Rugby club’s milestone

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32879, 30 March 1972, Page 17

Rugby club’s milestone

One of Canterbury’s oldest Rugby clubs Merivale-Papanui, will celebrate its ninetieth anniversary this weekend. The Merivale club was formed in 1882, and its senior side won the championship six times between 1890 and 1912. Its only success since that fruitful era was in 1931, when the team was captained by the club’s most notable product, the New Zealand cricket and Rugby representative, C. J. Oliver.

In a bid to build up its strength, Merivale amalgamated with Papanui in 1965, and the club has since operated under the double-barrel-led name. If the welding of Merivale

and Papanui has yet to produce a strong senior side, the club has at least depth in its lower grades, splendid facilities. and unbounded enthusiasm among its members. Twice in the last five years the club has sent playing parties to Australia. The anniversary celebrations will begin tomorrow and continue until Sunday. On Saturday, at St James Park, the club’s senior side will play Alhambra, of Dunedin, a rival of long standing. Another Christchurch senior team, New Brighton, will take part in a quadrangular club tournament in Wellington at the week-end. It will face the champion sides of three unions—Petone (Wellington), University (Otago), and Manurewa (Counties). Although it will have the

services of three Canterbury forwards, K. J. Tanner, I. H. Penrose and E. R. Leask, New Brighton will be under a handicap. as it has lost most of its backs of last season. Petone, with nine Wellington representatives at its disposal, is the likely winner.