Club Rugby Competition Attracts Keen Interest

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27059, 19 April 1949, Page 8

Club Rugby Competition Attracts Keen Interest

Sports Commentary

By the Sports Editor

Judged by the attendance at the Easter holiday matches, public interest in Rugby football will be greater than ever this season. This reflects the keenness being displayed by the local clubs, most of which have been preparing for the commencement of the grade competitions with solid training for weeks past. Almost without exception, club teams engaged in informal matches at home or elsewhere at the weekend, and when the competitions open on Saturday a much higher degree of physical fitness may be expected than is usual at the start of the season.

A gratifying feature of the activities of the local clubs, and probably one of the lessons learnt from the successful defence of the Ranfurly Shield by the Otago team, is the importance that is being placed on the value of physical fitness by the players. Some of the teams have had special physical conditioning classes for their members, and the benefits should be noticeable in a reduced number df injuries as the season goes along. After some discussion between the representatives of the clubs concerned and the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Football Union. Port Chalmers and Training College have been permitted to retain their senior status, and it may be taken for granted that the players of both teams will be anxious to show that the union’s confidence is justified.

Ranfurly Shield Records

Twelve teams will take part in the senior competition, and early indications are that the championship will be more keenly fought that >ver. Few of the clubs report any very notable ' gains, but there are many promising jßning players coming forward, and for these there will be no lack of opportunity, in club football and in the wider field of representative matches. The departure of 11 members of the Otago team with the All Blacks for South Africa will leave a very considerable gap in the Ranfurly Shield side, and in the filling of their places the young and promising players from town and country should be well to the fore. Besides the number of Ranfurly Shield matches to be played in Dunedin, Otago faces an extensive northern tour, and for . the sub-unions’ players there will be the added incentive of a probable tour of the Seddon Shield districts.

When Otago defends the Ranfurly Shield in the first match of the present season it will have the chance ol bringing its list of wins in shield games equal to that of Hawke’s Bay. Up to the end of last season Hawke's Bay headed the list with 28 wins in shield games, Otago had 27 wins. Auckland and Wellington 26, Canterbury 23, Southland 19* Wairarapa 11, Taranaki 7, and Manawhenua 3. The Manawhenua team consisted of a combined side from the present Manawatu and Horowhenua Unions. The record number of consecutive victories is held by Hawke's Bay, which between 1922 and 1927 defended the shield against 24 challengers. Auckland was successful in resisting 23 successive challenges between 1905 and 1913. Since winning the shield from Southland in 1947. Otago has successfully defended the trophy 11 times. Cinder Tracks for Athletes

There is little likelihood of New Zealand track athletes competing on cinder surfaces in the immediate future. The subject, which was discussed by members of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association’s Management Committee last week, arose out of a letter from the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association. The latter body recommended that the athletic officials should give consideration to the question of providing such tracks. The letter was received.

