RECORD CLUB RUGBY GATE TAKINGS

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 May 1948, Page 4

RECORD CLUB RUGBY GATE TAKINGS

KAIERAU v. WAVERLEY POPULARITY Oh SIDE 1 ROM “ONER THE BORDER."

There is no doubt about the keen support Waverley folk give their Rugby team —women as well as men. The football club has become a sort of institution in Waverley, and evidence of it was given on Saturday, when, on an unpromising sort of day, hundreds of people, from as far away as Manutahi, came to see the Waveriey team matched against that invariably solid side—Kaierau. The result, was a record day's gate takings for club Rugby—£l2B. Twice now Waverley has figured in matches which have produced big gate takings. Back in 1936, when Jack Petersen led his men "over the border," tlie union collected £lO4. Once since then the takings were £lll, hut Saturday's crowd beat all records and had about it the flavour of a representative match. It was good to see the faces along tlie touchline of men who had contributed so much to Waverley and Kaierau contests of the past, to the Rugby code in general. Jack Peterson, captain of the Waverley side of 12 years ago was there. So was Gay Lockett, who captained Kaierau. •Seated beside him was “Drake" Thompson, who played first fiveeighths in that memorable game. Saturday's big attendance was in every sense vindication of the management of Rugby in Wangar.ui in agreeing to Waverley coming into city football more than 12 years ago. It must have been of complete satisfaction to Mr. J. Moye (chairman of the committee) and those who have been associated with him over the past quarter of a century, to see and sense the feeling of keenness that was round the ground. As usual, wherever Waverley has been playing, there was Lloyd Stewart. Lloyd, perhaps above all others, worked hard to bring Waverley “over the border" into Rugby in the city, and the match on Saturday, that at Waverley a fortnight earlier against Pirates, they must have been of great satisfaction to him. Seeing his team holding Kaierau to a draw must have done much to make up for just such another occasion 12 years ago, when Waverley went home to hear the birds chirping of the might of the maroons. Lloyd has played for Kaierau, for Technical Old Boys and for that County team of some years back,’of which he was a main organiser. The County team, which more or less crossed the city’s southern "border," made every side they played against play hard. Twelve years ago a Waverley team went home a disappointed side, beaten 17 to nine. Not so on this occasion. They went home feeling that they were at least the equal of a very strong teamsomething to encourage thetn. While Saturdays match lacked the brignt, even football seen at Waverley a fortnight earlier, when Pirates played there, and both sides kept flashing up and down the field in constructive open play, it had its moments, because the sides were so even. Wanganui had no lone policeman to take up position behind goal posts, no line-umpire to ask him to ..tep away. All Wanganui could muster was a small boy, who, with a liberal showing of shirt outside the top of his shorts, was in all his glory behind the goal line. But few saw him. If they did they were to busy to worry—watching two virile teams battle against each other, above the roaring din of “Waverley!" . .. "Waverley!" . . . “Waverley!" They were the popular side, because Kaierau has had much glory as winners of championships. It would be rather just, the public apparently thinks, for Waverley to hold its top place to the end of the championship. It would indeed be a popular win. As the crowd left the gates, as they gathered in pub, in club, by fireside, or at picture show, or round and. dancing floors, they played the game again, with all the “its" and “buts" that will punctuate Rugby to the end of time. But they all had to come back to earth and recall: “Waverley;” “Waverley!" that was the cry; A virile forward struggle, do or die! But 'twas even. The score board could not lie: Alexander's goal 'gainst Henderson's try!