RUGBY

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

RUGBY

Players are now getting out their jerseys and their boots, arid perhaps beginning to think of a little training. Club annual meetings will be held shortly, and as soon as these are oyer the way will be open for the beginning of practice games. The seven-a-side tournaments are very popular, and many of them are held in different parts of the country. They are a fine ‘'kick off” for the season, and players must be in fine trim if they want to keep up with the play when there are no scrums and all is open play. The contests are very interesting and create much excitement. Ivaponga have one on Easter Saturday and good entries are expected. Two international results have been read this week. Ireland beat Scotland 3—o. Apparently this was a most strenuous contest, the Irish full-back being badly injured, while the Scotch half was carried off senseless after a collision with an Irish forward. . A last minute try. won the match for Ireland.

England beat France 11—0. A new back, came to light for England, Aslett, who scored two fine tries, while Kittermastor scored the third. In the second spell, it will have been noticed, according to the report, France altered the scrum from seven to eight, and in consequence, says the correspondent, obtained possession more frequently, but they threw away their chances by kicking too much instead of passing. A VETERAN PASSES. The passing of Mr. Michael Roche recalls to mind the stories told, of his prowess and vigour as a forward in the early days of Rugby in New Zealand. He is recorded as having been a real "battering ram” at the head of the forwards of the A.C. force, which always included many good players. One "story in particular is told of a match with Wanganui way back in the early seventies when he “at one fell swoop, arrested and downed his opponents in singles, twos and threes. A feature of the game was the terrific charges of the forwards. ’ ’ It is stated that the game was played "twenty a side, and -a rough and tumble it proved.” A FOOTBALL PATRIARCH. Mosul, which has been so much in the news, recently, has the reputation of being either very much liked or very much disliked by those who know it. ' Football is played in the Mosul district, and also a primitive form of hockey. Mr. C. H. Luke, a former AssistantGovernor of Jerusalem, tells a story of how he found the head of one of the most ancient Christian Churches, the Patriarch of the Nestorians (or Assyrians), playing football on the outskirts of the town. The Patriarch, it should be added, was only 16 at the time.