It is a pity perhaps' that this fatter tour is not open to promising young city players who could be expected to measure strength with their country counterparts if an Otago B team rather than a side consisting only of players from the sub-unions were selected. Be that as it may, there is plenty of scope for the keen footballer, and contrary to the general belief possession of the Ranfuly Shield seems to have imbued the rank and file club player with a praiseworthy desire to improve his football in every way possible. Nothing succeeds like success, and many of the lessons taught by the Shield team are being assimilated. It was good, for instance, to observe that in many of the Easter games how the teams were concentrating on close rucking and endeavouring to keep possession of the ball, and it will be surprising if forward play in the SenioCompetition does not reach a still higher level this season. There are promising backs about, too, and altogether the season should have much to offer Otago Rugby enthusiasts. Olympic Games Finances Some interesting figures relating to the financial aspect of the Olympic Games in London are given fciy Jack Crump in World Sport, the official magazine of the Brit'sh Olyn pic Association. There was a total attendance of nearly 1,250,000 at the Games, the receipts for which were £599,850 and the expenses £570.000. Expenses included compensation to Wembley Stadium of £92,500, and technical charges and equipment, including wages during the Games, of £131,650. The equipping of the British team cost £IO,OOO. Other expenses included £117,800 for services provided by Government departments, £37,900 for transport. £SOOO as a payment to the International Olympic Committee, and £3650 for a farewell party to 3000 competitors at Hurlingham and a dinner to the National Olympic Committee at the Dorchester Hotel. No decision has yet been made as to the disposal of the £29,850 estimated surplus, but it has been suggested that the best solution would *bc to allocate the sum available to the British Olympic Association, to enable it to finance the sending of adequate teams to Helsinki in 1952, and to the 1956 Games, the venue of Which is to be decided shortly. Promising Alhambra Forward The big and powerful Alhambra forward, E. Michie, should be a player to watch this season. He led the pack admirably .against Merivale last Saturday, backed up strongly, and excelled in the line-out .play. His work still lacks finish, but he has dash and vigour, and with a little more concentration would achieve success as a place kick. He contributed nearly half of Alhambra's points on Saturday with two tries, a conversion, and a goal from a penalty, the last-named coming from a drop-kick 45 yards out. Sporting Action The Alhambra Football Clubs’ senior fifteen, which gave an encouraging display against Merivale at Carisbrook on Saturday, has as coach Jim McDonald, who was in charge a couple of seasons ago, when Alhambra won four of its first five games. The old-estab- , lished club counts itself fortunate in being aide to avail itself of the very sporting action of the former All Black five-eighth and Southern player, Dave Trcvathan, who has offered to assist the side by coaching the hacks. Trcvathan lives in North-East Valley, not far from the Alhambra headquarters at Opolio, and the team should derive great benefit from his experience and knowledge. Promising Debut J. Peck, Ihc former Port Chalmers player, who was one of the most promising full-backs in Otago last season, made his first appearance for Southern against Christchurch Albion on Saturday ns a second five-eighth. Big and strongly built. Peck took the eye as a fine' stamp of five-eighth, and it would occasion no surprise if the Southern Club selectors utilised him in that position. He handled well, showed a quick eye for the open gap, and ran with determination, his resourceful play paving the way for several of Southern’s tries. Once or twice he went a shade too far before sending the ball on, but it was mainly the fault of inexperience, and the Southern supporters must have been well satisfied with his showing. He converted a try and kicked a goal from a penalty, and also went close with several other attempts from difficult angles. His ability in this direction should be an asset to Southern.

It was pointed out that in most cases grounds were leased to affiiliated centres of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association by local bodies, and with the exception of Timaru, no other local authority had put down a cinder track. The secretary, Mr J. A. Nodwell, said that the problem had not been overlooked. Information has been sought about the composition of these tracks, but to date no reply has been received. When the Empire Games were held in Sydney in '1938, the athletic events were held on grass on the Sydney Cricket Ground, and many of the visiting athletes from overseas commented at the time that these tracks had proved as fast as the cinders to which many of them were accustomed. They were, however, as hard as boards. Albion Player’s Misfortune

Canada’s Choice A poll of sports writers in Canada has elected Barbara Ann Scott unanimously (for a third time) as “ Sportsman of the Year.” One writer says that the fact that the winsome lass from Ottawa did win the World, Olympic, European and Canadian figure skating titles does not explain it altogether. His guess is that a special sort of sunny-tempered charm has done nearly as much as wizardry on the ice to reduce every Canadian man, woman and child to near idolatry. Having won every prize that amateur skating had to offer Barbara Ann turned professional last year and is now appearing in a New York ice show, and has announced that she will give a percentage of all her earnings to crippled and under-privileged children. Will she emulate the great Sonja Henic, who went to Hollywood and made a fortune in films? Who knows. But. amateur or professional, on the ice or in the water, or just indulging her favourite hobby, cooking, she is every Canadian’s ideal of what a girl should be.

N. L. Chandler, who was the most impressive of the Albion back line in the match against Southern at Carisbrook on Saturday, is one of two brothers who have figured in interprovincial Rugby in recent seasons. He was a member of the Southern senior team a few years ago, and last season played at five-eighth for Canterbury in two games. He had. the misfortune, in Saturday’s match, to receive an ankle injury which brought abput his retirement in the- second spell. His brother, A. S. Chandler, one-time Southern wing, now plays for the Pirates Club in Invercargill, and has represented Southland for several seasons as a wing three-quarter.