RANFURLY SHIELD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23006, 8 October 1936, Page 6

RANFURLY SHIELD

OTAGO TEAM HONOURED PRESENTATION TO PLAYERS The members and emergencies of the Otago team were entertained by the Otago Rugby Union at dinner at the Excelsior Hotel last night, and at the conclusion ,of an enjoyable evening each member was presented with a travelling rug. Dr Perry (president of the Otago Union) occupied the chair. - Dr Perry prooosed the toast of ' The Otago Team." The team, he said, had done yeoman service for the game in Otago. and it gave him great pleasure to propose Ihe health of a team which had resisted so many challenge shield games. The team had achieved, perhaps, the most notable record in the history of football in Otago, and it deserved the congratulations of everyone connected with the game, and also the public generally. The holding of the Ranfurly Shield was no sinecure, either to the plavers or the officials of the union. Before each game there had been a feeling of tension and seriousness which, he thought, perhaps detracted from the pleasure of 'a game", which should no doubt be a wholesome pastime. However, they held the shield, and he hoped they would hold it for some time.—(Applause.) The speaker then referred to the play of each member of the Otago team, and said that there were two players he would like to mention specially. One of them was Jack Taylor, who was undoubtedly the best full-back they had seen in all the games played in Dunedin this year. The game Taylor had played at Invercargill on a ground that was half under water was the best, he thought, he had ever seen. He congratulated Taylor on that excellent display, as well as on his other games. He would also like to mention Jack Hore.—(Applause.) He thought that Mr Hore's play in 1936 was better than in any previous season, good as his ether games had been. He had proved a wonderful leader, and he had led his team not only by word of mouth, but by his own play. Mr Hore was now giving up football after a wonderful football career.—(Applause.) Dr Perry said he would also like to speak of the emergencies. These men had not secured the full fruits of the interprovincial games, but they had assisted Otago more than perhaps was realised. The emergencies had trained assiduously and had been present on every occasion to fill a gap if it were necessary. He might say, in the words of the poet, as regarded the emergencies, that " they also serve who only stand and wait." He would conclude by saying that the playing of the game was more than the prize and that it was an honour In itself to play for Otago. —(Applause.) Mr Hore, in replying, said it was very pleasing to be captain of the Otago team. It had resisted eight challenges and had proved that Otago could turn out a fine side. Whatever small feeling might have been displayed on the field, it was always forgotten after the game was over. He referred to the sportsmanship of the emergencies in standing by the team as they had done. It had been no trouble to captain the Otago team. The success of their team was due to a very large extent to the harmony and team that had existed between the players. The help of the Messrs Cavanagh, their coaches, had played no small part in the victories of the Otago team. Harry Simon had always assisted him, and the members of the Otago Union had also played their part by encouraging the players.—(Applause.) Mr Simon proposed the toast of " The Otago Rugby Football Union." He thanked the union for the thought which had prompted it to honour them as they were doing. The union had always tried to assist the players, and had co-operated with them in a most friendly manner.—(Applause.) Mr S. G. Styche responded to the toast of " The Otago Rugby Union." He said that the Management Committee had had a most strenuous time this season, and referred to the good play of the team which had won the shield in Canterbury. He did not think any union in New Zealand was so closely in touch with the players as was the case in Dunedin.—(Hear, hear.) The union recognised that it owed a duty to its players, and it tried to do its best in this connection. It was a pleasure for the union to do all it could for the players, and an excellent spirit always existed between them. —(Applause.) Mr R. W. S. Botting proposed Ihe toast of "The Old Brigade." He thought they would have to go very far indeed to get a better set of men than those who had acted as their administrators from the inception of the union. The speaker went back to the year 1875, and quoted the names from the Otago. Rugby Union of the first team to play for Otago. The speaker followed through the records, and said that they would see that Otago had fine teams right from the beginning. He said he would like to mention the 1895 team. It had had a wonderful record, and it had had a fine captain at its head in "Jimmy" Duncan.—(Applause.) As regarded the 1936 team he thought it would be .best remembered for its team spirit and its fine camaraderie. Mr Botting also spoke of the administrators of the union from its earliest days. Sir James Hutchison, in replying to the toast of "The Old Brigade," said he could claim to have seen an earlier Otago team than anyone else in the room that night. As a youngster at school he had seen an Otago team play in Wellington in 1877. He thought that the only survivor of that Otago team was Mr A. Y. Smith. Included in the Wellington team of that year was Mr Allan Bishop, who had resided in Dunedin for some years. He had also seen an Otago team play in Wellington in 1883, and on that occasion Sir Henry Braddon, Bob Galbraith, and four Allans of the Taieri clan were in the Otago team. The speaker said that the record of the Otago team this season had been very gratifying, but he had to admit that on the occasions when Otago met Auckland and Manawatu he had had moments of uneasiness. The speaker referred to the fine games played by Taylor at full-back, and mentioned the play of the other Otago backs. He said he would not mention any of the Otago forwards. They were indeed an admirable pack, and were of uniform sound playing ability. It was quite true that they might have a team which was better than any other team and yet have no member of

