EARLY DAYS OF RUGBY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3381, 23 July 1928, Page 7

EARLY DAYS OF RUGBY.

] NTERESTING REMINISCENCES

To Mr R. C. Tennent, who is now living in retirement at Napier after having conn plcted 52 years’ service with the Bank of New South Wales, belongs the honour ol being the founder of the first Rugby football club in Now Zealand. A keen athlete in bis day, Mr Tennent represented Nelson at cricket and football, and was also the champion mile runner of the province for three years. In an interview with the Wellington correspondent of the “Otago Daily Times" lie related some Jntcresting reminiscences of the first interprovincial match played in the Dominion, and had also something to say about the standard of play to-day. “It was either in 1868 or 1869," said Mr Tennent, that the “first club was formed in New Zealand.” Finding that there was nothing to do in the winter months, the young men at Nelson, where Mr Tennent was attached to the staff of the Bank of New South Wales, decided to call a meeting with a view to forming a did) in the district. “A dub was formed,” said Mr Tennent, “but we were not <piito certain what rules we should adopt. We had the Association rules and the rules of the Victoria Association. We decided to give both a try out, and while we were doing so Mr C. J. Munro, a son of Sir David Munro, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives. returned from England, where he had been attending school at Cherborne. Ho suggested that we should try Rugby. We did, and we liked it better than any of the other codes. We formed a club, and 1 was elected secretary and treasurer. The Nelson College adopted the same rules and thus the game was started. After wo had been playing for about two years Mr C. J, Munro wrote to me from Wellington, stating that the Government steamer Luna was visiting Nelson to pick up Panama mail, and that he had seen Sir Julius Vogel, who had granted the team a free passage to Wellington on the Luna, to play against a fifteen of English players. When we came over we found the Basin reserve half covered with water and unplayable, so we decided to play at the Hutt. We went out in two drags. We found a suitable field near Petone, and it was there that the first international Rugby match was played, being won by Nelson by three goals to nil. The rules, as played then, were similar to those played now, with the exception that when a scrum was formed all tlie forwards stood opposite one another in a line, the hall was thrown in between the lines by one of Ibe players, and everyone kicked at it as it passed. In those days only goals were counted. The game was very fast—much faster than it is today, and the running and drop-kicking of the players was a feature. “The following year the visit was returned, the game being played in the Nelson Botanical Gardens. Nelson again won by three goals to nil. The third interprovincial match was played in 1874 on the Basin Reserve in the presence of the Governor and a large crowd of spectators. Many of the armed constabulary were in the Wellington team, and the game was a most strenuous one. Mr Alfred Runny, of the TsVlson side, being taken off with concussion of the brain, and a Wellington player, on s of the constabulary, with a broken leg. It ended in a draw.”

Mr Tennent played for Nelson in all three matches, and was captain in the third match. When he left Nelson he was captain of the Patca team for five years. When he retired from football he was elected a life member of the Athletic Club (Wellington) in recognition of the fact that he was the founder of Rugby football in New Zealand. “It may be interesting to players to know,” said Mr Tennent, “that Sir Douglas McLean played for Wellington in the second interprovincial match and Mr A. B. Campbell, now of Napier, for Nelson in the third match ; and also Mr James Burnett. late Chief Engineer of Railways. The captain of the Wellington side in the first two matches was Mr Isherwood, and in the third match Mr Worry. On the Nelson side the captain of the first match was Mr Alfred Drew, of Palmerston North: in the second. Archdeacon Kempthorne; and in the third Mr Tennent. “The game,” said Mr Tennent, “has increased enormously in popularity. At first it was played mostly by the colleges and men in legal and mercantile pursuits. Today it is New Zealand’s national game. I consider that the standard of play was never higher than it is to-day, and F look forward with a certain amount of confidence that New Zealand will win the ma.jorits of the test matches in South Africa. Mv experience of 60 years has been that the love of the game has increased to an enormous extent. It has invaded every section of the community, and if it is not carried to an excess it will be for the ultimate benefit of the whole nation.”