FIRST ALL BLACK HONOUR BROUGHT HOME TO GISBORNE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23041, 3 September 1949, Page 6

FIRST ALL BLACK HONOUR BROUGHT HOME TO GISBORNE

The selection of R. A. White for today's match, New Zealand versus Australia, gave intense gratification to Rugby lootball iollowers in this district, who had fully expected the honour to fall upon this young player after his work for the combined Poverty BayEast Coast team in the recent match against the Australian touring side at Gisborne. '■

White’s feat in gaining outright All Black honours is unique in Poverty Bay's Rugby record, for although this district has supplied several Maori representatives and has seen several former Poverty Bay players nominated from districts to which they moved after learning the game here, he is the first to secure selection direct from Gisborne for a New Zealand team nominated on an unrestricted basis. The second son of Mr. and Mrs. H. M. White, Ngatapa, he started his football career in Gisborne and developed a good deal while a student at the Feilding Agricultural School. On his return to Gisborne he joined the H. 5.0.8. club, and quickly won district representative honours when he emerged as a senior in the middle war years.

Too young to serve during the war, he was a volunteer for J-Force duties, and during his sojourn in Japan he was a prominent member of the New Zealand Brigade team which won the the Freyberg Cup in inter-Army competition, the outstanding match being against the Australian formation’s! team.

Returning to New Zealand in time to take part in this season’s Rugby activities in his home district, White immediately established himself as one of the -most powerful and enduring forwards available, and as a back-row man or lock was equally useful. A great line-out player and a persistent and fairly speedy follower of the ball in the open, he was a powerful reinforcement to a district scrum which though fast lacked a decisive drive. Still young, he has reached a position in the national Rugby picture which ensures consideration of his talents in the selection of future All Black teams, and even with the competition of those forwards now playing in South Africa he should have many more successes.