WHO FOUNDED RUGBY IN NEW ZEALAND.

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 15, 6 September 1928, Page 7

WHO FOUNDED RUGBY IN NEW ZEALAND.

The above question has been discussed ■j&t some length in the "Free Lance" ur>d the "Dominion," and knowing that Mr E. P. Bunny of Lower Hutt not only Tiad very early association with the game, fcut also was instrumental in having Mr. R. C. Tennent 7s article published, we approached him for some further informal tion on the subject. Readers will be 'nterested in what Mr. Bunny has to say. He writes as follows: —

"In. my opinion there is no one who ■can claim to have been the founder of .Rugby football in New Zealand. Er>eh provincial district developed its own organisation, and no doubt there were o.ie ot two especially active- players who were jesponsible for the origin and devebpanent of the game in each district.

"In Nelson, for instance, Mr S,. C. Tennent who was one the staff of the .Bank of New South Wales, was especially prominent in introducing the coda into Nelson. Associated with him was Mr. C. J. Munro, now of Palme rston North, who had learnt the game at a public school in England and introduced the rules on his return to Nelson. Gamos for the first time were arranged with "Wellington, three being played up 'o 1874, the first at Petone or the' Hutt, the second in Nelson and the third at the Basin Reserve. A brother of mine who was -afterwards Crown Solicitor at Masterfcon played in the game at the Basin Reservs. "I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. JJ. C. Tennent who recently was staving at the Hutt with his daughter, Mrs Olphert. He is still remarkably active with a very retentive memory. In order to keep on record his account of the commencement of the game at Nelson, which I felt would be of some interest to followers of the code in New Zealand, I

arrranged for the interview which w? s" published in "The Dominion." Anyone acquainted with Mr. Tennent knows that he would be the last one to use such ■an. interview for the purpose of advancing an unfounded claim. He set out the facts, which as to their essential charticter have never been disputed, and mentions the name of those who took part in the early contests, and especially refers to Mr. Munro's suggestion that Rugby should be played, and to his part in arranging the first game with WeLington. Mr. Munro seems to have taken, umbrage at this interview as not sufficiently emphasising His claim to be the founder. As I indicated earlier, p*-o-"bably neither is entitled to the title, bat to both is certainly due the honour of having taken an active part in the growth and development of the code. It cpn hardly be assumed, however, that the^, Nelson movement had any great influence or the early stages of the.game in Auckland, Canterbury, Otago, or Taranaki." Mr. R. C. Tennent, who is mentioned -above, is now living in retirement at Napier after having completed 52 years' service in the Bank of New South Wales. A keen athlete in his day, he represented Nelson at cricket and football, and was also champion mile runner of the province for three years, In his account of how they began Rugby in Nelson, Mr. Tennent says that the young men at No}-1 son, finding that there was nothing to do -in the winter months, decided to call a meeting with a view to forming afcelab. This was in IS6S or 1869. -"A club was formed," says Mr. Tennent, "but we were not quite certain what rules .we should adopt, We had the Association rules and the rules of the Victorian Association. We decided to give both <«. try out, and while we were doing so, Mr. C, J. Munro, a son of Sir David Munro, returned from England and suggested that we should try Rugby. We did, and wo liked it better than any of the other codes. We formed a club, and I was elected secretary and treasurer, The Nelson College adopted the same :ules, and thus the game was started there. The first inter-provincial match vas either in 1871 or 1572, and it is interesting to note that it was played somewhere in our own district, but whether actually in what is now Petone or Lower Jfutt ro one seems to know. In his rectflea■tions of it, Mr. Tennent says: "When

we came over we found the Basin Reserve under water and so we decided to play at the Hutt. We went in two dra^g. We found a suitable field near Pjtone. Nelson won by three goals to nil.'' I In the following year the return fame way played, in the Nelson Botanical Gardens, and Nelson again, won by tl:vee goals to nil. The third game played at the Basin Reserve in 1874 seems to have been the most interesting. Many of the armed constabulary were in th^ Wellington team, and the game was a mobt strenuous one, Mr Alfred Bunny, of the Nelson side, being taken off with concussion of the brain, and a Wellington, player, with a broken leg. It ended in a draw. Mr. Tennent, who was according to others, a fine back, played for Nslson in all three matches, and was captain of the third one. Mr. Alfred Drew, of Palmerston North, had captained the first Nelson side, and Archdeacon Kempt'aorne the second. The Wellington captain for the first two games was Mr. Ishertvcod, and for the third, Mr. Werry. The rules in those days were vory similar to those played now "with the exception that, when a scrum was formed, all the forwards stood opposite one Knottier in a line; the ball was thrown in between the lines by one of the pla/ars, anU everyone kicked at it as it passed. Ju those days only goals counted." According to Mr. Tennent and to others, the g?.me was very fast—much faster than it is to-day, the running and drop kicking being a feature. We should have liked to quote M^. Tennent more fully than we have dona, but space forbids. It is to be hoped that he will give more of his remiaiscences of the game before long, and otiers will also be stimulated to publish their early recollections. There must be hundreds of good stories to tell of early football in New. Zealand and in Wellington ana in the Hutt district.