THE ROSS SHIELD

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 234, 15 September 1934, Page 5

THE ROSS SHIELD

Hastings Boys’ Victory PRESENTATION OF TROPHY Civic Honours For The Team The Ross Shield presented by Messrs J. R. Ross and Co., of Napier, for inter - district competition among Hawke’s Bay primary schools, and from Central Hawke’s Bay, won this season by the Hastings representatives, was presented by the Mayor, Mr G. A. Maddison, at a gathering in the Council Chambers this afternoon. The shield was banded over to the captain, Eric Clark, and the boys were afterwards taken to a special matinee at the State Theatre by the Mayor.

It was tho first time, said Mr Maddison, that boys had ever been received in the Council Chambers and accorded civic honours, but those honours were deserved.

Their victory was clear-cut and fully merited, and had been another proof of the value of team work und co-opera-tion. Every boy, when he had the ball, should remember that there were fourteen other boys with him. It was not always wise nor proper to "give it a go.”

Mr Maddison went ou to urge the boys to lead clean lives and to be true sportsmen. Also he hoped that the boys would not let themselves into being deceived that to begin smoking while they were still young was dashing. It was silly to see, and silly to do, and nothing would do more to spoil their football careers. Sport was the game of lite, the Prince of Wales had told the 1924 AU Blacks, and what lie meant to convey was the great truth that sport made for industry, integrity, courage, honour, and unselfishness. It was to be hoped that tho boys present would take that lesson to heart, and that they would go on to achieve further honours.

Mr C. J. H. Baker, on behalf of the Hastings Rugby Sub-Union, added his congratulations, and Mr E. Bissell, headmaster of Mahora School, and selector and coach of the team, replied on behalf of the boys, and thanked Mr Maddison for his services to Rugby generally and Bo the school team in particular. The boys played the game in the “good old spirit in which Rugby should bo played,” and their conduct had been exemplary.

An interesting feature of the occasion was a display of Mr Maddison's photographs of every All Black team that has ever represented New Zealand.