BACK FROM ENGLAND

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 45, 23 February 1938, Page 8

BACK FROM ENGLAND

REX KING, RUGBY FORWARD I PLAYED FOR LEAGUE A passenger on the Rangitiki, which arrived at Auckland from England late last week was R. K. King, the Canterbury Rugby player, who signed on for the Warrington League Club (Lancashire) four years ago. He was met at the boat by his wife, who went home to marry him in 1935, and his mother. Mrs. King, junr., returned to Christchurch six months ago after staying in the Old Country 27 months. Rex King, not to be confused with R. R. (Ron) King, of West Coast, the 1937 All Black captain, of course, although they were contemporaries, gained his South Canterbury representative cap in 1929, after five years at the Timaru Boys’ High School. On going to the Training College at Christchurch in 1930 he joined University. He not only wore the scarlet and black jersey for Canterbury that year, but actually scored the winning try when that province beat F. D. Prentice’s British fifteen by 14 points to 3. He was a member of the 1931 New Zealand University side in Australia, and after representing Canterbury to the end ot 1933 he signed a four years' contract with Warrington, due to expire on July 30 this year. Reformation of Game. Rex arrived in England coincidental with a reformation in forward play in the Northern Rugby League. It was found that the game had developed such speed that members of the heavy (14st.) pack of six men were practically “passengers” as soon as the ball was hooked. What was required was a loose forward, and King immediately jumped into the limelight as the greatest scoring vanguardsman in England. He crossed the line 20 times in his first season, and at one stage of the 1936 championship actually rang on a dozen tries in 13 matenes. T;ia» year, too, he represented the Dominion against France at Paris. Out of Action, Injured. In a brief conversation with “Ponty,” of the Auckland Star, the South Islander stated that he was really back home on furiough. He was injured towards the end of last season by a kick in the vicinity of the kidneys, and actually spent seven weeks in hospital. Acting under medical advice, he had not played this winter for Warrington, who finished second to Salford (another Lancashire club) In the 1936-37 championship, and up to the time he left England was ahead of Leeds (Yorkshire) for the 1937-38 premiership. J. Arkwright, who was one of England’s outstanding forwards in 1936 on the Australasian tour, Is Warrington captain, and among its star backs are W. Belshaw, international full-back, and Dave Brown, the famous Australian centre. Dominion Stars at Home. Other noted Antipodian players in various Northern Union clubs are VIC Hey, five-eighth (Australia), playing for Leeds; Charlie Smith (Hawke’s Bay winger), Halifax;* J. McDnoald (Marlborough), the 1934 Empire Games rower, who is a forward in the Huddersfield team; George Harrison (that fine Taranaki forward in the Maori team in Australia in 1934, who played in the final 1935 All Blacks trial for Britain), Halifax; and Fred French, a Canterbury full-back iii Hey’s Leeds thirteen. King, who is 28 years of age left for Christchurch last Sunday and anticipates renewal of his contract at its expiry four and a half months hence. He states that the English forwards in the Tests against the Kangaroos averaged 34 years, which is round about the same age CTat the vanguard of. England had turned in the sensational match against New Zealand at Twickenham at New Year, 1925, when the Dominion won 17—11 after fielding with fourteen men for most of the contest. By the way, King states that James Sullivan, English captain and fullback in New Zealand, 1928 and 1932, is still playing great football for Wigan. The 1905 Ail Black, Charlie Selling, still resides there, but his son, Charlie, junr., has transferred to Dewsbury (Yorkshire).