GAMES IN COUNTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23026, 2 May 1938, Page 13

GAMES IN COUNTRY

COMPETITION EVENTS STAG TROPHY AT STAKE FRANKTON AND TE AWAMUTU Rugby football competitions were continued .in country centres of the Auckland Province on Saturday afternoon. In a contest for the Stag* Trophy at Hamilton the Frankton and fe Awamutu teams played a draw. The following results of matches were forwarded by correspondents of the Heuald : Morrinsville.—The two senior matches plajed at the Morrinsville Recreation Ground in the opening of the Morrinsville Rughy Union s Marshall Cup competition produced football of a higher standard than has been seen so early in the season for many years. Chief interest centred in tho game between Old Boys, last season's champion side, and Ivereone, tho senior champion for the previous eleven seasons. Old Boys led by B—s8 —5 at halftime, but Koroone evened with a try halfway through the second period. Excitement was intense as Old Boys regained the lead with a penalty goal, but just on time Kercone scored near the posts, but the kick at goal failed, making the game a draw, 11 points all. For Old Boys tries were scored by M. Fahey and W. Martin, while A. ,T. A it ken converted a try and kicked a penalty goal. Kereone's points came from tries by J. Leeson, L. Russell and E. Leeson, one of which H. McJntyro converted. In the other senior game Terriers beat United, by 10 points to 0. Tries were scored by G. Wetrre (2) and W. Johnston. W 7 etere kicked a penalty goal and converted two tries. Juniors: United, 6, Ivereoij,c, 3; Old Boys, 3, Terriers, 0. Te Awamutu.—Tho local Rughy season opened at Albert Park in the presence of a fair number of spectators. In the Stag competition Te Awamutu met Hamilton Technical Old Boys. Te Awamutu won by 0 points to 3 in a hard-fought game, in which the play of both teams was of a high standard for tho beginning of the season. In the first spell Te Awamutu found difficulty in settling down and Technical had tho better of the play territorially, but it was unable to finish off several promising movements. Half-time came with no score. Tho second spell saw Te Awamutu combining better ami the forwards, led by Wynyard. who played an outstanding game, commenced to dominate play. A bright movement among the To Awamutu backs saw Hunna cut in and pot a goal. Technical retaliated and an infringement by the Te Awamutu forwards in their own twenty-five resulted in G. Dalbeth kicking a penalty goal. Te Awamutu returned to the attack and Tombs ran through quickly to touch down. Grace converted. Juniors: Te Awamutu, 0. Nguturua. 0. Third grade: Te Awamutu Old Boys' third grade fifteen defeated a Te Kuiti junior team in a friendly game by 11 points to 10. Te Aroha.—Considerable public interest was displayed in the opening of the Te Aroha Rugby Union's season, the largest crowd seen at club football for a considerable time being present nt Herries Park. The games were preceded by a para,le of players from the main street to the ground and a goal-to-goal race between three representatives of each senior grade team. This was won by M. Kiely of the Old Boys Club. Last .vear'j; champion, Waihou, was defeated by Tui Maoris by 14 to 8 in a gam? in which the Maoris held a decided territorial advantage throughout. For Tui S. Wilkinson scored two tries and S. Oro one. N. Gray converted one try and kicked a penalty goal. For Waihou Burgess scored and converted his own try and hlso kicked a penalty goal. In a fast game Old Boys beat City by 1G to 0. McCarthy, Laverick and Afaloney scored tries for Okl Boys. Edwards converting two, and Malonev kicked a penalty goal. Juniors: Waihoft, 14, City, S; Manawarn. 2G, Old Boys, 0. Third grade: Waihou 10, High School, 3. Paeroa.—ldeal weather conditions prevailed for the opening of the Rugby season in Paeroa. Hikutaia, last season's winner, defeated Convent Old Boys in the senior competition by 21 points to 5. Both sides exhibited good form for an opening game. Alp fended off three players to send G-. Morrison away for a the first try for Hikutaia. Alp converting. When the Convent fullback failed to field the ball at his twenty-five, H. Robinson ran through for a try. Bunting secured from a quick th-ow-in and dived across for Convent, Wilson converting from a difficult angle. A loose forward rush by Hikutaia saw G. Morrison get across again. The second spell was well advanced when W, Morrison picked up from a loose ruck to score attain for Hikutaia. Alp converted. Further scrambles took Hikutaia to the line where Bell and IT. Robinson went across. W. Morrison converted an! the game ended:—Hikutaia, 21, i Convent Old Boys, 5. Juniors: Hikutaia. 