College rugby milestone

Press, 14 May 1981, Page 32

College rugby milestone

One hundred years ago today a rugby match at the Southbridge Domain started the Lincoln College club on the way to a long and honourable history. The occasion will be remembered by the inclusion of a' match between the present college and Southbridge senior teams when the club holds its centenary celebrations this Sunday and Monday. A centennial banquet will be held on the Sunday, and the next afternoon there will be two celebration games on the college sports ground. The Southbridge match will start at 1.15 p.m., and then a President’s XV will oppose Canterbury sub-unions. One of Lincoln College’s All Blacks, Duncan Hales, who has been boosting rugby in the mid-western states in

the U.S.A., will play for the president’s team. Other former college students in the side will include Paul Macfie (Otago and South Island), Brian Dickison (Southland), Gerard Scott (South Canterbury) and Hugh Kjestrup (Wairarapa-Bush). Two All Blacks from Counties, Andy Dalton and Brett Codlin, were unavailable, but the former Canterbury and South Island lock, Ron Lockwood (now of Waikato) is a possible starter. Andy Hollander (Otago), who captained New Zealand Juniors last season, John McLay and Paul Cunneen (Mid-Canterbury) will also be in the side. “Canterbury sub-unions

was chosen as the other team for the main match because of the college’s long involvement with country rugby,” said Mr Neil Gow, the president of the college club. “The sub-unions’ team is just back from Australia, and we thought it might welcome the opportunity to show off its wares in a festival type game.” About 200 former members of the club are expected to attend the celebrations, but Mr Gow said that the centenary was being marked over a number of events — the college side’s trip to Canada earlier this year being one of them. At Easter week-end the club was host for the inaugural South Island triangular universities’ rugby tournament, and a centennial ball

will be held later in the season. Lincoln College has produced six All Blacks, a further six who attained that honour after leaving the college, and about 140 interprovincial representatives. Last season when Hollander captained the juniors, another student, Albert Anderson, led the New Zealand colts, with an old boy, Mr Peter Wild, as manager. For the first 80 years of its existence, Lincoln College club played in the Ellesmere sub-union’s competitions, with considerable success. Since switching to the city competition it has won the senior championship in 1969, the first round contest in 1971, and it is leading the race for the C.S.B. Cup at present.