FOUNDER OF RUGBY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 9 August 1928, Page 12

FOUNDER OF RUGBY.

THE GAAIE IN NEAV ZEALAND. Napier lays claim to have among it.i residents the founder of the first Rugby lul) in New Zealand. He is R. p. Tennent who is now living in retirement in that town alter having com-plet-eel 52 \ears’ service for the Bank of New South Wales, R. P. Tennent is said to have teen i gieat athlete in liis day, and represente i Nelson at Rugby and cricket, and, in addition, held the running mile championship of that province for three sears. It was either in 186 Sor 18J;> that the first Rugby club was formed in New Zealand,' lie told a newspaper man recently. The club -vas at Nelson. At the time it was not certain -shttlier the game adopted should lu Association or the Australian code, but after trying these games the founders vveie persuaded to gi>e Rugby a trial, and it so appealed to the .voting men of the district that the first Rugby •lull was launched as the pioneer of the Dominion's greatest game. The first interprovincial match was played lie tween Nelson ‘and Wellington at the- Mutt in 1870, the smaller province winning by three goals to nil. so end years the interprovincial matches wore confined to these two oro inces, but- later Canterbury and Auckland came into the picture, thus launching the e’nborate round of fixture.-: which now winds up each winter season.

In the third match between Nelson mil Wellington, which ended in a draw '"t’r a game in which there were a mirnfe • of injuries, the visiting team was captained by R. C. Tennent.