SEASON ENDS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4342, 11 October 1950, Page 5

SEASON ENDS

RUGBY ON THE PLAINS

TROPHIES PRESENTED BALL HELD AT NGATEA

A very successful Rugby season was brought to a close by the Hauraki Plains Rugby Union on Monday night when trophies won during the season, including the Poland cup—the championship of the Thames Valley Rugby Union, and the Peace cup—recognised as the championship competition of the South Auckland area, were presented at a ball held in the Ngatea Hall.

The function was well organised and well attended. At the conclusion of a delicious supper, the M.C., Mr J. Carr, introduced the president of the Hauraki Plains Rugby Union, Mr H. Kennedy, who heartily welcomed the large number of people present. He mentioned that the ball was organised so that trophies won by the various clubs during the season could be presented, and he spoke with pride of the senior team’s achievement in winning the Peace and Poland cups. He then called upon Mr Hugh Dent, of Ngatea, to make the presentation of the club competition trophies. Waiitakaruru’s Success Mr Dent congratulated the union officials and all the Rugby teams on the Plains for the success of the past season. He paid a tribute to the schoolmasters who had put in so much time in training the young players so that football had progressed so satisfactorily on the Plains.

Waitakaruru, he said, had had a most successful season, winning several trophies, and he called on Mr Bruce Coxhead of the Waitakaruru senior team to receive both the Dent and Hauraki cups. Mr Coxhead offered his thanks and apologised for the absence of the team’s captain, MrBert O’Neil.

The Bartley cup was presented to Mr Trevor Fisher, who represented the Kerepehi senior team, while Waitakaruru were handed the junior cup and. shield. The White cup and Morgan shield were won by the Waitaka-r-uru third grade team, and these were presented to Mr G. McPherson. Poland Cup Presented

■Mr R. L. Darley, of Paeroa, a member of the executive of the Thames Valley Rugby Union, presented the Poland cup to Mr Selly Fisher, congratulating ~the team on winning this trophy for the second season in succession. He complimented the players on the good football they had played and then referred to the history of the Poland cup. It had been, he said, presented to the Thames Valley Rugby Union by Mrs E. Poland and her husband, the late Mr Hugh Poland, in memory of their son Frank, who was killed while serving overseas in the first World War. Frank had been a Paeroa representative player prior to going overseas. The Poland family was a well-known Rugby family in the Auckland province, the late Mr Hugh Poland having represented the Goldfields and Auckland in his day while his son Jim, -a former resident of the Hauraki Plains and now of Paeroa, had represented Paeroa and South Auckland when South Auckland was a big union including all the Waikato. Another brother Cecil had represented Thames and a third brother, Ivan, had also made his name on the Rugby field- and more latterly had been known as a referee on the Hauraki Plains. In handing the trophy to Mr Fisher, Mr Darley expressed the hope that the Hauraki Plains senior representative team would continue its success in the years that lay ahead.

Presentation to Mr Fox

In accepting the cup Mr Fisher said that his team was a grand one and he was proud of all the players. Each member was a good sport and it was due to this and support of the public that the team had had such a successful year. He then asked Mr Keith Fox, of Turua, selector and coach of the senior team to accept a handsome silver tea service which carried with it the good wishes of the Hauraki Plains Rugby Union and the representative players. It was, he said, a small token of appreciation of the particularly good job Mr Fox had made of the diffcult position of selector.

Mr Fox replied, stating that it had been a pleasure to be able to select a team which had done so well this year. He paid special tribute to the emergencies of the team who had been so loyal and stood by him right throughout the year. He congratulated the skipper, Mr Selly Fisher for the job he had done and the players for their support. He also thanked the public for their enthusiasm which had been a big factor in the team vinning games. In conclusion he -.hanked his colleagues for their support and he expressed his appreciation