Canty defending

Press, 19 August 1978, Page 12

Canty defending

Canterbury will be endeavouring to extend its already proud record at the South Island under 18 rugby tournament when the sixth annual tournament is held in Christchurch next week.

Canterbury, the defending champion, is poised to register an unprecedented third successive win in the prestigious event. The province won the title in 1976, beating Southland in the final, while Nelson Bays was the losing finalist last year.

Canterbury hosted, and won, the inaugural under 18 South Island tournament in 1973, and since then has participated in every final. In 1974 and 1975. th-. Otago team proved too strong for the Canterbury selection. The original idea for a South Island age-group rugby tournament is credi-

ted to Mr Syd Husband, a former executive member of the Canterbury Rugby Union now living on the West Coast.

In the mid-19605, Mr Husband proposed a South Island under 16 tournament, and it is said that he offered to eat his hat if it was not a success. The first championship was held by Canterbury in 1970, setting a precedent for the rest of New Zealand, and Mr Husband's hat was safe. The North Island chimed in on Canterbury’s original idea a little later, and two regional tournaments — a Northern and a Central section— have been established. Such was the success of the under 16 venture that the concept was extended to under 18 sides, and this led to the first under 18 tournament in 1973.