SEEKING RUGBY CROWN

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 21 April 1928, Page 13

SEEKING RUGBY CROWN

WORLD PREMIERSHIP. ALL BLACKS MISSION PARTICULARS OF TEAM. The Rugby premiership of the worlo is to be decided in /South Africa in the approaching winter. That is at least the view of both South Africans and New Zealanders. The team which left Wellington last week, on its way to Durban, represents a country that has yet found no superior in international Rugby, says the “Christchurch Sun” ii> introducing the following review of the personnel of the team: — FULL BACK. HERBERT LTLiBURNE began ibis football career at the Woolston School, where he played for five years. In lie was one of the Canterbury Primary Schools representatives, who won the South Island championship. On leaving school he joined the Albion JClwb s fourth-grade' team, which won the premiership in its grade in 1923. In 1924 he played for the Albion first-grade team, and was chosen for the Canterbury B team. He has remained wit a Albion, and has represented Canterbury in 19 9, 5-26-27 He also represented the South Island last year. In club games an prefers to be second five-eighth.

WING THREE-QUARTERS. ALAN C. C, BGBTLL'IA'RD learned the rudiments of the game at the Aseburton primary school. Then he was a. the Ashburton .Hisrb School, and v.'a-s in its first fifteen/" for two years, but in those days he played as half-back or as first five-eigh'th. He 'came to lUhristchurch in 1921 and joined the Christchurch Club. His first two season's for the club were spent in 'the second-grade team. In 1923 he came into the firstgra.de 'side a's a five-eighth, but later it \v ! /is found that he was a fine wing-three-quarter, and in 'that position ho has played for the club since, and has won his higher honours. He has represented Cantrebury in 1923-25-26-07, the 'South Island in 1924-25-26-27, and New Zealand in Great Britain and France in 1924 and in Australia in 1926. BERT GRENSIDE, wing three-qu'ar-ter, is a 'Hastings boy, but is one of the few members of the 'team who have never attended a secondary school. He has been a stalwart in Hawke’s Bay Rugby for the past eight years, being in the itelatn that won the Ranfurly Shield in .1922. Grenside is the only player in New' Zealand who lias scored 100 points in Ranfurly Shield matches. He has represented the North Island twice.

FREDERICK W. LUCAS started his Rugby career a't Remuera 'School and Was selected to play for 'the Auckland school boy representatives in 1913. During the war, he was 'a member of the brilliant Ponsonby junior team which won the championship in different grade's four years in succession. He came straight up fi J om third-grade into first-grade to play for Auckland in 1921. In 1903 he played for New Zealand in the second Test against New South 'Wales ht Christchurch. lie went to England with the 1924 All Blacks and on his return represented New Zealand against New'South Wales at Auckland in 1925. 'Lucas was selected to tour Australia in 1926, but could not go.

'C. E. EITSiHBROOK learned the game at Wellington iCollege. When lie left lie joined the Wellington .College Old Boys Club, first playing in that club’s firSt-.gi J ade /team in 3P20. He soon caught the eye of t'he selectors, and he left his mark on Wellington provin. eial football as ; a wing lliree-qnafiter. but this is his first appearance for New Zealand. iTTe represented the North Island last year. CENTRE THREE-QUARTERS. DAVID LINDSAY was captain of the Timaru Boys’ High (School team in 1925, and, " going to the Otago University the..following year, at once found a place in the B team.. Lastseason he was one of the victorious A team 1 , ‘and also won his “blue” as a member of the New Zealand University team that, visited Sydney. While _in Australia he developed into a wing three-quarter, but he can play full-back or centre three-quarter. T. REGINALD SHEEN first played for Christ’s ICollege first eleven in HUP, at the age of 14. He represented the college till 1922. Returning to Auckland in 1923, he played in the ’second grade for King’s College Old Boys. In the same year, without Graving played firstgrad o'football, he was selected for the Auckland team, playing five representative m'at’ches that season. Sheen was operated on for appendicitis at 'the end of the 1923 season, and lie missed the All Black trials 'in that year. Tie went to Australia with the 192 G All Blacks.

FIVE-EIGHTHS MARCUS E. NICHOLILS ha s represented New Zealand on more sions than any other man in the team, and is certainly the most experienced back in the party. Nieholls is also a product of Wellington College, and is the son of “Sid” Nieholls, himself a noted player and captain of Wellington representatives. iMark Nieholls was only 19 when he gained his first Wellington cap in 1920, and he has done much service for the province as well as for the Dominion since then, including the tour of .England in 1924-2'5. He played in all three Tests against the Springboks of 1921. NEIL P. MCGREGOR began his football at the Mataura /School, Southland, and played for the Gore High 'School first fifteen in 1917 and 1913. Later, he played for the Public Service team in Invercargill. In 1923' he went to Wellino-ton and plaved for the Wellington Club, and also' for the Wellington representative team. He came to Christchurch in 1924 and joined the Christchurch Club. By his play in the trial matches and the inter-island game of 1924 he won a place in the All Blacks for England before he got into the Canterbury team. He also played for New Zealand against New (South Wales team which toured the Dominion in 1925, but was unable to go to Australia with the All Blacks of 1920. He played for Canterbury in 1920 and 9927 and for the South Island in 1925-26-27, as well as in 1924. L. M. JOHNSON, better lcno.w,n to ttbe crowd as “Lance” Johnson, has ■ already been honoured with representa-

