Rugby TRIAL PLAYERS HAVE FIRST EVENING GAME

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29145, 4 March 1960, Page 12

Rugby TRIAL PLAYERS HAVE FIRST EVENING GAME

The Canterbury players selected to take part in the New Zealand Rugby trials next month entered the most serious stage of their training last evening with the first of a series of evening games designed to get them match fit.

The match was played at the Christchurch Boys’ High School, the teams being made up of 13 trial players, Canterbury representatives and senior club players who had volunteered their services.

Only three of the 14 Canterbury trial players did not take the field. K. R. Tremain, one of them, will not return to Christ-

ent, is at the Christchurch Public Hospital, and Cameron is a student at Canterbury Agricultural College, Lincoln. The manner in which the trial players lasted the game testified to the thoroughness of their offseason training. Only two 20minute spells were played, but in that time the play moved with tremendous speed, and it was as hard fought as if a major trophy was at stake. The rucking was quite torrid, the tackling—on a well-grassed but concrete-hard ground—was low and hard. For such an early game the handling was exceptionally good and the movements themselves, bright and fast. At first it was feared there would not be enough players to make up two full teams, but when the teams were chosen, it was found that there were several to spare. One of those playing was the South African, E. West, who is now living in Christchurch. West, a hooker, is a member of the Merivale club.

INVITATIONS TO PLAYERS

Game At New Plymouth

This Month

Seven players in Canterbury selected to take part in the New Zealand Rugby trials at Wellington next month have received invitations from the Tukapa Rugby Club (Taranaki) to play in a match at New Plymouth on March 26. Only one of the players—J. N. Creighton—is a forward, the others being V. C. Sykes, S. K. Henderson, S. G. Bremner, M. F. Whitta, D. Cameron and R. D. Hoskin. It was intimated in the letter each of the players received, that the match would be watched by Mr J. L. Sullivan, convener of the New Zealand selection panel who is a member of the club.