Poor Club Season

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28992, 5 September 1959, Page 5

Poor Club Season

The club Rugby season died quietly in Christchurch two weeks ago, and there were few mourners. Club Rugby is always the first to suffer from lack of interest during a tour by an international side, but the British Isles can hardly be blamed for the medicore, unenterprising Rugby that characterised much of the play in the senior competition this season. In recent years the general quality of Rugby, at club, provincial and national level, has steadily deteriorated, and if the administrators and coaches do not endeavour to recapture the spirit of adventure for which New Zealand’s play was once noted, and discard the win-at-all-costs creed of keeping the ball close to the forwards, they will be doing the game a grave disservice. Fortunately for Canterbury, there were several teams in this year’s senior championship which played the game as it is meant to be played. The foremost of these were Christchurch, Linwood and Merivale, all of which are to be heartily congratulated upon the stand they have taken. Some of the other teams also endeavoured, and at times succeeded in giving their backs opportunties, but a lack of finesse on their part, coupled with destructive play by their opponents, prevented play from rising above mediocrity.

Notable Feat University’s feat of winning the championship for the fourth successive year would, in normal circumstances, be worthy of the highest congratulations. But there was little in University’s play this season to inspire enthusiasm. Admittedly University had its troubles in the selection of its best back line, but right ‘up to the second last game of the season it pursued its policy of keeping play tight and the thre?-quarters practically out of the game, until defeat was in sight and in desperation the backs were used. Nor could the season be described as free of the incidence of foul play. Hardly a week went by that a player from one grade or another was not ordered off for breaches of law 34. In the senior competition many warnings were issued by referees and several players were ordered off. But there were many instances of foul play that went undetected—particularly from one team.