RUGBY GOSSIP

Evening Star, Issue 19840, 13 April 1928, Page 12

RUGBY GOSSIP

PROSPECTS FOR THE SEASON HEAVY IHTERPROVINGIAL PROGRAMME SURVEY OF CLUB STRENGTH. [By Dark Blue.] Interest in Rugby, the national game of young New Zealand, and the game which attracts greater public attention, than any other, will in the next six months be intense, for in addition to the local football there will be the progress of the All Blacks in South Africa to follow. The appeal which the game makes to our youth may be gauged by the fact that in and around Dunedin it is estimated that this season over 2,000 players, exclusive of hundreds of schoolbovs, will be taking part. There is no need to stress the great physical benefit and hardening derived from the game, which it is # to be hoped will continue to prosper and be played in the right spirit. Though the doings of the Lew Zealand team in South Africa will naturally excite very great interest, ,it will not overshadow the interest in the club competitions, the first, second, and third grades of which will commence, on Saturday, April 21. Everything points to the 1923 season of Otago Rugby being as successful as any in the past. Public interest, enthusiasm on the part of the players, and healthy rivalry among the clubs are likely to be greater than ever, and there is every reason to suppose the standard of football will lie even higher. Practice has been earned out by most of the local clubs for some weeks past, and a number of teams had gales at Easter time. Plenty of players are offering, and competition for a place in most of the senior teams seems to be fairly keen. It is probable that there will again be ten teams in the senior competition, and consequently the union is wise in commencing the games early, particularly in view of the fact that there is a heavy programme of representative matches ahead, liveryone connected with football knows the value of regular and consistent train-_ ing, which it is hoped, club officials will see properly carried out. Players who are trained properly nob only benefit themselves immensely, but also give their club a vastly enhanced reputation. For several seasons past a number of senior players have given unmistakable evidence of lack of trainThe Otago , representative team will not- go on tour this year, ith the exception of the annual match at Invercargill with Southland. There is a possibility of Canterbury asking Otago to send a team to Christchurch to play for the Ranfurly Shield on the King’s Birthday (June 3). Teams from most of the principal unions, including Canterbury, Wellington, and Auckland, will visit Dunedin at the end of the season, and a return match will ho played with Southland at Dunedin. The annual match for , the Payne trophy between the premier teams of Dunedin and of Christchurrh will also take place in Dunedin this year. It behoves all senior men to train hard, chiefly for their own and their clubs’ sakes, but also so that Otago may make a good showing against the visiting sides. The Otago team that went north last year was not regarded as a very strong side, but it mad© a very strong side, bub it made a very creditable showing, and came back with a splendid record. After playing together and training hard the members of the side developed into a very strong conn, bination, showing that we have as good material here as anywhere else in NeC Zealand.

ROUND THE CLUBS. Though it is yet a little early to make prognostications with regard to club football, a survey of the probable l strength of the senior teams should be interesting. Last year’s premier team, University A, will again field a strong combination. There was some doubt whether Holden would play here this season, as it was thought ho might leave to teach at ;i country school. In tbo meantime, however, he is in town and will turn out behind the ’Varsity pack lor some weeks at least, and possibly for the whole season. Stevenson will probably play again as full-back, and other backs of last year who will be seen in action will be Webb, Pacey, and M'Clymont. Newcomers will bo Wallace, a centre three-quarter from Poverty Bay, Brandonovitch, a New Zealand" Universty representative, and Nicholson, an ex-Otago 'Varsity man who represented Southland last year. Both of the five-eighths of last year’s A team will be missing. Ross, having left the University, will play for Kaikorai, and Mitchell has retired from the game alter an honorable career. The forwards of the A team this year will be much the same as those of last year, but a, notable absentee will bo Dunne. The pack will be light, but, as in other years, will probably make up- for this by its great dash. There are also plenty of players for the B senior team.

Alhambra, who gave a good display on Easter Saturday in defeating Merivale (Christchurch), will field a fairly si!eng team. A new forward will bo W. Souter, ,a lock man from Heriot and a brother of Bob Souter. who will again be a front-row man. Among the other forwards will bo Campbell, M'Kowan, Gillick, and Lloyd, who were members of the pack last year. With proper coaching and training Alhambra’s backs should be among the host in town. Of last year’s bucks there are Ron Callender and Buchanan (both of whom showed good form last Saturday), Wyllie, Griffon, Coates, and King, Fairly extensive alterations have beer made to the chib’s pavilion at Opoiu by the members, and the whole condition of the place is a credit to tin club.

