Schoolboy Players Keen

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1949, Page 8

Schoolboy Players Keen

Rugby . .

Jack Frost's keenness this morning was as nothing compared with that displayed by youngsters who played in the Whangarei Rugby Union's inaugural seventh and eighth grade games at Rugby Park. Rivalling the enthsiasm of the embryo All Blacks, parents and old Rugby players roared encouragement and advice.

The honour of scoring the first points in the new competitions went to Ken Hjorth (Convent) when he raised the flags with a splendid bare-footed penalty shot. Colin Love (Old Boys) just missed the honour. A shot from a penalty scraped the outside of an upright. In the main attraction Old Boys appeared to have the measure of Country. Neil Mac Kay and Colin Love were a nippy five-eighth combination. Three points down and half a minute to go. A scrum goes down on the half-way mark, a Country forward kicks through. Dick Mahunga follows the ball, snaps it up and races away to touch down between the posts. Noel Halse’s big toe sends over a “sitter,” and Country is the winner 5—3.

Hora Hora have likely sides in both grades. Scorers for the red-and-golds included Peter Pickering, son of former Northland centre and captain R. H. (“Russ") Pickering, and Peter Dent. Results:— SEVENTH GRADE

Country 5 (Dick Mahunga try, Noel Hnlse conversion), Old Boys 3 (Neil MacKay try). Convent 12 (Peter Burkhardt, Douglas Burkhardt, Michael Brophy tries, Ken Hjorth penalty), Hora Hora B 0. Hora Hora A 9 (Peter Pickering, Jim Houlihan, Peter Dent tries), City A 0. , EIGHTH GRADE

City 6 (Barry Clotworthy, Ross Dempster tries), Old Bovs 0.

Hora Hora 12 (Dennis Cameron, Lance Laurie, Billy Goodhue, Owen Gardiner tries), Country 0.