RANGITIKEI NOW TO PLAY SOUTHERN HAWKE’S BAY FOR BEBBINGTON SHIELD

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 July 1949, Page 3

RANGITIKEI NOW TO PLAY SOUTHERN HAWKE’S BAY FOR BEBBINGTON SHIELD

Rangitikei is to play Southern j Hawke’s Bay at Dannevirke on Saturday, August 20, in a challenge match for the Bebbington Shield. Originally, Rangitikei were due to play Horowhenua at Levin for the shield, but a fortnight ago this union lost it to Southern Hawke’s Bay. At a meeting of the Rangitikei Rugby Sub-Union this week, it was decided to ask Southern Hawke’s Bay whether they would accept a challenge on either August 13 or 20. Oroua and Bush Unions have also lodged challenges for the shield but as Rangitikei was due to play Horowhenua in a challenge match next ’ month, Southern Hawke’s Bay gave i preference to Rangitikei and offered ; August 20, the only available date. 1 The Rangitikei Rugby Union has accepted this date. The club championsb’P final will ! now be played at Marton on August; 13 —a date submitted by Taihape for i IRangitikei’s challenge for the Whenuaroa Shield. The following is Rangitikei’s programme for the remainder of the seajson. July 30: v. Oroua, at Kimbolton and' Bulls. August 6: v. Wanganui seniors, at Marton. August 13: Senior championship final at Marton. August 20: Rangitikei seniors v. Southern Hawke’s Bay, at Dannevirke (Bebbington Shield match); Rangitikei thirds v Manawatu thirds, at Marton; Rangitikei juniors v. Taihape juniors, at Hunterville. August 27: Rangitikei seniors v. Manawatu Colts, at Marton. j At a meeting of the management committee this week, a slight amendment to the representative programme against Oroua on July 30 was agreed to at the request of the Oroua Union. The juniors will now play at Kimbolton and the thirds at Bulls. Previously it had been arranged to play the juniors at Bulls and the thirds at Kimbolton. The programme for the day is: Rangitikei seniors v. Oroua seniors at Kimbolton; Rangitikei juniors v. Oroua senior B, at Kimbolton, at 1.30 p.m., and Rangitikei thirds v. Oroua juniors, at Bulls. It was decided to play the return junior rep. match between Rangitikei and Taihape at Hunterville on Saturday, August 20. Representative team managers were appointed as follows: Seniors v. Oroua (Mr. A. Watt); juniors v. Oroua (Mr. D. O’Connell ; thirds v. Oroua (Mr. C. Dowdle) seniors v. Wanganui, at Marton (Mr. F. S. Spooner, with Mr. L. K. Mcßeth to look after the interests of the visitors). COMPETENT EQUESTRIENNE AND GOLFER. Whether it is handling her irons on the fairways or piloting her horse Royal Crest over gorse fences, Mrs. 1 R. S. Fullerton-Smith, of Marton, is apparently e qually at home at either sport, judging by her recent successes. Mrs. Fullerton-Smith was recently a member of th e successful Wanga-nui-Manawatu women's golf team j which played in the interprovincial i tournament at Paraparaumu. A critic writing his impressions in a weekly sports publication had this to say i about Marton’s champion golfer: “Mrs! Fullerton-Smith is still a lovely golfer, I a charming personality. As Bessie i Gaisford she reached the top flight in national golf more than 10 years ago, and even today, there are very lew in the country who could beat her. Her swing is perfection and she has lost little of her punch and nothing of

her accuracy.” Last Saturday, at the Manawatu Hunt Club’s point-to-point steeplechases, Mrs. Fullerton-Smith, riding her Royal Crest, won both the. jumping events. Today she will be out again with her horse at the Rangitikei point-to-pcint meeting and it will be •interesting to see if this golfer equestrienne can register another “double.” WET W EATHER AFFECTS RUGBY “GATES” IN RANGITIKEI. Due to wet weather over the past month, Rugby gate takings in Rangitikei this season are down, compared with the corresponding period last year. This was revealed by the treasurer, Mr. K. J. Coombe, in a statement presented at a meeting of the management committe on Wednesday night. Mr. Coombe pointed out however, that last year’s returns included a £5O “gate” for the rep. match against Wanganui. Total gate takings this year have been £307, made up as follows: Marton £l5O, Rata £43, Hunterville £37, Ohingaiti £36, Bulls £24, Rangatahi £ll, Turakina £6, Ratana no return. A member of the Rangitikei representative junior team, M. Metekingi (Ratana) who with B. McAuliffe (Dannevirke) was ordered off the field during the recent match at Bulls for punching, was stood down for one playing Saturday. Reports on the incident which led to the referee’s action were given by delegates who were present at the match, the referee, Mr. W. Kereama, and the player concerned. A request from the Turakina Club seeking permission to change the present club colours from “all white” to the old Turakina colours “black and white” was held over to a subsequent meeting pending further investigation. A donation of £l5 was made to the •Rangitikei Primary School’s Rugby | Union to assist in defraying the exI penses of sending the Rangitikei team to the quadrangular tournament at New Plymouth. To give the RangiI tikei players the best possible chance I of winning the tournament, the team lis being billeted in Ohakune for a I week’s training before being taken to | New Plymouth. The cost of this | year’s trip is about £6O. The letter from the union stated that next I I season it was hoped to hold the tour-j • nament in Ohakune-Raetihi district I when the cost would be well over £lOO. To this end it. was hoped to build a large “nest egg” this year. Permission was granted M. O’Connell (Bulls) to play for the Marist I Club (Wanganui) for the remainder, of th e present season, provided he I was available for the Rangitikei rep-1 resentative team when required. The 1 | applicant, pointed out that the footbal' ■season for the Bulls senior team wa: i over. The meeting decided that the game j between Ratana and Hunterville jun- , iors to have been played at Ratana on | July 2. be awarded to Hunterville by . default. A report was received from the referee, Mr. N. Morgan, who de- 1