RUGBY JUBILEE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 243, 11 September 1934, Page 2

RUGBY JUBILEE.

HAWKE’S BAY UNION. GATHERINGS AT NAPIER. NAPIER, Sept. 8. This afternoon the Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union officially celebrated its golden jubilee as a Rugby union, the celebrations taking the form of a grand parade of old and present representative players in the afternoon, and a reunion dinner to old players, officials and representatives of other clubs and Rugby unions. Over 200 players took part in tiie grand parade, held on McLean Park prior to the commencement of the Hawke’s Bay-Auckland Ranfurly Shield match. The procession was headed by a band, which played the old footballers round the field, the old players being grouped into sections, each representing a decade. Included in the first decade were five members of the original Hawke’s Bay representatives of 1885—Messrs H. F. Gibbons (captain), “Smiler” Ihimaira, J. I. Cato, H. G. Fletcher, and H. M. Saunders. (Mr Gibbons has for a number of years resided in Palmerston North and is patron of the Manawatu Rugby Union.) The dinner in the evening, with the president of the union, Mr R. M. Hewitt, in the chair, was attended by oyer 400 old and present players, officials representing the New Zealand and several provincial Rugby unions and the Auckland team, and proved an unqualified success. A lengthy toast list was honoured, prior to which a musical programme was rendered during dinner. During the evening a collection was taken in aid of the McLean memorial gates, almost £75 being subscribed for that purpose.

A roll of old representative players was called, and several ex-captains replied to the toast of the Hawke’s Bay representatives. The following unions were repiesented officially: New Zealand (Messrs S. S. Dean and A. O. Kitto); Auckland (Mr H. Frost); Otago (Mr E. Collett); Canterbury (Mr N. Doreen); Wairarapa (Mr E. McKenzie); and 'Wellington (Mr J. Prendeville). The various subunions under the jurisdiction of the Hawke’s Bay union were also represented.

The Hawke’s Bay union has five subunions, and controls more than 2000 footballers divided among 45 affiliated clubs.