FRANK KILBY S LAS T DAYS OF RUGBY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 228, 28 September 1935, Page 4

FRANK KILBY S LAS T DAYS OF RUGBY

A SNOWY-HAIRED SPORTSMANLIKE HALE

Frank Kilby finishes his Rugby career In. the inter-island match next Saturday, when he will lead the North against the South. His last appearance for Wellington will be against Hawke’s Bay to-day. Frank is one of those genial personalities who simply cannot help making friends. He has a dimple in his chin* and his hair, straight as a die it certainly is, but it is of that snowy hue which denotes gameness. “I have never seen a chap with snowy hair yet who wasn’t game.” is the rather sweeping statement of a prominent Rugby administrator in this Dominion, and when his theory is examined, and we think of all the snowy-haired chaps who have played Rugby, thoughts will turn to Frank Kilby and Bill Dailey. The Southland Boys’ High School taught Kilby the rudiments of the game, which was afterwards to make him the idol of New Zealand, and in 1926 he turned out for the South Island. His work, it is in a bank by the wa y—the Bank of Australasia to b e exact —called him to Wellington and it was behind the scrum of the biack and white team that he came into range of the selectorial telescopes wh.ch were then on the search for talent to despatch to South Africa. His first important engagement as Wellington’s pivot was against Taranaki at ITaweia. played in June. 1927- His performance there stamped him as of New ZenZand calibre. Later, in trial matche.played at Wanganui and Palmerston North, he showed his class and won his way into the final selection of plavers who toured South Africa in 1928. Unfortunatelv for him that tour was disastrous. He «as sercrelv injured and on hi- return to Zealand lobar! Io take a pull. The bank qnietb slipped him out of Wellington and gave him duty in Wanganui. There, perhaps because the bank happened to be well stocked with Pirate-, players Frank was enrolled with the club which sported the skull and cross-bones. It. was a moot point in the river city that year, as to which was the stronger persuasive power—the Pirates who worked beside him in the banx or the fact that bv joining that dub lie- would be wearing a jersev as near ak.n to hibeloved black'of Wellington r.s it was possible to get. Those in the know consider it was a little of both. Anyway. Frank entered into the spirit n f the new club, and ho used his personality anil Rugby genius to collect round him a verv fine lot of chaps, and the Pirates’ flag flew high that rear. He improved the pack piny tremendously. For a short time he was transferred to New Plymouth and turned out for Taranaki, but he returned t<» Wanganui again at the end of the season and plawd for the blues, notablv against Wairarapa in a match in which he was opposed tn the famous Jimmie Mill. Frank ran iing« round the Maori lad that day. but Mill was then on the down-grade and the annwy-hairo! Frank th? up.

to ’Wellington, Frank once more resumed his old position behind the metropolitan pack, turning out for it in that memorable match against Britain in 1930, which Wellington won by 12 to 8. At that, time Mervyn Corner’s star was in the ascendant, and many people were of opinion that Frank was not getting his due. However. his time came attain in .1932 and in 1934 when he captained All Black teams which visited Australia. Over the Tasman, Kilby made more firm friends. He remained always the samp loveable type. Whatever thrill or glory he may have obtained from

the game it never omc, affected the size of his hat. When the lour of Brent Britain this year was being prepared for. Kilby was tipped as a ‘‘•certaintv’' fur one of the two half-back berths in the touring party. But he .tailed to make the grade, not because | of a falling awu\ in form, but because . . . well, perhaps it would |»c better not to go over it all again, le t it suffice to say that the sorrow fi'b at hi.-non-irii-lii.-ion swept through Nnv Zealand from e ll d Io end, but Frank, sportsman that he is, accepted it with a smile and was the first to offer congratulations to Corner and Sadler, particularly the last-named. So. to-dav. as wo think of Kilbv be hind his Wellington pack in Hawke’s Bay. we pdure a snowy-haired, short, thick-set figure, a bit of grime oxer his face. h‘- hair bimshoil awry, but the grin of a. sportsman showing through it all. forwards or uo fo: v. a rds..—