TARANAKI TEAM DEPARTS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 September 1933, Page 4

TARANAKI TEAM DEPARTS

SOUTH ISLAND ITINERARY I TWENTY PLAYERS MAKE TRIP. WELLINGTON MATCH TO-DAY. The Taranaki Rugby representative team left yesterday morning on the extended southern tour which opens today with a match against the Wellington representatives and comprises five matches the remaining four being in the South Island—against North Otago, Southland, Otago and Canterbury. It is just six years since a Taranaki team toured the South Island, and it is interesting to note that on that occasion, as on this, special interest attached to the tour owing to the fact that the last match involved possession of the Ranfurly Shield In 1927 Taranaki played Manawatu at Palmerston North on the homeward journey for the coveted shield. Hardly, however, had the game started when the heavens opened and the ground soon became more suitable for water polo. Taranaki was defeated then by 9 points to 3. That was the last occasion that Taranaki played for the shield, so that providing Canterbury still holds the trophy the Taranaki match on September 16 at Christchurch should be worth while, especially as by that time, the Taranaki representatives should have struck top form. The team left in a special carriage, attached to the mail train with Mr. J. McLeod, chairman of the management committee of the Taranaki Rugby Union, as manager. There was a representative gathering at the station when the New Plymouth contingent departed, including Dr. E. F. Fookes, president of the T.R.U., Mr. S. E. Nielson, secretary, and members of the management committee. Other members of the team joined the team at stations along the line as far as Patea until nineteen of the 20 had gathered. The remaining member, J. C. Crawford, will join the team at Wellington. , , Mr. Aitken, Stratford, also accompanied the team as masseur and “baggage „„„ »> man. The matches to be played on the tour are:— To-day: v. Wellington, at Wellington. September 6: v. North Otago, at Oamaru. September 9: v. Southland, at Invercargill. September 13: v. Otago, at Dunedin. September 16: v. Canterbury (Ranfurly Shield), at Christchurch. Arriving at Wellington last night the team stayed at the Grand Hotel. The team will leave at night by the ferry steamer for Christchurch, where they will stay at Coker’s Hotel. They will proceed to Oamaru by the train leaving Christchurch at 8.35 a.m. on Monday, staying at the Club Hotel and playing North Otago on Wednesday. They will go on to Invercargill by train from Oamaru at 1.19 p.m. on Thursday, staying at the Club Hotel, and play Southland on the following Saturday. The team leaves Invercargill for Dunedin at 1.45 p.m. on Monday, September 11, staying at the Provincial Hotel, and plays Otago on the Wednesday. The next match is against Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield at Christchurch on September 16, the team arriving there on the evening of Thursday, September 14. The party will leave Christchurch on the Saturday, stay in Wellington during the Sunday, and return to Taranaki on Monday, September 18. ■ The team to play Wellington is:— Collins. Hill Rutherford Ross Crawford Edwards Dymond Clarke McLeod Fookes Gargan Fowler Wills Wetere R. Young Reserves: Backs: Mace, G. Sangster. Forwards: M. Burke, D. Murphy, E. Murphy. The Wellington team will be: Lilburne, Robins, Pollock, Fuller, Page, Griffiths, Kilby, Lamboum, Bydder, Dellabarca, McLean, Butler, Reid, Barry and Lamason. ‘ , Injuries to Killeen have necessitated a rearrangement of the Wellington backs. FIFTH' GRADE RUGBY. HUMPHRIES SHIELD MATCH. Considerable interest is being evinced in the first annual match for the recently presented Humphries Shield, which will be played at 1.15 p.m. to-day between Star and Tukapa fifths. Both teams are keen on winning and have therefore continued in steady training, so that another bright exhibition should be witnessed. Tukapa as the winner of the fifth grade competition should be well in the running to hold the shield for the first year. It, however, gained a victory over Star by only 3 points to nil on the last occasion the teams met, and Star is confident that they can reverse the position to-day. The handsome shield that has been presented by their club president, Mr. A. L. Humphries, the famous All Black half. There are now three inter-club trophies competed for by Star and Tupaka—the Dan O’Brien Shield (seniors), Carbine Shield (junior) and the Humphries Shield (fifth grade). The shield is a handsome one of puriri, silver mounted. The puriri of which it is made was taken from the old Waiwakaiho bridge and is estimated to have been cut over 70 years ago. The teams will be:— Star: Erb (2), Adlam, Parkin, Hoskin, Patten, Wilton, Richards, Tremlett, Molloy, Rothery, Rutherford, Sanger, Holmes, Terrill, Boulton, Stanley, Batten, O’Sullivan. Tukapa: Woods, Sullivan, Spedding, Parsons, May, McGiven, Lowe, Hunger, Holdt, Greenway , Goldsmith, Evans, Drury, Darby, Bruen, Bridger, Boyle. Mr. Moki will referee.