KIWI RUGBY TEAM’S FINE RECORD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21962, 5 March 1946, Page 2

KIWI RUGBY TEAM’S FINE RECORD

THE New Zealand Army Rugby team has completed its main

mission—the tour of the British Isles. Without claiming to be the pick of New Zealand’s present playing strength it has on occasions produced highlights well up to the form of some of the best All Black sides of the past. Its occasional failures should detract nothing from the pleasure with which the people of the Dominion will review its record. Two losses, two draws and one or two “narrow squeaks” in the course of 27 matches involving much travelling and the meeting of many doughty opponents eager to lower their colours signify a performance of no ordinary merit.

One of the greatest mistakes made by some New Zealanders is to harbour the belief that, because the Soccer code has been popularly called Britain’s national winter pastime, Rugby over there is not particularly strong. Although, the glamour of professionalism, associated with keen trophy competitions and organised gambling, attracts huge crowds to the Soccer arenas, Rugby is favoured by innumerable young amateurs who put every ounce of enthusiasm into the game. The sports pages of the London weekly newspapers publish the scores registered in a surprisingly large number of first-class Rugby matches apart from junior grades and school football. The game has derived much benefit from tours by teams from the Dominions; the standard lias been high for many years and it is improving steadily. That is the real reason why the Kiwis have not had matters all their own way. Even on the Continent, where our men will play their last games, there may bo tough opposition. A strong Welsh side had a hard match against France in December and won by eight points to nil after scoring those points in the latter half of the second spell. There is no such thing nowadays as overwhelming Rugby superiority on the part of any country. This is probably all the better for the game.