RUGBY

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 27 March 1926, Page 12

RUGBY

NOTES. The clubs will soon be in full swing in their play, for annual meetings have been held, and the- fixtures will be out at an early date after the annual meeting of the Rugby Union. Hawera and Athletic Clubs ha\ e both some new players and hope to be pretty strong.Okaiawa have been strengthened by the accession of a lualf-back who comes with a good reputation. If he proves as good as is expected, he will .be just the man the seniors require. They expect to be stronger than they nave been for three years, and only training is needed to see them go well in the competitions. , ~ w tv Good advice was given by Mr H. H Forsyth at the annual meeting ot the Ellham Football Club when he said lie hoped that all would get into the best training possible, so that they could do their best, because the eyes of Eltham were on them all. . Dealing with his early associations with the game in Wellington, Colonel Campbell mentioned last week that the Athletic Club dated far back in the history of the game locally, being one of the first to. engage in inter-club competition. Some excellent advice on team work was given by Colonel Campbell at the annual meeting of the Athletic Club (■Wellington). Referring to that section of the annual report dealing with the spirit of. co-operation so plainly evident in the club Tanks during the year, he expressed the hope that that spirit would continue, as it was essential to the success of a football club or any other society of men. By puLLing strongly together at one end of the rope success was bound to be obtained, but the result would be entirely different if the same co-operation did not exist. The desire of the Athletic Club was not only to win, but to play the game at all times for the game’s sake. The news that New Zealand is to have representation on and a voice m the deliberations of the English council -will be most welcome, for it is something that has. been desired for a very long time, and, in fact, long overdue. The effect is certain to be very good and to be of great value in the relations between the countries of the Empire. A fillip to Rugby in New Zealand this year will be given by the tour of New South Wales • by an All Black team. They will be away during the month of July. The proposed tour of France and England by a Maori team may well cause a few temporary wrinkles to appear on the brow of the genial Norman McKenzie,, who ranks as “te plurry big head” in Hawke’s Bay football (says an exchange). ' Heavy inroads would be made iu the Bay’s Ranfurly Shield team if Mills, Blake, Nepia, Paewai, Gemmell, Walker, Ormond, Falwasser, Barclay and others are keen on a trip to the Old World — and who wouldn’t be? The fast, spectacular football of the Maoris should be a great draw in France, where they like the whirlwind style of play, at times to the detriment of team solidarity. At a Wellington Rugby meeting this week, one official made reference to the fact that in the past a number of veteran referees had consistently, Saturday after Saturday, been given the control of important senior fixtures. He entered a plea for youth. “You will- find them so fat and old,” he said, “that they simply can’t keep up with the game. (Laughter.) Let us keep in mind the fact that a number of young and active referees are perfectly worthy of controlling senior matches, and at least we should give them a chance.” (Hear, hear.) Mr S. S. Dean, of Wellington, has suggested that Rugby caps should be given to every man who had played for the Dominion at any time. It has been found that some members of the 1884 and 1893 teams had not received caps, and these will be sent on to them. ( Bettington, of Barts (London), ig reported to be as good a footballer as he undoubtedly proved himself at cricket. He is, too, very popular as a medico. It will he exceedingly good news to the Dominion enthusiasts that at last New Zealand has more effective weight in the deliberations of the Rugby Council at Home. The report will have been read with great interest. The Moseley Rugby Club, England, has the unique destinction of having a French international forward in its first fifteen. That is G. Gerintes, who has business interests in the Midlands, has played for Moseley on a number of occasions. He was “capped” by France last season, and played against Ireland this season. The statement that the French Rugby authorities are becoming more jealous, of the amateur status of the gam© in very welcome (says a London writer). In many spheres of sport the Continental aspect of the amateur question has not been to the liking of people in this country. Rugby is, above all others, a purely amateur game, and it is as well to keep it as such. A recent movement, by the way, to start a professional league in France met with little success.

