RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 6 February 1926, Page 13

RUGBY

NEW ZEALAND RUGGER MEN.

An interesting sequel to the visit of the All Blanks is the formation of a New Zealand team in England (says a London correspondent), the members of which will lie able to go on demonstrating to the English sporting world the tactics and technique which made the All Blacks so formidable. A meeting was held recently at New Zealand House of those interested. A committee under the chairmanship of Mr Cecil Wray was set up, Dr. Arnold Perry. Messrs Sydney Jacobs, J. Fitzgerald and T. R. Brooks being the other members, the last-named acting as secretary.

Tt was decided that thev should ndont the All Blacks’ colours for the team, and a first match was to he nlnved at Chertsev This, will he a scratch affair ns the team has only been not together. A mono- those uresent at the meeting were: Messrs H. T. P. Drew. G. S. Ames. P pit u art Glen denning. Sydney Jacobs, T. G. McCullough W. J Nn-r----hov. L AT Cfivnat. J. T,. Grove. W. TT. Gear. R • s Gibbs. H. G. Steere. P. Pieele \. Colb'ns. J. Fitzgerald. P. IV r'lUe- C TT Tale G L. Pens«. W A. pHa pee, G. J. Win-. T. P. P rooks. L. F. Donne S. Ronsor. A. Gorton. F T Sandfc’d. A. TToare. and Dr. \rnold Porrv. Tetters of symnntli'- with the outornrise were received from ATeesrs Motion .and Trons.

WHEN YOUTH RUNS RIOT. SCENES AT A BIG FOOTBALL ATATCH IN CALIFORNIA. The great football match of the West—that between the Universities of Stanford and California —was played at the Stanford Oval on November 21. Stanford won by a good margin of points. The San Francisco Chronicle lias the following article on the general surroundings of the match: A young and healthy civilisation yesterday poured out the fine flower of its youth in a thing they call the “Big Game.” A great spectacle! Great in size and great because no other spectacle equals it in spirit and in natural setting ! Here are no moss-grown rivals meeting in the shadow of centuries old tradition. They are young . universities. strong in the vigour of cleanlimbed youth, and they go into battle wth a smile upon their faces. A crowd of 75.000 people looks on. They cheer for California, they cheer for Stanford, as their allegiance dictates. or they cheer for sheer delight in the contest. Tn the United States there are larger crowds and more grimlv fought, more coldlv calculated battles. This Big of the Pacific Coast stands out as unioue. because, more than any other biq game in the country, it retains the true sporting element of football. Girls seem to bubble up from everywhere. Their costumes are of everv conceivable colour, and their football knowledge seems to have, lengthened as their skirts have shortened. The modern “sweet young thing” knows very well when to cheer and when not to cheer.

To achieve a seat at this spectacle is a feat in itself. The storming of the stadium began as early as eight o’clock in the morning. Old General Public sent out his first skirmishers bv fast train and auto., and they made a onick reconnaissance of the country. People came to the' game by auto, and train, by electric car and buggy, on foot and on tricycles, and at two o’clock the crowd was at its height. Even then there was very little congestion. and the vast throng was handled with great efficeincy. On the way to the stadium one was regaled to liny everything from souvenir programmes to peanut-butter sandwiches. There were leather-lunged hawkers of canes, chrysanthemums, peanuts, ribbons. newspapers, score cards, ice-cream bricks and hot coffee. Peonle clotted about the main gates, and then spread out again as they surrendered their precious pastboards at the “bottle neck” and started fanwise up the stairs. Inside the stadium one heard the low droning roar of 75.000 people all talking at once, the shouts of the ushers ns they tried to herd people into the proper slots and get them seated upon the proper number. Natty collegiate hands sat upon special platforms out in front of the rooting sections. They blared forth with the college melbdeis ever .and anon, and provided the musical accompaniment to the always amazing bleacher stunts staged by the rooting sections between halves. The supreme moment, for Stanford, at least, came when the game was over. For the first time in its liistorv (lint stadium was a. stamping ground for a Stanford serpentine after a football victory over California, and the sons of the Stanfard Cardinal made the frantic most of their opportunity. An alumnus who can remember a similar serpentine is now definitely an old graduate. A T esterdav was the first one in 11 years, as California _ supporters themselves tolerantly reminded ha’’died with great efficiency. For that reason there was all/ the more drama in the final proceedings, fop which almost every one stayedTV delirious Stanford' rooters wound about the field and hurled their yells and songs in the fare of the California rooting section. Then, to show thero was ii o hard feelings, there were good round cheers for California. The Berkeley hovs gave their veils and. n« custom dictates, the ceremony closed with the sinofing of the hymns, of the two universities.