Zingari will field much the same senior team as last year. The backs are mostly young players, and with persistent training should develop into a good combination. A full-back has not yet been found in place of Heazlowood, but it is possible that one will be brought up from the junior grades. A new back who should do well is Caradus, who showed great promise in the High School team two years ago, and who is a son of an ex-Zingari and Otago forward (Dave Caradus). Other backs will be Orr, A. Kind ley, Proctor, Crawford, and Price. Pat Burt, who has joined the matrimonial ranks, will be missing from the forwards, which will include Murphy, Garside, Hoy Calder, Tyrell, M‘Ewan, and T. Richardson (a junior rep. last year). The Dunedin team will be much the same as last year. Its members are young, and, with training and enthusiasm, there is no reason why they should not show a big improvement this season. Southern will miss Jack Hore, who is leaving to-day with the New Zealand team for South Africa, but there are many other promising players in this team, which last year showed great improvement and played an attractive open game. Among the backs who will play this-year are Prebble, Peterson. M'ilroy, M'Kcrrow, and Neipier. Cecil ,

Lewis will again turn out for tho team, and most of last year’s forwards will be again seen in action.

Kaikorai will be greatly strengthened this season by the inclusion of Ross, the ’Varsity A player of the last three or four years and an Otago rep. Ross and Roy Callander will form a five-eighth line that should prove of great value to the Kaikorai teafh, usually strong in the forwards. The pack this year, which will include most of last year’s players, will be a very strong one. Practices have been carried out for some weeks, and the team

made a good showing in the match frith Pirates (Invercargill). The membership of the Pirates Club is again very large, and the Selection Committee will have a wide choice lor the senior team. The majority of last rear’s team will again play. It is unlerstood that Cheyne, the rep. Southland full-back, will play with Pirates, ind it will also bo strengthened by the inclusion of Francis, who played yell as half for the Waitaki High School. Likely players for the backs Ire Giles, Niven, Manuel, Faulks, and lolly. Four or five of last year’s forwards are offering, and the balance fioultl easily be obtained from the mini's. There is a chance that Munro, I good forward of the team of several fears ago, may again be in town. JOTTINGS. In the annual match between Kaikorai and Pirates (Jnvercargill), Ilayed at Invercargill on Easter Snturay, the home side led by 14 to 3 it half-time, and in the_ second spell Caikorai did all the scoring, to make me game a draw (14 all) at the finish. Each side scored four tries and conFcrted one. Kaikorai’s tries, were obtained by Roy Callander, Ross f2), and Brown, one being converted by Calrnder. According to the 1 Southland Rews ’ report, Ross played a very fine lame. The re-election of Mr Donald Stuart K president of the Otago Rugby Union the recent annual meeting was very Popular and a tribute to the way iu Which he has conducted affairs from the chair for the past two years. In lis day Donald Stuart was a very fine jonvard, and would have been away With the oi iginal All Blacks of 3005 lad ho not been rejected by the doc-

Tins year’s Selection Committee— Messrs li. Harris, A. ABDonald, and Pr Berry—should be able to give genual satisfaction and place a team in She field than will do credit to the province. They have all had previous [sperience as selectors, particularly Messrs Harris and ABDonald. The members of the visiting Mermile team were hospitably entertained at Bie Kaik last Sunday by the Alhambra flub. About 100 made the trip, and I highly enjoyable day was spent. A notable acquisition to the ranks of iugby Union football in Auckland this jeasoa will be A. Ealwasser, one of (he most prominent members of the Maori team which toured England, Vales, and Fiance in 1926. Falwasser las recently been playing in Taranaki, [eing a member of the Star Club, New Plymouth, but ho made his reputation k a whig three-quarter in the Hawke’s Jay fifteen during that province’s long Ease of the Ranfurly Shield. Falwasfer arrived in Auckland from Taranaki pis week, and it is said to be his infentiou to join the.Manukau Rovers Bub.

