THE CLOSING STAGES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 49, 26 August 1922, Page 14

THE CLOSING STAGES

LOCAL CLUB CONTESTS

REPRESENTATIVE FORM,

■ (By .i'Dropkick.") While representative matches are now in. fnjl swing throughout the Dominion -^nd not overlooking , the*. ;fact that " Wellington. Baa a- team on tour—local attention was ■ recalled to club football "to-day, to the final for the senior championship. The other main centres completed their club football well ahead of Wellington this season, but they did riot have the experience of an , unexpected turn of the tide such as'that has carried the locai championship into the period, gptapar^for. representative , and special matches. ' Fortunately, the Wellington- Bugby Union ' had not arranged for a representative .'. game.to.be played loqally to-day, and the playroff for the championship found a most suitable place in the varied programme1 for the cjosing stages of the season. • To-dass event will conclude senior club football for the season, except .that a match is to be placed for the Challenge Cup. In some of the lower grades,: however, competition has been;so keen that it may be, necessary . to continue play for a. few weeks. The senior'championship his reached a moat ■ interesting stage,, three teams being still in the ■ fighting : line. Finality in the third - grade i should be . reached to-day, one team (Berhampore) having a clear lead of four points after last week's games. There are about four teams in< the running for the intermediate championship, go that matches imay continue in this grade for two or three weeks. It w*s expected that: the winner of the fourth grade competition would be disclosed to-day. The fifth, clau. championship has been closed, Petone A, .with a very fine record, being the win•■■ners, provided that they satisfy,' the fßngby: Union that their players during 'the .season have been within the age p>. limit. No championship is awarded in ~y grades with, age limits until sUch infor- "^ matfon Ja giren. The position in the . sixth, grade competition is that two teams (Petone and Wellington College . A) are equal at the top of the ladder. The-question of closing tibia competition will probably B». duocnaed at next -week's meeting of the union. The < seventh grade championship has been , won by Wellington' College, subject to , the nofa"fles*fo» regarding the ages of players being in order, Althongh the atand&rd of play mi the senior oompeti- : 'tion has not been good, the form generally it) tile lower grades' has been very encouraging for the future of the game.'' '■■'■■ ' • ■

Prom the various results of representative matches, it would appear that the .main .strength of Eugby football lies •an tbe South this season. Otago and I Southland have already met with much success, while the northern teams (Hawkes Bay excluded) have not made a very good impression:l Otago' may be regarded, on performances to date, as the leading province, but sight must not be lost of the fact- that the travelling teams do »not fully-represent the strength of the provinces. Wellington, on their own ground, have made a poor showing. « ;