RUGBY HISTORY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20445, 27 June 1928, Page 8

RUGBY HISTORY.

FOUNDER OF THE GAME. first representative MATCHES. MR R. C. TENNENT’S REMINISCENCES. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, June 26. To Mr E. C. Tennent, who is now living in retirement at Napier after having completed 52 years’ service with the Bank of New South Wales, belongs the honour of being the founder of the first Rugby football club in New Zealand. A keen athlete, in bis day, Mr Tennent represented Nelson at cricket and football, and was also the champion mile runner of the province for three years. In an interview to-day he related some interesting reminiscences of the first interprovineial match played in the Dominion, and had also something ■to say about the standard of play to- ** It was either in 1868 or 1869,” said Mr Tennent, 4 ‘ that the first club waa formed in New Zealand.” Finding that there was nothing to do in the winter months the young men at Nelson, where Mr Tennent was attached to the staff of the Bank of New South Wales, . decided to call a meeting with a view to forming a club in the district. “A club was formed,* said Mr Tennent, “ but we were not quite certain what rules we should adopt. We had the Association rules and the rules of the Victoria Association. We decided to give both a try out, and while we were doing so Mr C. J. Mnnro, a son of Sir David Munro, a formed Speaker of the House of Representatives, returned from England, where he had been attending school at Cherborne. He suggested that w e should try Rugby We did, and we liked it better than any of the other codes. We formed a club, and I was elected * secretary and treasurer. The Nelson College adopted the same rules, and thus the game was started. After we had been playing for about two years Mr C. J. Munro wrote to me from Wellington stating that the Government steamer Luna was visiting Nelson to pick up the Fanama mail, and that he had seen Sir Julius Vogel, who had granted the team a free passage to Wellington on the Luna in order to play against a Fifteen of English players. When we came over we found the Basin reserve half covered with water and unplayable. so we decided to play at the HutU. We -went out in two drags. We found a suitable field near Petone, and it was there that the first international Rugby match was played, being won by Nelson by three goals to nil. The rules, as played then, were similar to those played now with the exception that when a scrum was formed all the forwards stood opposite one another in a line, the ball was , thrown in between the lines by one of the players, and everyone kicked at it as it passed. In those days only goals were counted. The game was very fast—much faster than it is to-day, and the running and drop kicking of the players was a feature. “The following year the visit was returned, the game being played in the Nelson Botanical Gardens. Nelson again won by three goals to nil. The third interprovineial match was played, in 1874 on the Basin Reserve in the presence of the. Governor and a large crowd of spectators. Many of the armed constabulary were in the Wellington team, and the game was a most strenuous one, Mr Alfred Bunny of the Nelson side being taken off with concussion of the brain, and a Wellington player, one of the constabulary, with a broken leg. It ended in a draw.” ■ Mr Tennent played for Nelson in all three matches, and was captain in the third match. When he left Nelson he was captain of the Patea team for five years. When he retired from football he was elected a life member of the Athletic Club (Wellington) in recognition of the fact that he was the founder of Rugby football in New Zealand. “It may be interestng to players to know,” said Mr Tennent, “ that Sir Douglas M’Lean played for Wellington in the second interprovineial match, and Mr A. B. Campbell, now of Napier, for Nelson in the third match; and also Mr James Burnett, late chief engineer of railways. The captain of the Wellington side in the first two matches was Mr Isherwood, and in the third match Mr Werry. On the Nelson side the captain in the first match was Mr Alfred Drew, of Palmerston North, in the second Archdeacon Kempthorne, and in the third Mr Tennent. “ The game,” said Mr Tennent,” has increased enoromusly in popularity.' At first it was played mostly by the colleges and men in legal and mercantile pursuits.- To-day it is New Zealand’s national game. I consider that the standard of play was never higher than it is to-day, and I look forward with a certain amount of confidence that New Zealand will win the majority of the test matches in South Africa. My experience of 60 years has been that the love of the game has increased to an enormous extent. It has invaded every section of the community, and if it is not carried to an excess it will be for the ultimate benefit of the whole nation.”