The Oamaru tournament attracted enough entries to fill the four greens available, and everything seems to have gone off well. There was a large contingent of Dunedin players, who showed up prominently in the final stages of all the events. Two Dunedin rinks—H. S. Reid (Kaituna) and J. Johnson (Dunedin) —reached the semi-finals of the champion rinks match before they were defeated; and the Meadowbank Rinks match was won outright by H. Harraway (St. Clair). The other St. Clair players were G. Bishop, D. Marshall, and F. Thomson, and it is said that they had to play a fine game to win the final against A. G. Robertson (Phoenix) on the last head. The champion pairs were won by J. Davis and T. W. Halligan (Kaituna); and in the Phoenix pairs J. Flint and J. Johnson (Dunedin) ran to second place. Johnson must he playing near old-time form. NOTES. Some of the ins and outs of scoring as shown in the Easter tournament; In the rinks section at Roslyn green Vcitch (West Harbor), in his first game, against S. Hutchison (Dunedin), scored only 3 against 22. Then he defeated Sanders, Brackenridge, and Tillie, and won his section. Alter Mitchell (Cavorshnm) had defeated M'Curdy (St. Hilda) and Cole (St. Clair) handily in his rink section he met Farrell (Caledonian). who had lost all three previous games, and tlio latter won by 24 to 4. One pair playing on St. Hilda green came from Taieri Club —T. M'Lennan and S. Edwards. According to_ their own account they had entered with no hope of winning—“just lor tho iun of the thing.” But they won three ot their four games, which qualified them to play off for the green with Lambeth and M'Donald (tho ultimate winners), and the latter had to win the game with his last howl. The > Taieri pair were groat sports, and quite took the fancy of those on the hank. The lead’s comments on his skip’s play, delivered in broad Scotch, were amusing, such as: “Mon, vc’ll ho pleased with this when it’s finished”; “Aye, Sim, ye’re a great player “ My! it’s a beauty ; “ It’s a good yin, right on the kitty—no, it’s just gone past.” And the opponents came in for full credit, too. The skip protested that' he was very nervous, and told the bankers that he was not used to an audience; but he played well, all the same. . . Two old tournament players joined forces in W. Robson and C. R. Smith (Otago). They lost only one of their four games, and that by 11 to 12. St. Hilda Club closes the season to ; morrow afternoon with games in which the lady players will take a part. The ladies’ section finished up yesterday afternoon after a very successful season. St. Clair and Caverslinra Clubs meet to-morrow afternoon on the latter’s preen tn play the annual match for tho Jones Cup. Another annual competition to he decided to-morrow is for the Loving Cup which is contested hv Balmacewen Club and Otago Club players. Both greens will ho used for this competition, and a social gathering will he held afterwards in the Balmacewen pavilion. Still another match for to-morrow is the eighteen-rink game between Caledonian and Dunedin.

Mornington Club closes the season tomorrow, and the Winter Club starts right away, with a social on Monday evening. ‘ The club’s competitions resulted "as follows; —Championship doubles, D. Scott and Rev. S. J. Cooper: championship singles, J. L. Smith; handicap singles, W. Hobbs. It is a remarkable fact that Balmacowen' Club, after over twenty years’ existence, and having numbered many fine players in its ranks during all those years, cannot point to a single trophy certificate hanging on its pavilion walls. This will now be remedied. The effort to bring about a change'was very determined, for Balmacewen pairs won both first and second prizes at the recent tournament. The club may make a habit of catching certificates from now on. Caversham Ladies’ Club held a progressive doubles tourney yesterday afternoon. The winners were Mrs Melville (skip) and Airs Hamann (lead), who each won all four games. The minor prizes went to Airs Dempster and Airs Muir. Next Thursday the season closes with a gala day, progressive rinks being the attraction. AVherever a few bowlers gather together arguments arise regarding the rules. One such took place at Oamarn, and I have been asked for an opinion. The discussion was concerning the behaviour of a jack driven against the bank, running .up nearly to the top of it, and eventually returning to the ditch within the boundary of the rink. Some maintained that the jack, having risen above the level of the green, even though it did not strike any foreign' object, was dead. Rut there seems no warrant for this. A hank may have a slope on it (which it should not have), and the jack may run quite a considerable distance up; hut if it returns without striking any foreign object 1 take it that it is alive. The rule roads: “If a jack or bowl bo driven by a bowl in play against any neutral bowl, either on the green or above the level of the bank, it shall be dead, notwithstanding that it comes to rest within the boundaries of the rink. . . . If the jack be driven by a bowl in play against the hank and rebound on to the green within the limits of the rink it is alive, and shall remain where it rests.” A correspondent sends the following two paragraphs:— An .amusing incident occurred at the Oamarn tournament when a couple of pairs met to play off their game. Load No. 1 asked name of opposing lead, and he was told M‘ • “Why,” he said, “ that is the same as mine.’ “Yes,” said No. 2; “you know' me.” “No,” was the reply; “I do not remember seeing you before.” "AVcll,” bo said, "you ought to remember me, ns yon gave me seven days’ C.B. while In France.” “Ah, well!” said No. 1, much to the amusement of those around; "you must have deserved it.” The game then proceeded in good spirit, and on this occasion it was the private’s turn to prove the superior man of the two. _ . . The practice of driving at bowling matches has always been a vexed question. there being great diversity of opinion as to whether it should be allowed at all. From what the writer saw at the recent Oamarn tournament he is satisfied that the time has_ come when the matter must be considered from a spectator’s standpoint. One young man in his determination to smash up a head that was against him drove wuth such vigor and such recklessness as to send his bowl right across old Phoenix green over the ditches and bank between the two greens, only to be stopped by the bank on the far side of the new green. Another player drove with such force that his bowl when it struck the bank rose in the air and struck the back of one of the seats and fell on the sent. The players concerned may congratulate themselves that no one was injured by their recklessness, as there were numbers of visitors present at the green, including many children. Some check should be made on driving, or visitors, for their own protection, should only he allowed to gathtr on the sides of the green.