GEORGE P. PAYNE.

NZ Truth, Issue 973, 19 July 1924, Page 9

GEORGE P. PAYNE.

When' the big ship ; pulls out from New Zealand with the All Blacks on board, there will be leaning over the promenade deck rail and smiling just as broadly as anyone, ■ George Pentecoste Payne, who is accompanying New Zealand's elect on their round trip. So far as we know, George Pentecoste holds no official position with the A.B's, but he Js acquainted with pretty well every man m the team, and he's sufficiently wrapped up m Rugby to "put his hand down" and pay for tl]e pleasure of seeing the wearers of the fern leaf clean up most of the overseas teams at whom they will bark their haka. Probably there's not a harder worker In New Zealund Rugby interests than G.P. Some people might have said that the Payne trophy was the root cause of Marist going out of the game m Canterbury. But, I even if such was the case, whatever George did was for the best, and you can't blame him any more tn that Instance than you can blame a man for giving an apple to a kid who subsequently develops a Payne m the equator! That's the way tho Canterbury Rugby Union looks at the matter, anyhow. And tho fact that G. Pentecoste is to accompany the AU Blacks Homo is sufficient Indication that others think that way, too. George Payne has been a member of the C.R.U. Management Committee for several years, and no doubt his chair will be ready for him when ho returns. In that job ho personifies ovory letter of the word "Work," and It's safo to say that If there were a few more men like him behind Rugby ln New Zealand tho game would be even better than lt Is at present — and that's saying something!