RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 25 July 1925, Page 12

RUGBY

Though there have not been many o-reat displays of the game in the district interest in the competitions has been exceedingly well maintained, both in Saturday and in V ednesday competitions. There have been many more playing members out on the held and a large* number of young players. These facts are all to the good of the game, and it. is certain that in the near future the results following on the number and the youth of the players must tell. If only teams and individual players vVduld practise and' tram the good resulting from the consistent training, would increase still moie. Pill vers generally have not yet realised that there is no' other way of securing the best results and a joy in playing that is worth a lot to the individual. To be able to “tear into it,” as the expression goes, to bear without inju 1 \ the knocks incidental to n strenuous o-aine, and to finish as fresh as paint and able to go hard in the last deciding few minutes, when the strain begins to tell on the imperfectly trained • man—these are the joyous times in the life of the young, .absolutely fit player that are worth living and that make Rugby such a wonderful attraction for tlieT young men of the nation. Such conditions, too. go a long way towaids making it so popular with the people generally and to establish it, as it has become, as the great national game. There is no doubt that a lot of the football played this season has not been worthy of the reputation made m the world of Rugby by Taranaki in the past. There have been many bright displays, and some have been good football. But, taking it by ami large, the proportion of good,' classy football has not been nearly as large a's should have been the case'. There is undoubteclly too often «i fooling that a clvih team must win,- and that the standard of p!a v does not matter so long as they do score a win. Tf teams would see that the members were well trained mid that there was some coaching and practice in the finer points of the game they would realise that the fast, open plav is the winning game. Committees of clubs could do a lot towards fostering - this spirit, to th© good of their teams and to the benefit of Rugby generally. The value of the dressing rooms, with their line of baths, at the show ground lias been f realised more _ tban ever since they have been available, and the remark has often been made that footballers wonder why Hawera has gone so long without them. Their value was stressed by the headmaster of- the Technical High School at the last meeting of the board. when the matter was under discussion. There is no doubt the snorts bodies owe a great deal to those men who worked up the project, and especially to Mr Hooker, who ran the art union that supplied the funds secured. The hearty co-operation of the late and present president and committee of the Egmont A. and P. Association is also heartily acknowledged by footballers generally. The value of the rooms is certain to be appreciated more and more every year. Last year two young Maoris, Jerry and Kami, were playing in the Ohangai team, and at the same time their father was also in the' team. All played a good game. ' There is considerable emulation amongst the members of the Ohangai team because of the presentation of a medal for the best forward and the best back by Mr J. E. O’Shea ancl Mr P. Sheahan. J. Richardson and W. J. Stead, vicecaptains of the 1924 and 1905 All Black teams, have been asked to coach the Southland representative team this year. They should prove a happy combination, one being a star forward and the other a star back. <>■, What a great Rugby side the Maoris have these days. To start off with, there are the four All Blacks, Mill, Nepia, Paewai, and Blake. Then come ■such * players as Potaka, Tui Love, Harry Jacob, Barclay, Blake, Akuira, Gemmed, Ormond, Tuna, Falwasser, Revan and Phillips. Summing up the 1925 All Blacks the Sydney Referee goes one better in praise of Harris. The journal says that the young Canterbury full-back gave displays equal almost to those of W. J. Wallace, of 1903 and 1905. This is a .tribute that Harris can well be proud of —and. his province too. F. W. Lucas, Auckland’s fastest three-quarter, must be forgetting what defeat feels like. H© participated in the remarkable run of victories by the All Blacks 'of 1924, and lately with his club team Ponsonby has seen out another nine wins on end. It jfs not an attack oni malaria that prevents j. H. Parker, the All Black “winger,” from donning the jersey this season, but a. strained heart, says Christchurch Sun. Parker explained that after any burst of running his pulse races, and he is resigned to giving up Rugby, at any-rate for. this season, and also athletics. He found that he was unable to keep going properly in games in which he had taken part this season, and indeed,' th© inconvenience extended to training as well. “It is an old. trouble, and I’ve just got to go quietly for seine time,’’ lie remarked. His defection will he a big loss to Canterbury and New Zealand Rugby, and his experience would have been a 'big asset to the provincial team when it journeys north in quest of the Ranfurly Shield. “The referee was too strict There was only a- hit of ‘language’ flying about.” * This remarkable statement was made to a '.southern critic by an enthusiastic footballer on commenting on the fact that two players had been pulled up with a round turn in a certain match. “Bad language might be harmless enough behind a bullock team,” he says in comment, “but too -often on the football field it fs the full-brother of foul play. The man who can’t control his tongue can’t control his temper; Usually he. can’t play the *■ gain© either. The best place for the ‘curse expert’ is anywhere but the location of a decent football match. Some people recommend a good destructor —but the council might object.” Great advances in the gam© of football have been mad© in Switzerland during th© last few years (says London Sporting Life). Clubs have sprung up in all directions, and, what is of equal importance, the quality of play has improved hundreds per cent. The causes of this gratifying advance are twofold. Many Swiss in th© past two or three hav© spent long periods in England, where they have played the game, and have on their return imparted their knowledge to their fellow-countrymen. A more potent cause, of the advancement, however, is the employment of English, professional players as coaches. They have taken good raw material ahd moulded it into shape. Welsh, football has provided one of the biggest sensations since the defeat- of the 1905 New Zealand team.