The mid-week players are nothing if not keen on the game, and already the chubs are getting to work in real earnest. The Fraser Road team have had their first practice, and are evidently determined to go right ahead and make their best endeavours to be first in the competition. ohangai._, Mokoia, Tokaora and, the Hawera teams are also getting to work. The competition this year promises to be keener than ever. The Fraser Road team had. three of their members, prominent in the athletic world of Hawera during the year, and the fact of being in good training should make- them very valuable members of tb© team in the competition for the mid-week championship.

REPORTS IN THE PROVINCES IN WELLINGTON. The annual report of the Wellington Union speaks of the advance made by the game and its excellent prospects. NOTABLE ADVANCE. “Notwithstanding that the season was one the wqttest experienced for many years, the standard of play in all grades showed a market improvement over the previous year, and the competition in every grade was keen and exciting. The improved standard in the senior grade was responsible for bigger attendances at Athletic Park, and the interest was fully maintained until the close of the season. “As showing the remarkable advance made by the game locally in recent years the following figures may be of interest: In 1910 there were 71 teams, including Wednesday half-holiday and school teams. In 1917, when football was restricted to players under 20 years of age, there were 39 teams, which had increased by 1920 to 79. The following season saw a further advance to 93 teams, and since that time there

had been a steady increase to last year’s record of 154 teams. In addition, 38 teams took part in competitions under the Primary Schools’ Union last season, whilst there were also a number of teams which did not take part in the Schools’ Union competition. GOOD PROSPECTS.

Of the prospects of the coming season the report states: “It is certain that there will be a further increase in the number of teams in the lower grades, and some means of splitting the grades will have to be devised. It is confidently anticipated that the improved form shown last season will be fully maintained in the forthcoming one, and with the experience gained last season some of the younger teams in the senior o-rado will fully extend all opponents.” ° «

THE REFEREES’ PART. The Wellington Rugby Union’s appreciation of the services given y referees is expressed in the annual report in the following terms: Ine members of the Referees' Association ao-ain rendered excellent service during the past season. On an average referees were appointed to 80 matches weekly, and ‘it was a very rare occurrence for a referee to fail to keep his appointment, and when this did happen it was usually due to sickness orpressure of business. The union and plavers have reason to feel very grateful to the members of the association, who give a great deal of time to the advancement of the game, and tne committee desires to record its appreciation of their valuable work. The president of the association. Mr. 1. AFletcher, attended the weekly. meetings of the union and his assistance was- greatly appreciated by the committee.”

NURSERY OF RUGBY. In recording that the officials of the Primarv Schools’ Rugby Union continue to do most valuable work m fostering the game in the schools, tne Wellington Rugby Union’s Management Committee, in its annual report, states that the standard shown in last -rear’s tournament promises well for the future of Rugby football in New Zealand. Dealing with the local school competitions the report mentions that the chief difficulty ahead of the officials is to find enough men to look if ter the teams. “School football m Wellington is now progressing veTy favonrablv.” the report adds. “The standard of plav is improving, while the schools are ‘ indulging more in team work and combined play. Many of the names of all grades' were bright, sparkling and full of incident. There is no doubt that the future prospect of football is verv promising.” PAYNE TROPHY. The Payne Tronhy, says the Star (Christchurch), is the only emplem of that Canterbury holds outside of clnli comnetitions. She, however, got verv close to other trophies, as a (dnpce at the following list of ioternrovineinl matches will show: v. Hawke’s Bay, lost 18-24. v. Wellington, lost 6-8. v. Wairarapa, lost 12-14. v. Auckland, lost 8-35. v. Southland, won 13-11. v. Otago, won 17-14. v. South Canterbury, won 44-9. v. Wanganui, won 27-11. It is a significant faet that all the games lost were played in the North Island. This year the rep. team does not go north, but will meet its last year’s conquerors at Lancaster Park. Canterbury will also send a side south to play Otago, Southland and South Canterbury this season. The season will begin either on April 10 or 17, the actual date to be decided at the annual meeting of the Rugby Union on March 2. . No matter when the date, this is going to he a big season for Canteibury. Train, train, train and keep training should he the motto of every club member. Let there he no waiting for the whistle.

