EARLY RUGBY DAYS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21493, 17 May 1933, Page 17

EARLY RUGBY DAYS

AUCKLAND TEAM ON TOUR

r development of Rugby in New Zealand and a brief outline of early tours was referred to by the retiring president, Mr. G. H. Pownall, in his address to delegates at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union in Wellington last week. It was just 08 years, he said, since the first Rugby tour in New Zealand, when Auckland made a tour of the colony. Even in those early days Auckland suffered from a difference in rules.. In Auckland there was no penalty for a force, while in the SoutJi such an action cost a point, which, being frequently done by the tourists, discovered a weakness and cost them most of their matches. This tour was followed in 1876 by Canterbury, and in the following year by Otago. Tho first visit from New South Wales was in 1882, when to the great surprise of New Zealand, tho visitors met more than their match, Auckland beating them twice, as did Otago. Their only wins were against Wanganui and Wellington. This visit was returned in 1884, when the New Zealand team scored IG7 points and had only 17 scored against it. Thus began that long, list of happy tours of which last season's was by no means the least successful from every point of view. In those early days such things as "tests" were unknown and all matches wore played against districts." It is interesting to recall that 1888 saw the first English team reach Now Zealand shores. It played 19 matches, los-' ing two (to Auckland and Taranaki), drawing four (Auckland, Otago, WaAganui, and Wellington), and won the balance.