RUGBY JUBILEE

Southland Times, Issue 19280, 26 June 1924, Page 5

RUGBY JUBILEE

INVERCARGILL CLUB AN HISTORIC RECORD ENTHUSIASTIC GATHERING AT DINNER. The Jubilee Dinner of the InvercargiO Rugby Football Chib, which came into existence in 1874 as the first body cf ita kind south of Dunedin, was held last night at the Federal Tea Rooms. There was a magnificent response of past and present players, and a total of 180 sat down to dinner. Mr H. Royds presided. In opening his remarks, the Chairman said it was very pleasing to see such a representative gathering, and it would have been even bigger if they could have found room for their numerous supporters. The present function was confined practically to present and past players, but later in the year it was proposed to hold a ball to cater for their lady members, and this would provide an opportunity for their supporters to attend. They were pleased to have with them that night their younjl friend Mr Charlie Johnston—(applause), and they would be glad to hear that he wai making good progress towards recovery, Amongst their many friends who had comi from a distance was first and foremost, Mr R. Galbraith—(applause), who needed no introduction to an Invercargill audience. The fact that he would have travelled somewhere about 600 miles before he got home again showed how he had maintained his interest in the Club he had served so well during his long and meritorious Rugby career.—(Applause). They had had replica to their invitations from Auckland to the Bluff. Mr Royds then proceeded to read a bulky sheaf of apologies for alisence, including one from Sir Henry Braddon, President of the New South Wales Rugby. Union, and an ex-Invercargil| Club representative, and All Black player, also expressions of regret from such old stalwarts as Hon. A. F. Hawke and Messrs W. A. S. Wilcox, J. S. Field, J. S. Neave, A. Wilson,* D. Todd, and numerous other ex-members. Mr Royds went on to say that their clubmates had put forward a special effort for the jubilee, and had drawn with Star on Saturday.—(Applause). This was very gratifying to them, and he was sure they were going ahead. Their status as a whole was good. There were quite 100 active players in the Club, and this augured well for the future. They had had their successes and their defeats, but taking it all in all, he thought the Invercargill Club had upheld the best traditions of the game. Football was the national pastime and a pastime that a man taking part in never regretted. The successful footballer equally as much developed those qualities which were successful in later life, and there waa nothing one treasured more than the happy memories of one’s association with the old Club.— (Applause). In proposing the toast of “Pioneer Blues,” Mr Eustace Russei( said they were celebrating the jubilee of the pioneer Club of Southland. If there had been an All Black team in the early days of the Invercargill Club he was sure a number of tha Old Blues would have been in it, and Bob Galbraith was one of them. — (Applause). In responding to the toast, Mr William Stead gave some very interesting reminiacenses of his connection with the Club in the ’seventies and 'eighties. Notable players he recalled were: Pennington Smith, a great full-back; Bob Galbraith and Jack Murray, the best fenders he had ever seen; Harris, the chemist, a great try-getter; Harry Braddcn, one of the finest threequarters they ever had in Invercargill; J. E. Watson, a hard man to collar; and W. Wilcox, who had a wonderful swerve. If there was ever anyone who enjoyed a maul-in-goal it was he himself, because if there was one thing he prided himself on it was a maul-in-goal.— (Applause). He did not think he had ever lost a maul-in-goal. The Club uniform originally was blue and white. Players like R. Galbraith, H. Treseder, H. Braddon, J. O’Donnell and P. P. Sharp could take their place in any team, in New Zealand in their day. Bob Galbraith, he considered had done more for football than any other man in Invereargill. In conclusion, Mr Stead said that with the exception of a year or two, there had been a Stead in Invercargill football ever since 1875. (Applause). Mr Galbraith, who was the next of the old-time Blues to respond, said that prior to Rugby a sort of game under Australian Rules was played, 20 men a-side. The

peculiarity of this game, as opfxised to Rugby was that there was no off-side in this game. It was played in Invercargill between 1874 and 1879, and those of them who played it were very much at sea when the off-side rule came in when they played Rugby. In 1880, the first match against Dunedin was played on the Western Roserve which was even worse than it was now. They played under the Otago Rugby Union in those days, and there was the same trouble as now when Bub-Union» wanted the claims of their players recognised. It was not till 1882, when the speaker was selected to play for Otago that Southland was represented, and in the next year the Invercargill Club furnished three representatives, viz., H. Braddon, J. O’Donnell and himself. They played under the

Otago Rugby Union till 1887, when the Southland Rugby Union was formed. The nucleus of the present Rugby Park wm the £l9OO they got for their old ground, which had cost them £4OO. At the present time the S.R.U. was noted for its up-to-date ground and appointments all over New Zealand. In conclusion, Mr Galbraith said that if there was a Diamond Jubilee of the Invercargill Club he was going to be at it.—(Applause).

Mr J. L. McG. Watson said that he wax the first one to get Harry Braddon to play football in Invercargill. The latter was a Victorian player before he came to Invercargill, but he came to the front in no time and was one cf the finest players who ever represented New Zealand. Another notable member of the old Invercargffl Club was J. H. Hempton, world’s record holder for the hundred yards, and it was a hopeless job to stop him when he got thq ball with a clear field. Nevertheless, Hempton was not a footballer, but a marvellous sprinter all the same. He congratulated the Blues, and the Southland Rugby Union as a whole for the high position Southland football had gained in New Zea* land, and he hoped that the All Blacks would, on their forthcoming tour, uphold New Zealand’s reputation as the greatest football country in the world.—(Applause). Mr C. J. Brodrick recalled his early experiences with the Chib, and said that he could hardly claim to be a pioneer in the sense that Messrs Stead and Galbraith as he had not joined the Club till some years later, but neverthelees he treasured the days he was associated with it. Ax President of the Southland League, he would like to see Southland victorious ou ail occasions, because it was such a great advertisement for the province. Combination, he thought, was the secret of success in football, and if the Southland team could be picked and played together before its representative engagements, it would have a much greater chance of success. Football was a great sdtey valve for the «uperfluoua energies of cur youns men. The man who played football well, would, he believed, be knocking at the door of success in after life. A notable reference during the evening was to a great football family, the Christophers, who had been membera of the Club, and the whole four of whom had given their lives in the Ute war. Mr D. Cuthbertson said that the greatest of the four was Julian Christophers, who but for a knee accident he considered would havn been an All Black. In proposing the toast of 'Trerant Players,” Mr W. Robison said that he felt that of one of their forward* this year had been awnilable, he would haw

been in the touring AU The reference was to J. Fraser, who was unable to play this .season owing to a severe illness early in the year. Other toasts honoured during the evening were those of “Absent Members,” proposed by Mr J. Gilkison, responded to by Messrs H. Treseder, H. Webb, G. Henderson, and L. Robertson; “5.R.F.U.,” proposed by Mr J. R. Martin, responded to by Mr T Meredith; “Referees Association,” proposed by Mr D. R. Campbell, responded to by Mr W. Duncan; “Present Players,” proposed by Mr W. Robison, replied to by Mr P. E. Rice (captain, first XV); and “Kindred Clubs,” proposed by Mr S. J. Webb, replied to by Mr R. M. Strang; “The Press,” proposed by Mr W. Carswell; and “The Chairman,” proposed by Mr G. Munro. An excellent programme of musical and vocal items was contributed by Messrs F. O. Rice, C. Couling, C. de R. Andrews and J. Sutton.