Big Clash In Rugby League

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32265, 7 April 1970, Page 17

Big Clash In Rugby League

Hornby and Marist • Western Suburbs, the 1969 major championship grand finalists, have been drawn to meet in the main game when the Canterbury Rugby league club season begins at the Show Grounds on Saturday.

Hornby reversed three earlier narrow defeats by MaristWestern Suburbs to win the championship, 10-9, in an exciting match played before the largest crowd to attend a club fixture in Canterbury. On Saturday the DesmondRogers Memorial Trophy will also be at stake. The other semi-finalists, Ad dington and Papanui, will play in the curtain-raiser on the main ground. Linwood and Sydenham, and Christchurch - Eastern Suburbs and Kaiapoi, have been drawn against each other on the subsidiary ground. The Canterbury board of control last evening agreed to a recommendation from its match committee that three full rounds be played in the minor premiership this sea-

son, compared with two rounds in the three seasons since the new style of competition was introduced. In conjunction with the first round will be the Tavendale Cup competition, and the most successful team in the second and third rounds will have the right to challenge Marist-Western Suburbs for the Vivian Cup. The semifinals, preliminary final and grand final will be played in September.