RUGBY FOOTBALL

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 72, 26 March 1940, Page 13

RUGBY FOOTBALL

PIRATES' TOURNEY

WON BY WANGANUI

The Rugby football tournament for North Island Pirates, which concluded at Athletic Park yesterday afternoon, was won by the Wanganui team. The winners hold the Wallace Cook Shield, previously held by Kia Toa, Palmerston North, for two years and by Napier for one year. Two matches were played yesterday, Kia Toa beating Wellington Pirates: by 9 points to 5 and Wanganui beating Napier by 9 points to nil.

Main interest was in the WanganuiNapier■'■filial,, for which the teams were:—

Wangahui.—A. Duncan; G. Pedley, McPike, Larsen; Wiwi, Wilson; G. Duncan; Kench, Green, Deerness, Phizaclea, B. Pedley, Parnell, Dawson, Barnes.

Napier.—Bligh; Wickham, Christie, Krogh; Dowrick, Fullerton; Josephs; Lopdellj Muni, McKenzie, Wolstenholme, Lynn, Keeble, Frazer, Hammond.

The wind affected the. play, but nevertheless there were good showings By both sides; members of which occasionally worked up some spectacular combined movements. Playing with the wind in the first half Wanganui made numerous advances, but these were effectively countered, and Wanganui had to be satisfied with a penalty goal by A. Duncan as; the only score of the spell. There was quite an amount of [sting in the Napier attacks, and thei expenditure of energy against the wind had its effect in the second half, during which Wanganui showed up to better advantage than in the first half. For Wanganui G. Pedley scored two tries, but Napier could not turn pro-i mising rushes to account, and a keenly-contested game ended without! further scoring. The referee was Mr. J. Gilchrist. .