A Cardiff back was collared, and as ho lay' on the ground an opposing forward. tried to kick the ball out of his hands, which was, of couise, quite legitimate. The crowd, however, jumped to the conclusion Unit he was kicking the man. Without warning a hundred or so spectators entered the field of piliay, and threatened the man whom! they alleged had offended. Members of both teams surrounded and protected him. Tho Cardiff captain tried to explain that the crowd had made a mistake, and he called for fifty volunteers .to clear the pitch in order that the game might be continued. Before these were forthcoming a spectator delivered a blow, whereupon the Cla-rdiff captain knocked him down. This firm and prompt action ended the trouble, but it was one of tho most amazing incidents Rugby has ever produced .

Naturally, with the world’s greatest aggregation of international players still in action, the Rlugby news of all the world contains many references to New Zealand land its All Blacks. Clem Hill, the well-known ex-international cricketer and critic, in -a review of the Elngiliish season which closed recently. declared.that the New Zealanders had taught th© teams they had met three great lessons: (1) the value of team play, by which a side without any really outstanding stars fitted together into an irresistible machine; (2). the value of centre-field play in penertating the defence; and (3) the necessity for .speed and physical fitness. Tf these three points were noted everywhere, the Now Zealand tour would have served its purpose.

MOASCAR «UP. The Moascar Cup match J>etween Wanganui Technical College and Te' Ante College is to be played at Waipawa on August 1. Th© challengers have a useful team, better than the average secondary school side, hut ate likely to find T© Ante a difficult proposition. A few weeks ago Te Ante, returning from New Plymouth, bent them 12 —8 on the Wanganui ground. The nearest Wanganui have got to the cup was in 1922, when Auckland Grammar, tho ultimate winners, beat them 14 to 6, at Palmerston North. Gilbert!. (Otago University) an c l Walpole (Victoria. College) were members of the Wanganui team that year. Napier High School’s challenge is up. parentlv to come off this season. Though- not strong enough for Te Aute, they might stand a chance with any other school team in New Zealand.

IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS. The very excellent arrangements made by the Primary Schools’ Union, which controls Rugby in thes© schools, deserve great commendation from all interested in the great old game. The delegates, all schoolmasters, have given a great deal of time and thought to the affairs of school football, and by their effort have advanced the cause of the sport more than has ever been done in any previous year. The whole of the province is organised and the scope is being .being widened every year. And: an order to encourage th© small schools a competition. is arranged for less than fifteen-a-side teams. It is an excellent scheme, and is doing more to lay firm the foundations of Rugby for the future than any other part of the work of the management of the game. They deserve the heartiest support of the whole community, and not alone of the Rugby enthusiasts, for they are doing something that encourages a lo'-e of manly sport amongst the boys who are to be the representatives" of the future. Especially valuable is their work amongst the smaller schools. It is there that encouragement and development ar© most wanted. They have begun now to line .up the school teams with a view to the North v. South match, and later to the selection of a provincial team to meet Wanganui. That will be the final act in the season’s work.

