RUGBY COMPETITIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1931, Page 6

RUGBY COMPETITIONS

TEAMS FOR TO-DAY’S GAMES. Teams taking part in to-day s Taianaki Rugby Union competition games include the following:— Okaiawa:—Seniors to play Waimate, at Okaiawa: Murdock, McCallum, Ngaia, Hooper, Johnston, Robinson, M. Clarke, Awahou, Scott, Guy, R. Clarke, Greenough, Preston, Crawford, Tippet, Ike, Skipper, Robertson, Tanner. Celtic: —Seniors to play Tukapa, at Stratford: Walker, Algar, Johnson, Ford, Penniall, Beadmore, Coffey, Sangster, Wilmshurst, Bourke, Erickson, Moore, Carter, Richardson, Phillips, Dodd, Koeford, Harris. Eltham: —To play Hawera, at Eltham: R. Bourke, R. Bocock, F. Bocock, L. Casey, R. Campbell, Eliott, J. Groves, E. Hughes, D. Knuckey, F. Martin, L. Manning, O. Morgan, H. Potts, M. Prince, L. Page, K. Stockman and R. Trolove. Old Boys:—Seniors to play Clifton: Thompson, "Webster, H. H. Brown, Mor? ton, S. Fookes, Mace, Friar, Olson, Tiplady, McLean, Insult, Clark, Luxton, Drader, Perry, Plumtree, Seoble. Thirds to p.ay Okato, at Okato, at 3 p.m.: McKinney, Rea, McKee, Davies, Dickson, McCauley, Budd, Nuttal, Carey, Brian, Evans (2),. Vestey, : Dingle,. Moyes. PROSPECTS FOR CHAMPIONSHIP. To-day’s matches in the senior competition will be: Star v. Stratford, at New Plymouth; Clifton v. Old Boys, at New Plymouth; Celtic v. Tukapa, at Stratford;-Athletic v. Opunake, at Hawera; Okaiawa v. Waimate, at Okaiawa; Eltham v. Hawera, at Eltham;' and Kaponga v. Patea, at Kaponga. While it is now practically a foregone conclusion that Okaiawa will be the southern finalists this year as they have to win only one match to make their position safe, the position in ‘the north •has not yet clarified. To-day’s matches, however, may clear the air. ■ Stratford will meet Star, who have replaced Clifton and Inglewod as the leaders’ most dangerous rivals. Stratford hold a fivepoint lead over Star, but - the latter have had their bye and therefore have an additional match to play. Should they succeed in defeating Stratford to-day the New Pymouth team will be actually only a point behind. In the first round at Stratford the leaders had a comfortable win over Star. The match will be followed by the Clifton-Old Boys match, which will have no bearing on the championship. In the southern division greatest interest will centre in the meeting of Okaiawa and Waimate, at Okaiawa. Should Okaiawa win they will be the southern champions. In the first round they easily defeated Waimate, and on the form shown by both teams sh'ould have no difficulty in repeating the performance. Opunake, the runners-up, will meet Athletic at Hawera. Athletic gave the Opunake team a check in the first round when they drew. Kaponga and Patea will meet at Kaponga and with only one point between them the struggle will be for third place in the championship.