RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20931, 22 July 1931, Page 14

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

fl-HE SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP.

PONSONBY MEETS UNIVERSITY.

MEXT REPRESENTATIVE MATCH

The Auckland Rugby Union's senior championship competition will be continued on Saturday next, when two matches will be played at Eden Parkland they should attract a largo crowd. Tho position at present is that Grammar, Ponsonby and University arc all equal in tho lead with 14 points, while Marist lias 12 points. Ponsonby has been drawn to meet University on Saturday, and this game will bo played on the oval. A close and interesting contest should result. Grammar.! will play Marist on No. 2 ground, and this game is also likely to command a large following of spectators. The results will havo an important bearing on the championship, and so tho teams aro sure to givo of their best. - The annual College Day will bo held at Eden Park on Saturday week. The main match will bo between King's College and 'Auckland Grammar School, while Mount 'Albert Grammar School will meet Sacred Heart College. Auckland's next representative match will be against Taranaki, at New Plymouth, on Saturday week. The B representatives will play a return match «igainst South Auckland at Pukekoho tho tame day'. Representative Record. The poor display given by the Auckland representatives against Southland was ' .very disappointing to Rugby supporters, .-while tho players themselves made no secret of the fact that they, too, were anything but pleased with tho .performance. Something will have to be done to got a better side together for tho match .■with Taranaki on Saturday week. Auckland has played three representative games this season, having won two and lost one. The margin in favour of Auckland in its t\vo successes was hot nearly so comfortable as its supporters would wish. Following are. the results of matches played so far this season;— Against Waikato, at Hamilton.—Won, 22—17. , Against# Hawkc's Bay, at Napier.Lost, 19—8. Against Southland, at Auckland.—Won, 6-5. The next representative match to be played in Auckland will be tho return gamo with Waikato on August 15. In all probability the final match for the senior championship will be played on August 8. Southland and Wellington meet in Wellington to-day. in the first Ranfurly Shield match of the present season. The Wellington team contains the names of several players not well-known in representative Rugby. The side will bo captained by 11. Lilburne, the ex-Canterbury representative, who toured South Africa in 1928 and -Australia the following year. Prominent Players Retire. E. Bell, who was one of the mainstays of Southland representative teams for several seasons, and who Great Britain and France with the New Zealand Maori team in 1926-27, has retired from the game and is' now refcreeing. W. T. Hazlett, one §f the finest forwards Southland has produced, and a member of the All Black team which toured South 'Africa, has given the game best. Up to the Auckland match Geddes, the speedy Southland wing-threeqbarter, had scored seven tries in the three matches t-lie teani, had played 'en route to this city. v ' Waikato has' .placed • itself higher up in the Rugby'world by defeating Wai-' > rarapa on Saturday last. The ground was very muddy and soft, ans .tho ball difficult to' control. Waikato ,was content to leave the ball on the ground, and to this the side owed its victory. On the other hand, Wairarapa attempted to pick the ball up and run and pass it. The time taken in collecting the ball allowed the visitors to crash down on their opponents, and practically every effort ended in the mire. Wairarapa lost a great chance of pulling the game out of the fire when Oliver failed to take a.pass when he had a cle;u' run in. On another occasion String-, fellow got. over and commenced to run round behind the posts. Ho was called back, however, as he had stepped out of bounds. 1 ;