Southland's Rugby Coach Transferred To Napier

Southland Times, Issue 23782, 1 April 1939, Page 15

Southland's Rugby Coach Transferred To Napier

The transfer to Napier of Mr E. H. Diack, coach of the Southland Rugby team for the last two seasons, will be a big loss to Southland football. He took over the coaching of the team in 1937 and so well did his methods apply themselves that the team developed into one of the best combinations ever to represent Southland. Its meritorious win in the Ranfurly Shield match against Otago at Dunedin two years ago will never be forgotten by the record crowd of 35,000 spectators. Although yet a young man Mr Diack

has built up a wonderful record in sport, both as a player and administrator, and his services will be sought wherever he goes. As a youth he was one of the foremost athletes produced in Southland. At the Southland Boys’ High School from 1916 to 1920 he was captain of the school Rugby tennis and cricket

teams; he was tennis and fives champion in 1919-20, junior shooting champion in 1916, junior athletics champion in 1916, runner-up senior champion in 1919, champion in 1920 and Todd Medallist for athletics.

Later he represented Southland province at Rugby, cricket and tennis and was captain of Southland Rugby and cricket teams. He also represented Otago and Marlborough on the Rugby field, and while at Otago University was chosen to play for New Zealand Universities in Sydney. His goal-kicking was a match-winner and in his best days there was rarely a season passed without the scoring of 100 points or more by him, mostly from goal-kick-ing.

He was captain of the Southland Rugby team in 1927 and 1928, and he played in Southland teams which held the Ranfurly Shield on two occasions, in 1920-21 and 1930. In the 1927 team he was one of five teachers who toured the North Island with the Southland team. They were E. H. Diack, L. G. Townsend, C. C. Nicholson, R. Johnstone and A. N. Macdonald.

Mr Diack played his first Rugby representative match in 1921 and his last in 1934 when he captained the Marlborough team which won the Seddon Shield from West Coast. In 14 years of senior and representative Rugby in Southland, Otago and Marlborough he scored more than 1000 points. He has won eight “caps” as follows:—Southland, Rugby, tennis and cricket, Marlborough, Rugby and cricket; and Otago, New Zealand and Australasian University Rugby caps. In 1936 he was selector and coach of the Marlborough Rugby team. Two years ago Mr. Diack returned to Southland from Wellington and gained a seat on the management committee of the Southland Rugby Union. He was chosen as a selector of the Southland team in 1937 and was given sole charge as coach of the team. Last year he again was entrusted with the position of coach and it is certain that had he remained in Invercargill he would have been coach this season.

• Mr Diack will leave for Napier by tomorrow night’s express.