/ pars FROM ALL SOURCES

A SYDNEY BOMBSHELL

That scholastic stronghold of conservative England, Eton School, has taken up Rugby seriously, and has decided to enter the inter-collegiate series. Poet and footballer! Of course, he’s a - Frenchman, Andre Gonnet, who has hooked in the French international team since 1921. He is considered to be one of the leading writers of the day, but, unlike many Old World Rugby players, he has not yet written a hook on the game. , Out of a clear, unclouded sky a bombshell descended on the Rugby Union camp in Sydney the other day, when “Rusty” Toby, Y.M.C.A.’s brilliant international custodian, let it he known that, he was through with the Union code and that hie services were at the disposal of one of the League clubs. Lacking, perhaps, the weight and power of men like Nepia, Nothhng and Sinclair, Tobv. nevertheless, went a long way to making up for it by his gameness, agility, and fleetness, and he will he a long loss to the older game in the -New South Welsh capital. He toured New Zealand last season with Thorn’s XV., and was one of the stars of the party. , It is expected that Christchurch Old Boys’ Club will field one of the strongest "club sides in the Dominion this year. J. H. Parker is expected to turn' out again and . three other All Blacks are numbered in the. club in W. Dailey, J. Harris and D. Dickson, who has finished his University course m Dunedin. If New South Wales can sort out a few heavy-weight forwards of the “Iron” Davis type of. days gone by, her Rugby fifteen might give New Zealand a few anxious moments this year. The trouble with the Welshmen seems to be that they concentrate too much on forwards of the light skirmishing order, who are no match for the more rugged and weighty Maorilanders. Last year’s team from the other side had a first-rate hack division, headed by that fine player, T. Lawton, who will this season, have the support outside him of his old Oxford contemporary, A. C. Wallace?" who has finished his University course at Home, and is to start legal practice in Sydney shortlv. Wallace is a Scottish international. RUGBY TO BE PLAYED IN MELBOURNE.

N.Z. UNION MULL HELP TO ESTABLISH GAME. For some time past the encouragement of inter-colonial visits of representative Rugby teams has been exercising the minds of members of the New Zealand Rugby Union. It has been felt that, while Rugby holds a prominent plnee in. the sports followed hy vSydney, the disinclination of players in Melbourne to change over from 'League to the more universal game has made it difficult to arrange anything in the nature of a series of visits between Australia and New Zealand. Quite recently, however. Melbourne decided to favour Rugbv. Followers of Rugby here consider that the fact of there' being in Melbourne a large mim-

ber of New Zealanders who favour Rugby will be of assistance in furthering the project to get Rugby firmly established in the Victorian capital. With this object in view, Mr. T. A. Fletcher, president of the Wellington Rugby Referees’ Association, and a member of the New Zealand Rugby Union, has been deputed to visit Melbourne, and recently left Wellington for that purpose. * It is believed that Mr. Fletcher’s visit will do much to attain the ultimate result of securing regular inter-colonial visits.

ROUGH PLAY. “We have not heard much about the rough play question lately and it seems to have been decently buried as such twaddle deseiwes. You can’t be_ a gentle player of Rugby football with any' success. It is a rough game by nature and it says a great deal for the people who play it that there are_ so few injuries* comparatively speaking. Dumping a man down hard is one thing, and deliberate fouling with intent to injure is another, but when an isolated instance of the latter occurs a section of the Press has sensational headlines, and would give the impression that the whole game teems with sin. If it did there would be broken limbs in almost every match. Fortunately it proves that we have not been stampeded into any hasty action and know exactly the state of affairs.”

TROUBLE IN HAWKE’S BAY. A rift in the Rugby camp of Hawke’s Bay is reported as likely to occur, for the Dannevirke sub-union is said to be considering pulling away from the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union and forming a union of its own -with the Bush and Pongaroa sub-unions. Last Winter negotiations in the direction of an amalgamation between the Dannevirke and Bush Rugy districts were commenced, but no official announcement was made, though it was known that some progress' had been made. Latest reports seem to indicate that the amalgamation is likely to be effected this season, as a letter sent to the Pahiatua Football Club at its annual meeting by tlfe Bnsh Union seems to indicate.