17. Convent Old Boys, 3. Hamilton. —The first match in the Stag Trophy competition was contested before a large crowd at the opening of the Hamilton Rugby Union's 103S season, at Rughy Park. In a ragged but interesting tussle, Te Awamutu Rovers drew with Frankton. each side scoring 14 points. In spite of the lack of combination, a fact pace was maintained. The Frankton team played well, and nt times tho backs, especially Everest and Hoops', showed flashes of brilliance. The Te Awamutu pack worked hard, but was let down by its backs, who lacked cohesion, due mainly to the inside men, who persistently held on to the hail. By his consistent kicking. L. Young scored 11 points for Te Awamutu. Morrison being ■the only other sc'orer. Tries were scored for Frankton- by Everest (2), Heeps. and McDonald. one being converted by Hceps. Cambridge Playing the first match , of the season in the Stag competition, Hamilton Old Boys registered a win over the home team by 13 points to fl. Play was not of a high standard. The Hamilton backs were a better combination . than the Cambridge set as a whole, but the home forwards had the advantage. Carol (Hamilton) and L..Kelly (Cambridge) were the best of the backs. Scorers for Old Boys were A. Sayers (2) and D. Paterson Sayers and Gillespie each converted a try. For Cambridge Charlton scored twice. Juniors: Hautapu, 8, United, 3; • Northern. 'J~>, Leamington. 0. Thirds: Leamington. G, Xorthern, 3; Hautapu, 24, United, 0. Fourths: United. 3, Hautapu, 0. Northern defaulted to Leamington. Thames.—The senior game between Hui Mai and Phvsical Training was very interesting. Hui Mai showed better combination and was a winner by S points to 3. There was no score until just before the interval when Rohrlach dived over for Hui Mai. Gregory ■ converting, the ball striking both uprights before dropping over. In the second spell Murray scored for Hui Mai, while Poland crossed for Physical Training. Juniors: I hysicai Training, 32. High School. 14. Tauranga.—The Taurapga Rugby Union opened its season in fine weather. Two games were played in the senior urade for the Gilbv Cup. Cadets defeated Matakana by 10 points to 8, and Rangataua beat United Service by 13 to 3. Juniors: Rangatnua, 12, Oniokoro;t, IJ. United Service, 3. BOMBAY CLUB'S JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS ON SATURDAY [from our own correspondent] PUKEKOHE, Sunday A foundation member of the Bombay Rugby Football Club, Mr. R. Donovan, kicked off for the principal Rugby match in a sports gala held yesterday on the Bombay Recreation Ground, in celebration of the club's 50th anniversary...An enlarged framed photograph of the club's tenm.in its first year, 1888, was on view on the gronnds. Mr. Donovan appears in it. In addressing a large gathering Mr. Donovan recalled that the team of .">0 years ago played Clevedon, Waiuku, I'ukekohe, Tuakau and Pokeno, riding to the other centres on horseback, lie mentioned that he was one of several members wh • were still living. The club's t colours, gold and black, had remained unaltered over the half-century. ... The most humorous phase of yesterday s programme ivas a hockey match between former Bombay footballers in fancy dress as elderly ladies and the present Bombay girls' hockey team. The referee declared the match a draw, one goal each. When the former players tried conclusions at Rugbv, however, with the present Bombay junior fifteen, they registered a victory, W. Lowrie compiling eight points for them with a converted try and a penalty goal,

against which the juniors were able to put up only six points, in the form of a try and a penalty goal, both b.v C. Best. The principal match was between the Bombay senior fifteen and a combined "enior team from the Pukekohe Old Boys Club andl the Ivaraka club. Bombay won by five points to nil, T. Crollop scoring a try for the home side and A. Harvey converting H. The Bombay schoolboys' Rugby team won by six points to four in a match with, h team of schoolboys drawn from neighbouring districts. . An "old buffers'" race was won by A. Lowrie and a race for the junior footballers by E. Fahey. ... • v.. Opportunity was taken of the occasion b} Mr. W. A. Peterson, president of the club, to present a clock to Mr. R. Anderson. Air. Peterson said the gift was an expression of appreciation .by the club of the services rendered it last year by Mr. Anderson in the capacity of selector. Mr. Anderson was now resident in Auckland, but the c ' o would be an active reminder to him of happy days at Bombay. MANUKAU SUB-UNION OPENING NEXT SATURDAY It was announced at the management committee's meeting of the Manukau Sub-union, over which Mr. G. C. Howie presided, that five teams were entered for the senior championship which commences next Saturday, the team drawing the bye each week to play a team from the Kingseat Hospital in a series of friendly matches. An emergency committee consisting of Messrs. G. Howie (Karaka), R. Flanagan (Drur.v) and D. Markham (Ararimu) was elected^^e S t from the headmaster of the Alfriston School for a football for the use of scholars was granted. . Mr. C. C. Munro (Clevedon) retiring president. was elected a life member of the union in appreciation of his lengthy services to the code. Mr. S. Wright (Karaka) was elected to the position of vice-president. It was decided to obtain new representative jerseys, and a change of colour to royal blue wins also decided on. For the purpose of creating a better junior competition, teams entered are to play in the Pukekohe Union's competition, subject to the. latter's acceptance. The affiliation fee for the new season was fixed at £3 10s per club. The draw for the first series of matches in the senior championship next Saturday is as follows, games to be played on the grounds of the ftr6t-mentioned clubs:—-Manurewa rimu, Clevedon v. Drury, Karaka, a bje. MAORIS' VISIT TO FIJI NOMINATIONS FROM WAIKATO [FROM OCR OWN correspondent] HAMILTON, Sunday The following nominations were received bv the Waikato Rugby Union for selection in the Maori representative team which will visit Fiji this season: —C. Meredith, Ata : Jackson and W. Ngahoe. All were j bv the Waipa Sub-Union. Surprise that more j nominations from the \\ had n< s [ received was expressed by Mr. \\. t raser , The nominations will he submitted to the Waikato selector, Mr. J. K. fori confirmation before being referred to the , Maori selector. THE WAIKATO UNION MATCHES AGAINST AUCKLAND [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON, Sunday An application for a match against Poverty Bay, to be played at Gisborne this season, was declined by the Waikato Rugby union. Tentative arrangements were made lor matches against Auckland at Hamilton on June (i and at Auckland at a while a fixture with Bay of Plenty at Rotoriia was agreed to. The union decided that no good purpose would be served by amalgamating ar.y of the sub-unions within its jurisdiction, as suggested by the New Zealand Union, as all the present centres were within easy travelling- distance of each other. The sum of JC4O was allotted for the distribution of footballs, an increase of 2o per cent. WAIKATO REFEREES IMPROVEMENT IN STANDARD j [from our own correspondent ] HAMILTON. Sunday There was an attendance of 40 delegates j representing sub-unions throughout the \\ai- , kato at the annual meeting of the \\aikato Rugbv Referees' Association. Mr. \N. Moxham presided Congratulations were extended to Mr. B. S. Marshall, of "a"} I ''""' on his election as president of the Aew Zealand Rugby Referees' Association A report was received :n which It was i stated that the standard of referceing had greatly improved in the V.aiknto. lhe changes made in the pliiyinK Th«ri» I game were detailed by Mr. E. . i norpc, who attended the Dominion conference The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr. S. Th^'"n °. (Putarurn): secretary, Mr. h- w - T ; rules committee, Messrs. S. L. Senior, u. S. Marshall. E. W- Thorpe. PUTTING BALL IN SCRUM SPRINGBOK HALF CRITICISED [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON. Sunday The opinion that Dannie Craven's action In houncifig the ball on to. the feet, of the hooker when placing it in the scrum was an infringement of the rules was expressed hv Mr E W. Thorpe, when speaking at « meeting of Ihe Waikato Rugby. Referees Association. Mr Thorpe said that Gravcns action facilitated the control of lie scrums . by the Springbok hookers, and led to the which o the n bali e ' scrums" did. OPOTIKI UNION'S MEETING [by telegraph —-own correspondent] OPOTIKI. Sunday There was a good attendance at- the annual meeting of the Opotiki Rugby Lmon lhe annual report showed that the union had had a fairly successful year, which finished with a credit' balance of £l'»The. election of officers resul ed^Patron ; Mr J H Reid; president, Mr. G. S. Moody, vice-presidents, one from each affiliated club; auditor, Mr. C. H. Fleming; club.delegates, Messrs. T. Hickcy. G. Woods, M. D. Lamere, B. Black, T. Black, J. Edwards; referees representative, Mr. W. Short;, delegates to Bay of Plenty Union, Messrs. G. B. (juthrie, W. T. Burrett, r> w n A request was received from the 1.W.1i. Club for affiliation, also a request that a Waioeka junior team be allowed to enter the competition. Dr. H. M. Budd was elected a life member of lhe union. . It was decided to have a sole senior selector, and several nominations were received. It was also decided to make strong endeavours to start a third grade competition. Mr. E. Seville said he hoped the sum of £2"io received by the Bay of Plenty Union from the New Zealand Rugby Union would be spent only in fostering Bay football, and that none of the amount would be used to finance a Bay representative (our to the South Island. Mr. Burrett said the money would not be used for a such a tour.