Sports and Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume XVI, Issue 878, 4 May 1917, Page 19

Sports and Pastimes

By Touchliner

Rugby Football. The. Future of Rugby. nnHE thought uppermost in my mind at the Athletic Park last Saturday afternoon was. "What is the Rugby game going to be like in the future?" Although I was keenly interested in the play this thought I am referring to kept running through my mind, and the answer I found to own unvoiced question was a; satisfactory one to me. I don't feel inclined many - times to take on the role of a prophet, but the inclinat'on is mine to breakthe rule on this occasion, and-to-prophesy . that there .will -be as fine exponents of Rugby in the days to come as there have been .'in the past, and as the years go by the ''All Blacks'' of the -future" will reach as high a plane as those whose names ■ Vave gone. down..in history. ■■ . - •

f For four hours' last; Saturday after-, noon the Rugby ball—was kicked, about on tho Atliletic Parle by youngsters in varying degrees of. proficiency at., the: game, 'and; here and there were some players who should , develop into topnotchers.; It'may be: that we may have to wait a few- years for the new batch of playersjfco "reach their top standard, but youth is the only thing at. the present time that - prevents many from playing the game in such a way as to make the spectators enthusiastic. W. J. Wallace, F. Roberts, and A. "Wilson—just to mention three familiar names—all began as bov-players, and only by graduating through the junior grades did , they reach; the standard of their " New Zealand ; representative career. Who is to say "that amongst.the lads who showed their paces \• at the Athletic Park there are not a few Do-, niinion representatives of the future ? I bell eve there are.-and I also 'believe that Rugby in the' days'.'to. come will be as glorious and as interesting a game" as it. has been in -the past. •

"Wherefore, take heart of grace, those of. you who are responsible for the government of Rugby, and ; keep your hands to the plough, even if the present prospects-are, not alluring. There are better times on ahead.- when the. war god shall have been put in his. place and the pastimes of, our youths and young-men will again hold sway in the

land.. Let it .be soon, too. - is-the earnest, wish of one who,, though he likes to s'fee other sports make progress, believes that Rugby . football is without a peer as r an athletic exercise. ■■ ■ .

The Tournaments. . ~ The 1917 season of the Wellington . Rugby Union was opened at .the. Athletic Park last Saturday afternoon with two. and . senior—r-of seven-a-gide . tournaments. Sixteen teams took- part ■in each of them, and between a: quarter past on<=> ,and.,.a quarter, past five fourteen games were play--ed. These seven-a-side tournaments take a Jot of playing, mainly because - many of the players hang, out signs ot - distress v6ry early--in .the day.. Allow- ■ ing for all'this,' however, the displays of Rugby as it should' be played given bytlie boys in the- two grades were. ■ satisfactory to ■ the -goodly ' crowd of spectators present and a compliment to 'the players, themselves: -

It is some time since an old friend in "the barracker" lias been heard to such purpose as he was in this tournament. He cheered on his own particular team -- most of the time; but .any flashes of ' brilliancy by others than, those he was cheering on met with deserved approval. "The barracker" is generally a one-eyed individual, , but oil Saturday he was in : a good humour, and in that : mood ho is a pleasure to listen to. May he always feel'that way, and what- has come to be a necessary adjunct to the - Rugby game will cease to be a nuisance, as he has been many times in the past. „ The Fifth-class Games7~ These were played, first, and were continued right up to the semi-final stages, the games following .. one another in quick time and in good order. The results-in the first round were: — Scots' College 8, 'St. Patrick's . College BO; - Wellington College; B .5, _St. James B 3 ; Wellington' College A 13, Hutt A, 0; Petone B 5, Athletic B 0; St. Patrick's College A 6, Athletic A 0; Hutt B won by default from Poneke; Petone A 9, St. James A OOriental 7, Selwyn 0. . ■' '' . ... - . - Second round, results: —College B 8, Scots' College 0; Coll ego A 18, Petone B 0; St. Patrick's College-6, Hutt BO; Petone Ao, Oriental 3.. College A defeated College B by 15 points to 0 in the third round, and Petone triumphed over St. Patrick's College by 11 to 0.

