Most Of Canterbury Rugby Team Again Available

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28512, 15 February 1958, Page 5

Most Of Canterbury Rugby Team Again Available

rpHE Canterbury Rugby Union A will be able to call on nearly all its representatives of last year for the provincial side in the coming season. Only two of last year’s representatives are. because of .transfer, not available. .R. W. Moffat, a side row forward, has been transferred from the Christchurch office of the Department of Agriculture to Blenheim, and W. J. Whineray has returned to his home town. Auckland. The representative to be transferred from Christchurch is the Old Boys’ front-row forward, E. Hern, but his services will not be lost, as he is stationed at Waikari, which *is within the Canterbury Union’s district. It is reported that he may be playing in the Hurunui sub-union’s competition this season. The province has already had one distinct gain in the Auckland representative side-row forward, D. J. Graham, who is teaching at Christchurch , Boys’ High School. It is reported that Graham will play for the University club. K. F. Meates It is also possible that K. F. Meates, who broke his leg again last year while playing for Canterbury against the All Blacks, may also play this season. It was at first feared that this injury, which was the second in two

years, would bring Meate’s Rugby career to a close, but apparently the leg has healed perfectly. He intends to seeltf a medical opinion before making a final decision, but should this opinion be favourable it is highly probable that he will play. The same applies to the All Black and Canterbury wing, M. J. Dixon. He has already suffered much for Rugby. When he returned to New Zealand after the 1953 All Black tour of the British Isles, Dixon underwent an operation for a dislocated shoulder. The operation was entirely successful and the injury has not troubled him since. Nor did it keep him out of the test series against the Springboks in 1956 or the 1957 tour of Australia. From this tour, however, he returned to face another operation—this time to his right knee. That also has been successful and already he lias begun training for the coming season. Duff and Hill A wait-and-see attitude is again being adopted by the Canterbury and All .. lack captain, R. H. Dutt and S. F. Hill, both of whom have already given great service to Canterbury and New Zealand Rugby. Duff has kept fit during the off-season with tennis and is only one or two pounds over his playing weight. His weight may have a major influence on his decision. Hill, who until recently has been attached to Burnham Military Camp as an instructor, is now living in Christchurch. Should he play, and there seems every reason for believing he will, he will probably rejoin his old club, Christchurch. All the other players who represented Canterbury last year— B. M. J. Dineen, A. E. G. Elsom, R. M. Smith, C. A. McDonald, B. McPhail, S. K. Henderson, P. A. Hutchinson, A. Pearce, S. G. Bremner, B. P. J. Molloy, M. F. Whitta, N. F. Roberts, H. C. Burry, N. Teague. D. A. Young, J. N. Creighton, J. M. Le Lievre, B. R. Mann —have said that they intend to play uiis year. Most of them have been training for several weeks or have played a summer sport. Their training has ranged from squash - and to running on milk rounds and breaking in sections. N. Teague, who now has a milk round, is reported to have brought his weight down to 13st 91b. His playing weight last year was 14st 121 b.