N.Z. LEAGUE TEAM

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 August 1930, Page 11

N.Z. LEAGUE TEAM

RUGBY SUPPORTER’S GIFT. [special to “star.”] AUCKLAND, August 22. The Council of the New Zealand Rugby League met, last evening. In the course of a brief resume of i the New Zealand tour of Australia, Mr J. A. Ferguson, the financial manager stated that the visitors experienced exceptional hospitality. At Young, in the Southern district of New South Wales, there were no gate or other charges and at a cost of £lO (shared by New Zealand) the match was insured for £lOO against bad weather. The Agricultural Ground there was also the best played on in Australia. A very pleasant feature of the tour was the presentation of a silver football trophy by Mr R. O. Courtney, of Christchurch, for inter-island competition to mark his esteem for the team which he accompanied as far as Sydney. Mr Ferguson remarked that Mr Courtney was a Rugby Union supporter, but he was so delighted with the boys that he insisted on making' this tangible presentation. As he was a Canterbury man it was felt that the trophy could be best applied to the iuter-Island fixture. The President, after accepting the gift, said he was sure that this beautiful symbol of goodwill would be much contested. Mr Janies Carlaw said that such an honour coming from an outsider was one of the greatest compliments ever paid to the code in New Zealand. Mr W. J. Taylor, the team manager, said he was proud to be with a team able to bring back such evidence of its splendid conduct. Nothing could be better as a national trophy. The President: It only needs someone to donate another trophy of the kind, and the three North Island Leagues will be able to divide the honours by holding a trophy each in future. I understand that at present, the Leagues take turns at holding the cup. It was decided to allot the Courtney trophy for 1931 competition as desired, and to arrange for its exhibition in the city. The complete official reports by the touring team managers will be submitted* at an early date.

TO-MORROW’S DISTRICT GAMES. Some good League should be seen at Wingham Park to-morrow, when Kohinoor meet Brunner in a Bradshaw Cup game. Both teams are keen and appear to be evenly matched. Now that the Knockout Senior competition is over, chief interest will be ceiitred in the final of the Junior Knockout, also to be played at Wingham Park between Runanga and Ngahere. Runanga defeated Marist by the slim margin of two points last week, and they will have to play brilliant League to gain the ascendancy over the sturdy and solid Ngahere thirteen. The other senior games are played at Nelson Creek, where Runanga play Nelson Creek and at Blackball where Marist are to try conclusions with the Blackball thirteen. Both these games will be well worth seeing.