FORMER MANAWATU PLAYER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 304, 21 November 1934, Page 7

FORMER MANAWATU PLAYER.

AWARDED RUGBY BLUE. MR M. COOPER’S SUCCESS. LONDON, Nov. 19. Mr Malcolm Cooper, B.Sc (Agric.), New Zealand Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, has been awarded his blue for Rugby football.

Mr Cooper is an old boy of the Napier Boys’ High School, and it was in 1930 that he made his debut in Manawatu football as a member of the first fifteen of Massey College. A tall and somewhat slim forward, Cooper did not gain recognition as a representative player till 1932 when he played in four matches for Manawhenua (the association between Manawatu and Horowhenua for representative purposes being then in. existence), and a like number for Manawatu. In that season he proved himself to be a free contributor to the scoring .account, for. die; registered 17 points for Manawhenua) 6 points for Manawatu, and 15 for his club. After the Rugby “divorce” between Manawatu and Horowhenua in 1933, Cooper played with a great deal of success for Manawatu in eight engagements. Last season he would have again secured a place in the Manawatu scrum, but the selector declined, rightly or wrongly, to call upon him in view of the fact that Cooper would be departing for England before the completion of the representative programme. Cooper has tho distinction of being the first New Zealand-Rhode's Scholar appointed from Massey College, and also the first New Zealand University Rugby blue from the agricultural colleges. The cablegram now discloses that lie has carried the record still further. —“Cross Bar.”