five caps for Wellington and Hawke’s Bay. Originally, however, he came (from (Southland, having learned the rudiments of the game at the Southland High School. In 1925 he represented the Dominion in the team which visited New South Wales, and also' represented the North Island since then. SIDNEY R. OARLETON started his Rugby at the Riecarton primary school. After that he was at the Christchurch Boys ’ High School, where he gained his first-fifteen colours in 1918. In 1921 he Captained the school’s great Moascar Cup team. From 1922 onwards he has played in first-grade Rugby as a member of the High School Old Boys’ Club, Usually as centre but sometimes as second ifive-eighth.' He played in the Canterbury B touring team in 1923, and later in the same season he gave a fine display in the Canterbury-South Canterbury team Ugainst Newt ,South Wales. He has played for Canterbury in each season since then, and represented the South Island last year. WILLIAM ARCHIBALD STRANG, one of the “juniors” of the New Zealand team, began his football at the Sbuth (School, Invercargill, Afterwards he was at the Timaru Boys’ High School, for vdiose first fifteen he played in 1922-23-24, captaining it in 1924. Then he joined the Timaru Old Bovs’ Club. He first represented'South Canterbury in 1925, and continued in the two years following. Last year he played for the South Island. HALF-BACKS. WILLIAM C. DALLEY was a fine half-back even when he was at the West Lyttelton School. In 1916 he went to Christchurch Boys High School but did not win his first-fifteen colours until the following year. After he left school Dailey went to North Canterbury, but came in to Christchurch on Saturdays to play for the High School Old Boys second-grade team. In 1921 he was in Ellesmere, -and he represented the Ellesmere Sub-Union and the Country team against the city. He nlso found a place in the Canterbury representative team. Until 1924 ho represented Ellesmere as well as Canterbury. In 1924 he went to England with the All Blacks, and lie visited Australia with the New' Zealand team of 1926. He has, of course, continued to represent Canterbury, and he played for the South Island in 1926 and again last year. F.'D. KILBY is really better known in the South Island than he is in the North. He is a product, of the .Southland Bovs’ High School, a very fertile area for Rugby players. He has represented Southland. Wellington and the ■North Island. WING FORWARD ■GEORGE SCR'IMiSUAIW began his football at the St. Albans primary school, where he played for one year. Ho went to the Waitak'i Boys’ High School in 1919, and .played at the side of the scrum in the school’s first fifteen. In 1920, however, lie was the school’s wing-forward. On leaving school he wont to Gust, and played for the Oust Club. He represented the North Canterbury Sub-Union for three years. Coming to Christchurch in 1924, lie joined the Christchurch Club. For three parts of a season he was in the club’s second-grade team, and for the rest of the season he was full-back for the first-grade team. In 1925 he went up to wing-forward, and has stayed in that- position. He has represented Canterbury in 1925-26-27, and the South sland in 1927.

BACK-ROW FORWARDS E. SNOW started his Rugby at the Central ’School, Nelson. On leaving school he joined the Nelson Club, for which lie lias played ever since. First selected to play for Nelson in 1920, he lias represented his union in every iScfddon 'Shield match it has played since then. In 1920 ho toured the North Island with the Couth Island •country teami, and played in every match. In 1921 he was emergency for the South Island team, and he played for the combined iSeddon Shield districts against the Couth African touring team. He represented the South Island in 1923, and again in 1927, but iu 1924 he was only an emergency for it. In 1926 he toured the North Island with the combined Scddon Shield districts team. Snow played in the trial matches 'of 1924 as well as last year’s. RUPERT McWILLIAMC learned his football in the Waikato at the Eureka School.’ He did not worry much about the game until he avas about 19 or 20, when he joined 'up with the famous Ponsonbv /Club in Auckland. He started the 1921 season as a junior and finished up that year as a first-grade player. In the next year, he went into the Auckland representative team, and with the exception of .1923, has been there ever since. CYRIL BROWNLIE, brother of the captain of the team, was educated at St. Patrick’s College, Wellington, lie first came to the front as a member of the Hawke’s Bay team of 1922, and he has played for his province in each year .since. Besides his appearances for the North Island, he has played for New Zealand in the British tour of 1924-125 and the Australian tour' of 1926.

