Memorable Rugby

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29246, 2 July 1960, Page 5

Memorable Rugby

In recent years the style of play adopted by the Canterbury representative Rugby team has had very little to commend it and interest in representative Rugby, as in club Rugby, has fallen away as a result. But if the style of play favoured by the Canterbury team against New Zealand Universities and by Town against Country last Saturday is to be retained for the remainder of the representative programme, there will undoubtedly be a resurgence of interest and support in Canterbury.,. Notwithstanding the vary obvious wetdcness of the Courftry forwards against Town last Saturday, ToWnJs win wait extremely meritorious—not because it beat • much Weaker team by a margin of 41 points, but becase from the very first whistle the team settled down to play a brand of Rugby that has for too long been foreign to Lancaster Park;

Throughout New Zealand, Canterbury has earned in more recent times the reputation of playing its football too close to the chest, and although this has ahieved the desired result of victory, it has done little to fill the stands at Lancaster Park or to win admirers of Canterbury in other centres.

This year the Canterbury team is to make quite an extensive tour of the North Island. On it the team -will have the golden opportunity of proving conclusively that winning football need not be dour and unattractive, and that Canterbury has the players and the aptitude to play the more open game which the Rugby public is demanding. > At this stage of the season the selectors (Messrs P. K. Rhind and P. B. Vincent) merit the heartiest congratulations of all who want to see the game played as it' was meant to be played. And at the end of the season, it is hoped that these congratulations: can be reiterated.