RUGBY FOOTBALL

Southland Times, Issue 25358, 9 May 1944, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ENTHUSIASM SHOWN IN INVERCARGILL

Satisfaction with the standard of football played in the opening senior Rugby games on Saturday and the enthusiasm of the players and the public generally was expressed by the president of the Southland Rugby Football Union (Mr H. Grace) at the meeting of the management committee, of the union last evening. He said it was a good beginning, and judged on that display some good football could be looked forward to during die. season. He praised the play of Ohai-Nightcaps and Collegiate, the new teams in the senior competition. , , .. Other instances of the enthusiasm of the players was forthcoming when it was reported by members that there were upwards of 200 players at training at Rugby Park on Thursday night. . The Pirates club had an attendance of 80 players and Invercargill was represented by 70 seniors and juniors. Mr D. F. Leckie expressed disappointment at the omission of the Invercargill results from the Pacific broadcast on Sunday night; he also said that' there was no news of Southland football in The N.Z.E.F. Times in the Middle East. It was decided to make inquiries about the omissions. KING’S BIRTHDAY FIXTURES

The arranging of a suitable fixture or fixtures for June 5 (King’s Birthday holiday), sponsored at the previous meeting by Mr D. K. Torrance, was held over for another week pending inquiries about the possibility of delaying buses and the availability of country players. .... . Several suggestions about suitable fixtures were made, the most popular being that contained in a motion sponsored by Messrs G. H. Geddes and H. S. Strang "that a Town-Crfuntry match and seven-aside tout - ,; naments in all grades be played on June 5. It was agreed, however, to defer the proposal for a week until the matters mentioned were considered. A motion that a round of senior games be played on June 5 was defeated, only three members voting for it. The chairman said that a good day could, be arranged with a seven-aside tournament in the morning (finals in the afternoon) and the Town-Country game in the afternoon. It would be a good opportunity to give country patrons a day’s Rugby, in Invercargill, he said. „ It was suggested that the Country team would be selected from the Ohai-Nightcaps team and country players playing in the other teams. Messrs H. S. Strang (chairman), L. R. Lopdell and J. L. Oughton were appointed selectors. ■ , , , The growth of grass on the playing areas at Rugby Park was discussed, and it was agreed that because of the frosts it would be injurious to cut it down at this stage. Mr D. Robinson said that it would be in the interests of good back play to have the grass cut. At the present time it became downtrodden and "swampy” and slowed up the football. . Mr Geddes said the grass was cut on the High School ground and no damage had been done. , , ... The opinion of grassland men was that it would be injurious, said Mr W. A. H. Oliver. Transfers were granted to V. Enright ana D. M. Findlay from Seaward Downs to the Collegiate club. C. Mason, D. Taylor, J.' Mclnerney and E. Turner were granted transfers from the Invercargill club to Ohai-Nightcaps, and A. Smeaton was granted a transfer from Pirates to Ohai-Nightcaps. FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY The following fixtures for Saturday were arranged:— Seniors Invercargill v. Pirates-Star, at Rugby Park, at 3 p.m.; referee, Mr E. J. Barron. Ohai-Nightcaps v. Marist-Bluff, at Rugby Park No. 1, at 1.30 p.m.; referee, Mr J. Old Boys v. Collegiate, at Rugby Park, at 1.30 p.m.; referee, Mr T. C. Riddell. Junior—Borstal v. Pirates, at Borstal, at 2 p.m.; referee Mr H. Smith; High. School-Old Boys match to be played later. Fourth Grade—lnvercargill v. Pirates, at Biggar street No. 1, at 2 p.m.; referee. Mr J. R. Bell; Hawthorndale v. Bluff, at Bluff, at 2.30 p.m.; referee, Mr B. Mitchell; Collegiate v. Invercargill A, at Biggar street No. 2, at 2 p.m.; referee, Mr R. Ferguson. Other fourth grade games to be played later. Fifth Grade—Pirates v. Bluff, at Tweed street, at 2.45 p.m.; referee, Mr J. Miles; Borstal v. Invercargill at Borstal, at 2 p.m.; referee, Mr C. Anderson. Other fifth grade matches to be played later. DUNEDIN RESULTS

The Otago Rugby Football Union’s senior competition was continued in Dunedin on Saturday. The matches were played in a light drizzle, but the grounds, considering the weather, were in good order. After two matches only four teams still remain unbeaten, these being Training College, University Combined Faculties, Pirates, and Zln-gari-Rlchmond. The results were:—Dunedin 19, Kalkorai 5: Zingari-Richmond 9, Alhambra 3; University C.F. 17, Air Force 3; University Medical 17, Port Chalmers 3; Training College 12, Union nil; Pirates 16, University D 3; Southern 21, University C 11.