PONEKE-ORIENTAL WIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 58, 6 September 1943, Page 6

PONEKE-ORIENTAL WIN

The Wellington senior Rugby championship was decided on Saturday afternoon under conditions comparable with the worst on record for play. All but senior matches were postponed, and some of the senior teams decided later on that there was no point in playing, while those teams which did take the field were only too ready to agree to playing time being curtailed. There were some hundreds of spectators at Athlotic Park to, see the football there. It was short measure, even though a curtain-raiser was played, and they were as satisfied at that as were the players. The vital match of the day was that in which Petone met the championship leaders, Poneke-Oriental. It was Petone's task to beat the leaders, otherwise the championship was over. Petone fovind it 'too great a task; in fact, once Petone had been kept to a 3-point lead with the wind in the first spell, Poneke-Orien-tal experienced no difficulty, in spite of the atrocious conditions, In placing the issue beyond doubt. The match did not last an hour. Poneke-Oriental's success gave the Poheke Club the double distinction of winning the championship in both their silver and diamond jubilee years, and it brought Oriental back to top honours after a long period of years. At the conclusion of the < match Mr.. I. Thompson, Petone's club captain, offered Petone's congratulations to the winners, whose record, he said, was worthy of the result, and he expressed pleasure at seeing Oriental's namo once again associated with the championship title. Reply was made by Mr. E. A. Little, Oriental's president, who appreciated the reference to his club's part and who said that the combination was a happy one. The other match at Athletic Park was between Athletic and Wellington College Old Boys. It was also curtailed, Athletic having a comfortable lead when the players called it a day. In the Hutt-Marist match, which might have had a bearing upon the championship, the points were evenly shared when play was abandoned part way through the second spell. The Army-Wellington match was not played. Navy maintained their place as runners-up to Johnsonville in the Hardham Cup competition by a narrow win over University. No other Hardham Cup matches were played. Results were:— Jubilee Cup. Poneke-Oriental 11 (tries by Johns, Cleverley, and Larsen. one converted by V. Calcinai), beat Petone 3 (a try by Southee). Athletic 14 (tries by Blair two and Drury, one converted by Muir, who also kicked a penalty goal), beat Wellington College Old Boys 6 (a try by Lindsay and a penalty goal by Brothers Old Boys 9 (a try by Phair and two penalty goals by Stanaway), drew with Hutt 9 (tries by Parker, Pcrrett, and The match between Army and Wellington was not played. Hardham Cup. . Navy 5 (a try by Slate, which was converted by Webster), beat University 3 (a try by Eastbourne won from Air Force by default,' the match between Seatoun and A.N.A, was not played, and Miramar won from Air liesorve by default.