English Full-Back Writes To N.Z. Boy

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30270, 24 October 1963, Page 19

English Full-Back Writes To N.Z. Boy

H'y small boys, particularly 1 small boys in New Zealand. all international Rugby players probably seem as remote as Olympic Gods — deities to be revered from a distance and, somehow, fromidable and unapproachable figures But one Christchurch boy. Tan Turner, of 2 Sevenoaks drive. Bryndwr. learned recently that Rugby internationals are human after •11. During the recent tour of New Zealand by England, lan found much to admire in the play of R. W. Hosen, the English full-back. After the tour had ended his father obtained a photograph of Hosen taken on the tour, sent it to him and

asked him if he could autograph it for his son And as could be expected from Hosen. one of the most pleasant and modest players in a team which perhaps was the friendliest Rugby . g.oup ever to tour New Zealand. the photograph and a reply were received The leter, addressed to lan said: "Thank you very much for your kind letter and photograph. It was a thrill hearing from somebody in New Zealand and particularly from Christchurch because of all the lovely places we saw on our tour, Christchurch was one of the nicest. Also the second test was an exciting end to what had been three wonderful weeks of New Zealand football.

"As you know I have just started teaching at Rugby School, the place where the game started Boys don't come to Rugby until they are 13. years old, and often some of them have not played Rugby at adl by that time. This is difficult to believe in New Zealand. However, everybody quickly catches on. and after a few weeks

most boys are playing for a house side We have enough playing space for nearly all the boys in the school to play at the same time. There are 750 boys so. you can work out how many pitches they would need Today the masters playet the boys, and we lost by I to 8

“The AU Blacks tourtn; party has been announce* in our papars and we are all waiting to see them play ing and also hoping -that we shall have a chance o playing against them. They will be very popular over here and everyone wil love watching the great

forward play and 'D.B.' } himself. We have been • playing for a month now » so the AH Blacks will j find us at peak fitness when « they arive. and very difficult } to win, just as we did in « New Zealand. Goodbye lan. { I hope that you enjoy your- '} self at school and do well » in one of the school teams J and have a successful school ' career ahead of you,” 1

Best wishes. ROGER HOSEN.