The following proposals -were agreed upon by both the Bush Union delegates and the Dannevirke sub-union: “The central Rugby Union will be called the Ruahine Rugby Union, consisting of the sub-unions of Dannevirke, Pahiatua, and Pongaroa. The boundaries of these sub-unions to be as they are at present. The colour’s of the new union to be red and black. The union headquarters to be at Wood, ville and the union to consist of five delegates from Dannevirke, five from Pahiatua, and one from Pongaroa. “All union matches shall be controlled by the new union wherever held, but sub-union games to be controlled by such sub-union as they are at present.” The serious aspect of the report from the point of view of the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union is that, should this amalgamation be effected, Dannevirke will no longer be in the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union, and its representatives will not be available for the Hawke’s Bay Rlanfurly Shield representative team. This would 1 indeed be serious, for it would mean tka-fc Hawke’s Bay would lose the services of Louis Paewai. the All Black five-eighths, Jimmy Walker, the dashing Hawke’s Bay wing forward, LeS Craven, a strapping, energetic forward I A. Jensen, a dashing wing three-quarter, 1 and L. Kopua, who is a centre tln-ee-quarter of promise, not to mention other players coming into prominence in the southern sub-union.

All sportsmen will remember that of late years there had been a noticeable ‘‘‘drift” of Dannevirke away from Napier, for first the hockey association and then the cricket association pulled away from the Napier authorities and formed independent unions.

STANDARD OF PLAY. Touching on the standard of play during the* past season, the annuaPreport of the Hawke’s Bay Union makes reference to the number of All Blacks in the province, stating that the following players represented .Hawke’sBay in New Zealand teams during tiie season: A Kirkpatrick, J. McNab, J. Blake, T'. Corkill, W. ' Irvine, M. Brownlie, J. Mill, and G. Nepia, while in addition the following upheld the ‘ honour of the province in the North Island team: M. and C. Brownlie, W. Irvine, A. Kirkpatrick, J. Mill, J. Blake, A. Falwasser, G. Nepia. . ' “Provincial honours again rest with Hawke’s Bay,” the report proceeds, “for they successfully defended all challenges for the Ranfurly Shield, the results .being as follow: v. Wairarapa, at Napier, w0n223;3 —3; v< Canterbury, at Napier, won 24 —18; v. Southland, at Napier, 'won 31—12; v. Taranaki, at Hastings, w0n223;8 —3; v. Wellington, at 'Wellington, won 20—Q.1: v. Otago, at Hastings, won 34 —14.”

CANTERBURY UNION. “What must-be regarded as one of the most important movements of the past season was the formation of the .Junior Advisory Board,” says 1 the annual report of the Canterbury Union. “This course was decided upon after full consideration by the committee. Owing to the vast amount of -work entailed in carrying on the business of the union, it was considered that a body such as this —composed as it is of members in close touch with junior football —would be/of very great assistance to the general committee. On account of the tremendous growth of the business of the union during the last few years, it has been practically impossible for members to keep in close touch with all grades, and for this reason it was considered desirable that some means should be devised whereby the committee could obtain assistance in the direction indicated. LAST YEAR IN AUCKLAND. A very satisfactory state of affairs is recorded in the annual report of the Auckland- Union. „ Inter alia it states: ‘ ‘The All Black v. New South Wales test match, played at Eden Park, gave abundant proof that Rugby retains its strong grip on the public, in that a. huge attendance was recorded, and the splendid display by both sets of forwards was a thorough delight to all present. The result was: New Zealand, 36 points ; New. South Wales, 10 points. The standard of play in club football was generally good in both senior and junior competitions.

There were some very fine games in the various junior grades, and the number of players showed a further encouraging ‘ increase. The duties of the Junior Management Board are multifarious and onerous, and the members of the board are keenly alive to the best interests of younger players. Play in the secondary and primary schools competitions maintained its excellent standard. The secondary schools championship was won by Mount Albert Grammar School after some keen and close matches. The primary school games were productive of many splendid contests, and the play was of a very high standard.