RUGBY LEAGUE Runanga And Blackball Win First Matches

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 April 1949, Page 9

RUGBY LEAGUE Runanga And Blackball Win First Matches

A most impressive victory for the 1948 champions. Rnnanga, and a narrow win for Blackball were the features of the official opening of the new West. Coast Rugby League season on Sunday. Early in the day, Aveat.her conditions were so bad that, a postponement must have been seriously considered if the opening had not already-been late, but there was an improvement in the afternoon, with only brief showers of rain during the senior matches. In the circumstances, the attendances at both senior games were excellent. The surprise of the day was the ease of Runanga’s victory over Marist, but .although Runanga’s form was most impressive, the result was hardly a fair indication of the season’s prospects, as Marist played the whole of the second spell’ a forward short and then lost its full-back before the final try was scored. This weakening of the Marist team robbed an otherwise excellent game of much of its interest.

Fears that Blackball might have been weakened as to seriously affect the competition were dispelled at Ngahere, where it had a narrow victory in an exciting game, without a try being .scored by either side. Results in all grades were as follows:—

Senior.—Runanga , 34, Marist 8; Blackball 12, Ngahere nil. Senior Reserve.—Marist 14, Runanga 13; Nelson Creek 5, Blackball 5; Rapahoe won by default from Cobden. Third Grade.—Cobden 32, Kohinoor nil; Ngahere 3, Runanga 2. Fourth Grade.—Cobden 23, Kohinoor nil; Hokitika 14, Runanga 2; Blackball 6, Marist 0. Fifth Grade.—Marist 20, Kohinoor 5; Hokitika 13, Runanga 6.