a thrill,’” said R. C. Stuart, captain of the team, when replying to the welcome. It was the team spirit of players and emergencies that won the game for Canterbury, and «ood team spirit was worth all the football ability and “what have you” in a game of Rugby, said Stuart. He recalled that it was the second time he had been in a winning Shield team. “You know i what happened then. We only held it for 10 minutes, when it went North? This time Mr Dallev has arransed to have another engraving on the Shield —quod habeo teneo (what we have we hold)—and we can hold it if the same spirit is shown,” said Stuart. He thanked the selectors. Messrs J G. Rankin and D. P. White. for their splendid work, the players for the sunport they had given him. and the bi* ■ number of keen followers, who had journeyed to Wellington to accord their ■ moral support.

HUGE CROWD AT GAME SPECTATORS FROM ALL PARTS OF N.Z. (From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 19. In Wellington today, for about 45,000 persons, there was only one road, and that led to Athletic Park. Cars, buses, trams, motor-cycles and bicycles were , used to take Rugby enthusiasts to what turned out to be the last Ranfurly Shield match to be played in Wellington for some time. To attend the match many persons had to travel long distances. Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Invercargill, Otago, and Nelson were represented at the match, as well as a strong contingent from Canterbury. Immediately after the procession in the morning, the vast majority of the huge crowd which lined the streets made for the park with all speed in the hope that they could secure a good position round the ground. Many of these hopes were dashed, however, for when they arrived at the park they were confronted by a queue which was of Considerable proportions. By 1 p.m. practically the whole of the ground was filled except for a small patch at the northern end. Long queues which had been forming from the early hefurs of the morning prompted officials to open the gates at 11.30 a.m. At one stage it was held possible that the gates would have to be closed before the main match began. This was not necessary, however.

The ground’s normal capacity is be- ‘ tween 35,000 and 40,000, but union . officials believe this figure was ex- 1 ceeded today. For the first time the ' union allowed spectators inside the . playing area. Late arrivals seized ' upon the opportunity to get a grandstand view and before the game started the playing fences were lined about 10 deep. Traffic inspectors had a hard day. , Cars lined the streets for a radius of about a mile and a half from the park. Taxis were in great demand. PRESENTATION OF SHIELD “ MUCH THE BETTER TEAM ON DAY” (From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. September 19. “Yours was a magnificent and clearcut win. We were raked fore *&nd aft by much the better team on the day,” said Mr S. S. Dean, president of the Wellington Rugby Union when handing over the shield to the Canterbury captain, R. C. Stuart, at a function after the' Ranfurly Shield match. He congratulated Canterbury on its all-round play, and both teams for the spirit in which the game was played. Mr W. C. Dailey, president of the Canterbury union, said he was thrilled at the manner in which the Wellington team and the public took the defeat. He thanked the Canterbury selectors (Messrs J. G. Rankin and D. P. White) for the time they had spent on coaching the team. “We are very humble in our victory today, because after we won it from Otago in 1950 we lost it only a few days later when a big Maori called Mahupuka kicked a field goal to take it from us,” said Stuart when renlying to Mr Dean. He said he honed, if Canterbury did lose the shield, it could do so as gracefully as the Wellington public had. When Wellington won the shield froih Waikato earlier in the season, what impressed him was the “wonderful spirit” of the Waikato public, said the captain of the Wellington side (B. J. Lloyd). “When we won it we decided to try and inculcate into the Wellington public the same spirit. I think we have succeeded,” he said. He said he was glad to hand the shield over to Canterbury because on the day it wss the better team. While the teams were lined up to take the field, the Prime Minister (Mr

Holland) shook hands with each member of the Canterbury team and afterwards with the Wellington team. At the conclusion of the match he was one of the first to congratulate the Canterbury team in its dressing room. [Report of Match on Fa«e IL]