RUGBY FOOTBALL

Northern Advocate, 24 August 1929, Page 12

RUGBY FOOTBALL

NEWS AND NOTES Auckland were the first holders of the Ranfurly Shield in 1902. They lost the trophy in 1904 to Wellington, but regained it the following season, and retained it Until Taranaki were successful in 1913. Auckland have not had possession of the shield since the latter year. As a matter of fact, they have played only three games for the trophy Since it left the province. All three matches were against Hawke’s Bay, in 1923, 1924 and 1926. ,

A stalwart constable, playing in a Rugby match at Timaru, was forced to go through most of the second spell with only one boot. The other had been wrenched off and torn, and could riot be replaced because it was a good solid No. 10.

Charlie Rushbrook is now approaching the form which brought about his selection to the All Black team last year, (states a correspondent). Playing against Retone in the Wellington championship on Saturday last, Rushbrook made a couple of slashing runs which bored deep into the defence. He was a hard man to bring down, as some of the Petone backs' found out quite early in the game. After that it was found good policy to keep the ball away from the fast and heavy All Black.

The annual meeting of the English Rugby Union was to have been held on June 28, when the representatives from all over the' country would have an opportunity of seeing for them,selves how flourishing the game is. They would learn, for example, that the value of the property at Twickenham—bought with so much trepidation nearly a score of years ago and now a veritable gold mine—is placed at £103,523, and that the profits from the trial and home international matches' last season were:—Newcastle trial £240, Comborne trial £39, Twickenham trial, £1067, versus Wales £12,361, versus Ireland £11,719. The sale of season tickets for Twickenham brought in nearly £2OOO, and the motor parks between £SOO and £6OO. • * * « Given a good full-back and some honest forwards, the Dalley-Lilburne-Oliver-Carleton combination should place Canterbury well on the football map this season.—Christchurch Sun.

Says “The Cynic,” in the Sydney Referee;—“Without delay New Zealand ought to adopt the eight pack, master it, and play it against the British team. If they play the seven pack, with the wing forward, .the visitors may not leave the Dominion with such glowing impressions of their Rugby as they should take away with them. It is my strong conviction that if New Zealand does adopt the eight pack she will make a big success of it, after the system of packing in and getting possession of the ball is mastered. In that case, too, the two outside back-row forwards will probably be a greater menace to opposing backs than the one wing forward in these days; and that, too, without hurting the feelings or jarring the sentiments of their opponents, who on this* occasion, come from a country where the wing forward of the All Blacks—no matter how legitimate his football, may be—is anathema to so many men who write for the Press.”

A profit of £27,170 was made by the English Rugby Union last season. The England-Wales match at Twickenham yielded a profit of £12,361, and the England-Ireland game, on the same ground, left a profit of £11,719. The union now has £43,312 on loan to clubs at nominal interest, to enable them to purchase and equip new grounds.

McGhie (pronounced McGee), “Maggie” to his pals, who made a name for himself in the second test, Australia v. New Zealand, at Brisbane, is a light weight like Owen Crossman, weighing only 9,7 but he tackles well, and possesses the pace of a champion sprinter.

New Zealand is not the only country that lacks the means to secure gate money in connection with amateur boat racing. At Ploughkeepsie, U.S., inter-Varsity races were witnessed by an attendance estimated at 100,000, of whom 2700 paid for the privilege of watching the racing. There, as here, arrangements cannot be made for conditions that Till secure a “gate.”