it of outstanding excellence. With all respect to the New Zealand selectorshe noticed they had one with them that night—he would venture to suggest that more members of the Otago team had been worthy of selection for New Zealand than had been selected, not only on the performance of the team' as a whole, but on their work as individual players—(Applause.) Otago had not quite its share in the New Zealand team it should have got.—(Applause.) ~ , . ~ Mr Crosby Morris also replied to the toast of "The Old Brigade." The public of Otago, he said, had been very pleased with the performance of the Otago team, and he agreed that its success had been due to its fine combination. Great changes had taken nlace in the game since the early days. Speaking of Jack Taiaroa, who had been referred to by Mr Botting, Mr Morris said that he was an individualist. Passing was not much known then and Taiaroa scored his tries by his strength and determination. He was pleased to see that the hard kicking of the Otago forwards which used to obtain in the old days was not now indulged in. As regarded the administration of the game in Otago, he thought they were very fortunate in the men who controlled their football. When he was a player he, too, had thought that the members of the Otago Rugby Union were a lot of old fossilsdaughter)—but he had later changed his opinion. The speaker referred to the work Mr H. Harris had done for football in Otago and New Zealand. Mr Harris always took a very fair attitude in any business that came before the union. The speaker said that he thought it would be a good plan for the union to consider the construction of a new stand at Carisbrook in place of the old pavilion, and that it should place in it a memorial to Mr Henry Rose. Mr Rose had really secured Carisbrook ground by his financial assistance, and he had done a great deal for both cricket and football.— (Applause.) _„ , ~ , Mr* A. C. Hanlon, K.C., also replied to the toast of "The Old Brigade." He said that he had first played football at Port Chalmers, and gave some amusing anecdotes regarding the game. He agreed that the union should erect a new stand at Carisbrook and that Mr Rose's name should be associated with such a building. The speaker referred to the fine service given to football by the secretary of their union, Mr E. S. Wilson. , , Mr H. Harris proposed the toast of " The Coaches," Messrs V. G. Cavanagh, sen. and jun., and paid a tribute to the great part they had played in the success of the Otago team. Mr V. G. Cavanagh, sen., in responding, said he was very proud to be connected with Otago football. He spoke strongly against any change in the rules of the game as laid down by the English Rugby Union. Mr F. H. Campbell proposed the toast of "The Otago Selectors." Mr Pearson, in replying on behalf of the selectors, said that as regarded the representation of Otago, some of the players who might have been considered for higher honours had not been available. He praised the good work of the trainer of the team. Mr " Snowy" M'Queen, and said that his attention to the players "had been of great assistance. The chairman then presented each member of the Otago team with a travelling rug. During the evening songs were given by Messrs Arthur Macdonald and E. Murphy. Mr Alf Pettitt played the accompaniments.