AT THE SIDES OF BHE SCRUM. MAURICE BROWNLIE, captain of the team, and one of the best-known players of Rugby to-day, was educated chiefly at Bt. Patrick’s College, Wellington, but played as a back in the college first fifteen for two years. After he left school and before he could take up first-grade .football* the Great War

claimed his attention. Ho'was a member of the New Zealand service team which won the Mbas'ear Cup in Egypt. After the war he did not play'football until 1921, when he joined Napier High School Old Boys. He got into the Hawke’s Bay representative team that year. From 1922 onwards he has captained the splendid teams which have represented Hawke’s Bay. His first appearance for New Zealand was in 19/22, when he w r ent to Australia with the team that E. A. Beilis 'captained. Brownlie has been in each New Zealand team since, In the 1924 tour of Great Britain and France he wa s the All Blacks’ star forward.

INNEiS FINLAYSON, popularly known as “Bunny,” learned the Rugby game at school at iMaungaturoto ('North Auckland). 'Later, he played for Ma uug aka ram e a and then for the Kamo and Whangarei suburban club. From there he went into the North Auckland representatives, and in 1925 played for the All Blacks against New South Wales at Auckland. In the following year lie was one of the outstanding forwards in the New Zealand team which visited Australia.' RONALD T. /STEWART .began his football career at the Timaru South School. Then, for three years, from 1918 to 1920, he was at the Timaru Boys’ .High School, and played for its first fifteen. 'Subsequently he played for the Timaru Old Boys’ Club, which he has captained for several years. In 1921 he gained a place in the 'South Canterbury representative team, ana ■lias played for it ever since, -except when lie toured with the All Blacks. He has represented the South Island on six occasions (1922 to 1927), and has been a member of the New Zealand teams of these honours including the tour of Great Britain and France.

“BAT ’ ’ WARD has represented 'South Canterbury, Canterbury, Taranaki, Canterbury again, Taranaki again, and the South Island. Born in Timaru he 'learned his football at the Waimataitai School, and afterwards played for Zingari. When he was barely 15 he represented South Canterbury as full-back. Later he was wing threequarter, and it was not until 1919 that he played as a forward. All this time, and for some years afterwards, lie represented South Canterbury. He came to Christchurch in 1923, played for Linwood, and appeared for Canterbury in that year (as a forward) and in the following year (as wing-for-ward). In 1925 he was a Taranaki player. Ho wore Linwood. Canterbury, and .South Island jerseys in 1926, and Clifton Club and Taranaki colours last a-ear.

WILLIAM. E. HAZLETT did not know he could play a goad game of football until his last year at Waitalci Boys’ High School. lie got into the School team that, year (1924). In 1925 lie joined the Pirates Club, Invercargill,' and played for Southland before the season was out. He represented Southland again in 1926 and 1927, and the South Island also in each of those vears In 1926 lie was, ton, a member of the New Zealand team which visited New South Wales.

LOCKS. lAN H. HARVEY, started playing Rugby under the jurisdiction of the Tenui Sub-Union (in Wairarapa), and it was not long before he was recognised as one of" the coming New Zealand representatives. In 11121 hr was playing at full-back, but going up into the pack he secured representative! honours for Wairarapa the following year, and he has been in the picture ever since. He was a member of the 1P24-25 All Blacks in England and France.

GEOFFREY T. ALLEY" started playing Rugby at the Wharenui School, Riccarton, as a full-back. He went to Christchurch Boys’ High School in 1915, and in 1919 lie got a place in the school first fifteen us a hooker. In 1920, though ho was the “lock” of the team which won the Maoscar Cup. lie. played very little football in the next three seasons, but in 1925 he appeared for the Lumsden Club in Southland country Rugby, and soon got into the Southland representative team, as well as the Otaigo-Southland fifteen against the New South "Wales team. He played for" Southland, the South Island, and New Zealand >.(in Austialia) in 1926. Last season ho played in Christchurch for the ’Varsity Club, and represented Canterbury and the South Island and the New University.

HOOKERS. JOHN P. (SWAIN was born and educated at Napier, receiving bi 5 schooling at the Napier Technical College. Later he went to Wellington and wore Wellington representative jerseys from 1922 to 1925. He then returned to Hawke’s Bay anj has been a member of: the Hawke’s /Bay side since. RW'TNDLEY HADLEY learned the A B O of the Rugby code under the. able guidance of the Marist Brothers at Beresford Street School, Auckland. In 1,923' he joined the Marist Old Boys’ Club, playing in the third grade. In the next year, he went up to the second grade, and in 1925 was a firstgrade player. 'The! following year founj him in the Auckland representatives, where he and Palmer made a great name for themselves as frontI'cw forwards. In between the 1926 and 1907 season, he put on the best part of a stone in weight, and played magnificent football last year, culminating in his selection for the North Island and then the iAII Blacks JAMES T. BURROW® came from North Canterbury primary school Rugby to: Christchurch Boys’ High School, where he gained his first-fifteen colours Lx the school's .great team -of