Under 16 tournament an outstanding success

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32700, 1 September 1971, Page 13

Under 16 tournament an outstanding success

When the inaugural South Island under 16 tournament concluded at Rugby Park, Christchurch, last year, after a week of excellent and exciting Rugby, it was generally considered that the tournament could become an annual event.

This year at Invercargill these hopes became reality when the Southland Rugby Football Union was host to teams from the majority of the provinces of the South Island.

During the first week of the school holidays the 191 boys representing Canter- , bury had the opportunity to , experience the tense atmos- j phere of tournament compe- ( tition and to enjoy the re- j nowned hospitality of the ,

deep south. The Canterbury team compiled an excellent record, losing only one game, 18-6. This defeat came in the team’s first match against South Canterbury when travel fatigue may have affected the players, although both teams scored two tries. In the three succeeding matches, Canterbury beat West Coast (26-3), MidCanterbury (13-9), and Marlborough (12-0). In the Coast game, the Canterbury centre lan Mather scored four of his team’s eight tries with some elusive and penetrative running. Although uncertain and a little tentative early in its games, the team invariably played strongly in the second spell, and this was very apparent in the game against MidCanterbury when, down 9-0, it fought back to win 13-9, through some excellent work by its forward pack. Playing the curtain raiser to the final, Canterbury defeated Marlborough—one of the 1970 finalists—by a convincing margin. Throughout the tournament, the team scored 14 tries, all of them by its backs. After the final between Southland and South Canterbury, which Southland won, a South Island team was selected which included one Canterbury player, Brent Harris, a second five-eighth who earned his selection by his consistently reliable play on attack and defence. In the “Rest” XV, who opposed the South Island side, lan Mather was joined by wing. Bill Bond, who also had a successful tournament.

The Canterbury forwards scrummaged exceptionally

well throughout the four games, and Phillip Donnithome, who led the pack, gave a fine example in the tight and the loose, while Brian Eves was far from outclassed by his/ opposing flankers over the four matches.

The winning team, Southland, was an extremely wellbalanced combination with big, but mobile, forwards, and an enterprising backline. The traditional strength of the Southland tight forwards was a vital contribution to the team’s success. The run-ner-up, South Canterbury, a very lively side, was unfortunate in that one of its key players was injuired in the early minutes of the final game. Last year’s finalists, Canterbury Sub-unions and Marlborough both dropped a game in the first round. After long hours of travel they were unable to show their best form in later matches. The coach of the Canterbury side, Mr B. Frear, considered that the standard of Rugby played at the tournament was extremely high. The players were hampered in their efforts to play open : Rugby by the heavy nature of the Rugby Park ground, but, as the Canterbury scoring record suggests, backlines were an integral part of strategies adopted by the various teams. It was generally agreed among the officials present at Invercargill that the incentive of the tournament had lifted the standard of play in the local grade competitions prior to the selection of the team. It was significant too that the tournament games though keenly contested, produced no instances of Rugby being secondary to fighting. The organisation of the tournament was of a similarly admirable quality. Each representative team was made

the guest of a local Southland club who was respon-

sible for the billeting and en- ■ tertainment of the players. , This scheme was considered iby both players and officials :to be without question the i best method of caring for ; the players, and it permitted ■ the young men to discover for themselves the famed

Southland hospitality. The manager of the Canterbury team (Mr J. E. Cummings), as one of the instigators of an under-16 tournament, felt that the administration of this year’s tournament was most successful; he also made special comment on the fact that all participating unions were eager to offer their services as host associations for several years to come, in spite of the financial burden involved. The under-16 tournament is a daring .-and visionary scheme: it provides players at a vital stage in their Rugby - playing development with incentive to practice and play the game seriously. Furthermore it offers players a challenge and a test By all accounts, at Invercargill, the teams involved did credit to themselves, their province . and their homes, and thus ensured the continued success of this fine tournament. There remains one last opportunity for underweight teams to enjoy the 1971 season—the Linwood Club is again organising the Green and Black seven -a - side tournament which will be held at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday, September 11. Entries should be made at once to the club.

Tennis.—Miss K. Melville (Australia) beat Miss F, Durr (France). 6-3, 6-7, 7-6, in the final of the $20,000 Virginia Slims grass-court tennis championships at Newport, Rhode Island. Golf.—D. Sikes (U.S.) shot a record-breaking 67 to tie with J. Jewell for the lead after two rounds of the $60,000 Liggett and Yers-Concord open golf tournament in New York. J. Lister (NX) had a second round of 72 after an 80.