A WELLINGTON SCHOOL. SOME FINE RECORDS. GREAT PLAYERS FROM SCHOOL. In some details regarding the Mt. Cook school in Wellington, about to be rebuilt, the New Zealand Times says:—“ln the ’nineties the schtool was for a period almost invincible in outdoor games, and a glass case at the school still holds som© of the trophies, including those for the tug-o’-war and athletic events. One reason for their outstanding success was probably the excellent tutors and trainers they had. Tlie school tradition had already developed, and at that period there were more bovs at Mount Cook than at any other school in the district, althougu there wer© fewer schools then. They won the schools’ championship in 1893, and amongst the scholars wer© Alec. Bruce and “Rangi” Wilson, both of whom becarn© New Zealand representative footballers subsequently. For some years the school sports were in charge of Mr. F. S. Hempleman, now headmaster at Marton Junction, and he had great influence in building up the sports side of tbe school’s records. His predecessor was Mr. Lewis, who was sports master in 1898j-7-B,' three years m which the school team established a great name in Rugby. They won the schools’ championship in each of those years, but in later years the football strength of the school declined, although they won the championship on another occasion. The year 1897 was a. remarkable one, and the record established, 261 points for and not a sing 1 ]© one against, is likely to stand for many a year to come. In the same year Mount Cook school had nine members of its team in the Wellington school representative team, another record which will tak© a lot of beating. The greatest footballer of all in tho public schools of 1897 was a hoy at the old Rintou;l jSfcreet, fccihool —now South Wellington—a youth who became a famous All Black —Frank Mitcliinson.

Th© first cracker-jack footballer ever tinned out at Mount Cook was in the eighties in the person of W. (“Cockie”) Roberts, now on the Wellington Harbour Board staff. In the early ’nineties he was looked upon as the finest centre three-quarter in New Zealand. He played for .Poueke, and wa s in tli© New Zealand teams which went to Australia in 1893 and 1897. He was also one of the greatest hacks Wellington ever produced.

Perhaps the most noted footballer the old school fostered was “Billy” Wallace, of the never-to-be-forgotten. 1905 All Blacks. Even at school he was a phenomenal player. His record in that team is worthy of repeating here. He scored 30 tries, converted 75 tries, potted two goals, a total of 257 points, and. the highest scored by any' member of th© team. He was the second biggest try-getter on the, tour, second only to Hunter, who scored 44. He played as three-quarter or fullback, and also played five-eighths and c-entr© three-quarter, but his best position undoubtedly' was wing-tliree-quar-ter and full-back.

The whole of the Spencer family, well-known in football in the ’nineties and the first decade of this century, and members of the old Melrose Club, were Mount Cook schoolboys. There were Tom, William, Walter, George and Jack George, as a full-back, and Jack, as a forward, gained New Zealand rep. honours. Sid Nicholls. who is at present in Auckland, having left Petone a few months ago, was a great footballer himself, and is the father of the famous Mark, “Ginger,” “Doc,” and Geoff, three of whom have been New Zealand reps, while Geoff has played senior for Petone. The boys went to th© Petone school. Mount Cook was regarded as a, recruiting ground for two of the city football dubs. Poneke —whose colours’, red and black, are the same as Mount .Cook’s —was originally formed from old boys of Mount Cook school, while in the early days Karori also drew players from it. In later days old boys also joined Athletic, who had their gymnasium opposite Murphy’s brickyard, the latter the convincing ground for all the school fights which occurred from time to time.

RANFURLY SHIELD MATCHES. Hawke’s Bay, th© present holders of the Ranfurly Shield, have a big list of representative matches. Those in which they' will be called upon to defend the trophy ar© as follow: — August s.—v Canterbury, at Napier. August B.—v. Southland, at Napier. August 15. —v Poverty Bay, in Hawke’s Bay. August 22. —v Taranaki, at Hastings. September 9. —v Otago, at Hastings. September 19. —v Wellington, at Wellington.