Personalities In N.Z. Sport

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 701, 28 June 1929, Page 7

Personalities In N.Z. Sport

Father and Son Who Both Represented New Zealand at Football

“I IKE father, like son”—this old saying is well exemplified " in the case of Roy (“Shaver”) Hardgrave, the crack Auckland League wing-threequarter, who is one of the trio of prominent players leaving the Dominion shortly to join English clubs. His father, who first carried the nickname of “Shaver,” before he went over to League was recognised as one of the finest fullbacks the Rugby code produced, while as a Leaguer he had years of representative football.

“Shaver” senior was a proud man last Wednesday evening, when the Newton Club held a function as a farewell to his son. He is pleased about young “Shaver’s’ selection to play for the St. Helens League Club at Home, and he says so quite openly. But when a Sun man approached him for a few lines about his own career, li© smiled and protested that there was really nothing to say. But fortunately for the scribe there were plenty who know something about the once great fullback, “Shaver” Hardgrave. He played his first football in New Plymouth, and when really quite a diminutive youngster at the age of 16 he took the field in repre-

sentative football. Throughout liis football career, he played fullback, and it was in 1899 that he represented Taranaki against Wanganui and other provincial sides, making a name for himself as one of the finest custodians in the game. When nearing the height of his career he left for the South African War, but on returning to the Dominion he again found his way to the Taranaki town, where he continued playing for his old club, the Star. Years rolled on and “Shaver” rapidly climbed the ladder of football fame. He was an idol among the fans. The writer has heard him referred to by players of that time as a “wonder.” He was the greatest kick of the day, and could punt with uncanny accuracy with either right or left foot, while he was a deadly tackier and as cool as a cucumber. In 190 S he played against Harding’s English team, and it was when the first Auckland League team went on tour of New Zealand and visited New Plymouth that he changed over to the League code. Taranaki defeated the Auckland team on that occasion by 5 points to 3. The thirteen-a-side code went strong in Taranaki for two years, but a severe shortage of grounds eventually put the game off the map. It was then that “Shaver” came to Auckland and joined up with the Manukau League Club. In 1912 he represented Auckland and in that year was also a member of the New Zealand team which visited Australia. In 1914 he was the Dominion’s star performer in the matches against Wagstaff’s team from England. In 1915 the Manukau Club broke up and “Shaver” went over to Ponsonby, and remained with that club, playing senior and representative football right up until his retirement. Roy Hardgrave, who also carries the good name of “Shaver” since he first started big football, is only 23 years of age. He has had a meteoric football career. He is now leaving for fresh fields, and if he can maintain the standard of football of recent years —and he is bound to do that—he will make a name for himself abroad. A clean-living chap, and one who keeps fit and trains hard, as a representative of the country. New Zealanders may feel proud of him. His first football was played at Onehunga when he captained his school team to victory on many occasions. On leaving school he followed in the footsteps of his father, who had made football history, and played junior for the Manukau Club, which had since been revived. Later he went to Otahuhu, where he played in a higher grade, and on coming to Auckland was roped in to play for Newton, for which club he has played for until the present time. This is his fifth year playing for the Newton seniors, and this season he was made captain. He has represented Auckland on various occasions and in 1925 went on tour through the South with the Auckland team. Young “Shaver” rose to the greatest heights of his career during the last season’s visit of the English Leaguers, when he played wing in the three tests. It is probable that the good showing he made in these three great international matches was the direct forerunner to his present offer to go Home.