Sunday Play On Trial In League Grand Final

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32073, 22 August 1969, Page 13

Sunday Play On Trial In League Grand Final

(By Our Rugby League Reporter?

The possibility of playing major Rugby league club and representative matches on Sundays in future seasons will be on trial when Marist-Western Suburbs and Hornby meet in the grand final of the 1969 championship at the Show Grounds on Sunday.

It is perhaps appropriate that Marist-Western Suburbs should reach the grand final for it was this club which first suggested a Sunday grand final at the league’s annual general meeting in March.

Marist-Western Suburbs, with the backing of the management committee of club delegates, continued to support the change from the traditional Saturday date and the Canterbury board of control recently agreed to avoid clashes with the Industries Fair and the New Zealand Metropolitan meeting In the same area.

However, some of the more experienced members of the board spoke against the move during discussion on the matter. Doubts were expressed whether the Sunday fixture would attract a crowd larger than those which attended the two previous grand finals. Sundays in Auckland Sunday club Rugby league has been played on a number of occasions in Auckland

this season, usually after representative games the previous day. Because of a major race meeting being held in Auckland on the Saturday, the first test between Australia and New Zealand was held on a Sunday in June, as was one of last season’s world championship matches.

In Sydney, only two or three of the six premiership games are held each Saturday, the remaining matches in the round being played the following day. Sunday has for many years been the traditional Rugby league day on the West Coast and most provinces in the country have held representative. matches and tournaments on Sundays.

Youth on Parade The grand final will be the only senior match at the Show Grounds on Sunday and will be preceded by an 8years representative match, a band display and a parade of the eight teams which will compete in the New Zealand schoolboy’s 15-years provincial tournament, beginning on Monday. There will also be a “mini-match” between the Hornby and Marist-Western Suburbs 8-years teams at halftime in the grand final.

After the game the successful team will be presented with the winners’ medals and the Pat Smith Challenge Trophy. The probable teams are; Hornby: T, Jones; R. O. Moffat, B. W. Langton (captain), I. J. Dalzell, W. Woodgate; R. A. Neilan. B. Houston; P. Wrlgnt. K. M. Neiman, B. Smith; W. R. Robertson, G. Woodgate, R. Condick (one to be omitted); P. Caldwell.

Marist-Western Suburbs: W, D. Beri; B. F. Dobbs, D. K. Menzies, J. A. Rothwell, P. V. Costigan or D. Mathews; R. S. J. Irvine, P. R. H. Brown: G. A. Cowan, R. J. A. MacKenzle, M. H. Mohi; G. Dennehy, J. J. M. Worters; P, V, B. Smith (captain).