The boys were then given • a rest while -trying-out games in the senior competition were. being played. The Petone and Qolldge teams met in the final, 'and a good game resulted. The College boys . had a handsome win by 15 points to 4, mainly as the result of two: splendid runs ' by a . flying wing three-quarter. This lad —Nicol by name—is one of the finest try-getters I have seen for a loiig time, and reminded me greatly" of • l)uncan McGregor, =tha "All Black." The long, raking stride, with the grim determination to get to the goal-lme at all hazards—the

outstanding features ~in Duncan's gallop—were reproduced in this young lad,- whose performance was the thing principally talked about round the ringside;."-. . ■

The Senior Games. - - The ;first of: these games .was started -at 2.30y. and they ran right through to the final without-a ..break.. .The 'best • mateh of the series was between the Old. Boys and Petone teams in the semi-final. -They, were-th® two'-'strong--" = est -sets in tho competition, and the struggle for supremacy between them, was a dogged and interesting one. Victory went the way of Old Boys by a . try to nil r scored by Brooker, (full back) right on the call of time- • - The results of- the,, "various . gameswere:—First round: - University A 6, . St. • Patrick's College 3; Petone B <?, University B .;3; Wellington A 6, Athletic 0; Oriental 83, Poneke 3 (the latter gaining, the verdict by- calling - correctly when a coin was - tossed, in - the ail-); Old Boys A .4, Wellington ' College 3; Sciywn 7. St. James 0; Petone A 6, Oriental 0; Old Boys B 3, Wellington B 3 (the tosc went in favour of Wellington). Second round: University 14, Petone B 1; -Poneke- 8, Wellington A* 0; , Old Boys 12, Selwyn 0; Petone AB, Wellington B 0. Third round : Uni- . versity 5, Poneke 0 ; Old Boys 3, Petone 0: Final: Old Boys 8, University o. . ■" '

Casual Comments. Mr. Millard, a master.-at Wellington College and a member of the Rugby, Union, was responsible for the success-* ful running of the" tournaments. - His arrangements; were all in good- order, and there was no delay.: whatever between the finish of one game, and the commencement of another. That everything went so well' is a credit to - - Mr.-Millard and those, assisting hiin. The referees also are deserving of a word of praise. They got through a heavy afternoon's work creditably. By the way, the annual meeting of the Referees' Association is to bo held in the Y.M.G.A. rooms on Monday,' and ' recruits'-to that body .will be heartily welcomed at that gathering. . - One .of the humorous incidents on - Saturday was in connection with the jerseys. In the final of the 'fifth-class competition one Wellington College* • boy had on a black jersey—Petone were . playing in blue—and it was desired to get a white one for him. - The game had just started when the Old" BoysPetone match finished on the adjoining -ground. A member of the Committee pounced on one lad, with the remark: "Give me your jersey for that lad in black." The youth was dumbfounded, and no wonder—he was a fellow-player ' of the one that wanted a -jarseyy. The committeemart joined in the laugh that ' went up at his expense, and he had to look elsewhere for the jersey he wanted. •

"What is a force down?"' A "rule in the seven-a-side wmpetition - provided that- a point should be scored . for a force-down. The referees were not " unanimous as to what was meant,: and metliinks it would bo well in future io state what really constitutes a forcedbwn. In my opinion, any wilful act on the part of the " defending side* —/ kicking the ball over the dead-ball line, into touch-in-goal, or falling on it in their own in-goal—is a; force-down and should carry J_witli •it appoint to the attacking side.' Some of the referees held this opinion, while others held that the only thing that carried the penalty was the actual force-down itself . Luckily, the result of no game was affected, but it easily might happen that a forcedown would make the difference between a win and a draw, and a common ruling would be the proper thing to arrive at before the games commenced.