Rugby Youth WEEKLY REVIEW

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31121, 26 July 1966, Page 6

Rugby Youth WEEKLY REVIEW

Revitalised Sumner Club

The Sumner Rugby Club, after losing its strength from a decade ago, is making a comeback. A decline in numbers was the problem, but this season the club has five teams in the competitions.

The two under-weight teams, sst and 6st, are welb to the fore in their grades, and the club has two under-age teams as well as a fourth grade side.

The club captain, Mr C. Thompson, "Who is coach of the under-15 side, said that Sumner had had no underage teams for many years. Last season the club had one under-age team, and next season it is hoped to have three. The longer-term aim is have a team in junior competition. “We lost boys to other clubs through not being under-age teams,” Mr Thompson said. “Nearly all our players live in Sumner. A lot of them go to Shirley Boys’ High and Linwood High Schools. The lads are sticking with the club now. “We have facilities, including a pavilion and a lighted ground in the township. We could do with more support from parents and are looking for more players,” Mr Thompson said. Final Rounds The final round in the under--17, 18, 19 and 20 grades will be played on September 3. The under-16, under-15 and all under-weight competitions will close on August 20. Most of the clubs now have an extensive list of friendly fixtures to play after the competitions end. For example, the Suburbs club has annual fixtures for its sst 71b, 6st and fist 71b sides with the Wellington club, on a home and away basis The under-20 and under--17 sides play the Green Island club, Dunedin, while the under-19 side has an annual match with Titahi Bay and the under-16 side plays Petone. The Bst 71b, under-15 and under-18 teams play against teams from the Zingari club (Timaru). The number of representative fixtures played by teams in the Canterbury Rugby Union’s competitions is astonishing—a total of 117 this season, from the senior provincial team’s matches . right down through the grades. Coaching School ‘ The junior advisory board j of the Canterbury Rugby ; Union is planning to hold a ; coaching school next season, , It will be experimental at 1 first, and will be worked in |'

. conjunction with the Cantaf brians Club. Promising playt ers in the grade will be given - special coaching by former senior representative players, J the coaching to extend over - several weeks. . The success of the scheme j will depend on the availabil- . ity of former representatives, r but it is hoped that the ; scheme can be built up so . that the special coaching can - be extended to other grades. L The board is also contemplat- , ing the gathering together of i club coaches in the grades for , talks and demonstrations in ’ the basic skills of Rugby by . experts in these arts. [ New Clubrooms The Suburb clubrooms at ’ Hoon Hay Domain are going ! ahead, the dressing sheds, shower block and kitchenette beginning to take shape. Poles for a lighted training area are also up. These facilities will save wear and tear on the club’s senior ground at Sunnyside, and relieve the pressure caused by all the club’s teams training on the Sunnyside ground. Well Known Mr G. Couch, one, of the lower grade managers and selectors, is well known as the president of the Lyttelton Rugby Club and also a president of the Canterbury Maori Rugby Association. Mr Couch is aged 63. One of his sons, D. Couch, is a prop in the Linwood senior team and he also referees lower grade matches. Solid Teams The Suburbs under sst 71b ; A team has played 11 games for eight wins, two losses and : a draw and is third in the , competition to New Brighton ■ and Linwood. I. Burgess, the hooker, is never far from the . ball, and the No. 8, A. Est- , wick, is adept in holding the 1 ball in the back of the scrum, gaining many penalties for • the side. The leading try ( scorers are G. Derbridge, ( half-back, a heady player, and B. Emanuel, an elusive ( and strong runner. Together > with J. Blag, five-eighths, they form a strong defence. ‘ T. Chandler and B. Brough- •

ton are the core of the forward strength in the tight.

The Suburbs under sst B team is fifth in the competition, having woh five games, lost five and drawn one. At the start of the season, the team had only five boys who had played Rugby before out of a squad of 18. All the players have trained consistently and have improved. Of the 15 tries scored by the team so far, 13 have gone to forwards. The captain, W. Lowrey, and R. Hurrell, lock, have scored four tries each, and M. , Chandler, breakaway, three. The hooker, S. Trustum, only eight years old, has given sterling service and the half-back, T. Bastion, is outstanding on defence.