Back To The North After 15 Years; "Battle Of Solway" Recalled

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 September 1950, Page 6

Back To The North After 15 Years; "Battle Of Solway" Recalled

(By “Crossbar.”) Wairarapa last held the Shield in 1929. It first got a hold on it on the season 1927, playing at McLean Park, Napier, and defeating Hawke’s Bay by 15 to 11. That was the year which marked the decline of the great Hawke’s Bay team, which defended the trophy in 24 successive challenges. A. E. Cooke, W. R. Irvine, G. Nepia, L. M. Johnson, L. Paewai and J. J. Mill, of that famous team, had by then moved elsewhere. In fact Mill and Cooke were in the Wairarapa Wairarapa won the Shield on June 3. On July 9, 1927, Hawke’s Bay mustered its best possible team and went down to Masterton, and On that day was played what is now known as “The Battle of Solway,” A great crowd of 10,000 people saw Hawke’s Bay win by 21 to 10, and two famous All Blacks, M. J. Brownlie (’Bay) and Q. Donald (Wairarapa, were ordered off the field. W. Barclay, who captained the Hawke’s Bay team after Brownlie went off, had not fulfilled his residential qualifications and Wairarapa entered a protest On July 23 the New Zealand Rugby Union ruled that the match should be awarded to Wairarapa. Hawke’s Bay appealed against that decision and the matter was not finally decided until August 19, the Appeal Council upholding the Union’s decision. In the meantime, both unions had played provisional Sh'°ld games. Hawke’s Bay drawing with Taranaki and beating Manawhenua (combined Manawatu - Horowhenua). Wairarapa, however, was beaten by Manawhenua 18 to 16, and when the Appeal Council ruled that the Shield was Wairarana’s Manawhenua became its holder. They staved off challenges that year (1927) against Taranaki and Wanganui and then lost the

Shield to Canterbury, 6 to 17. The following year (1928> was whe n th e All Blacks toured South Africa and eight Canterbury players were away. Down went Wairarapa ano they beat Canterbury and brought the Shield back to the North Island. It was a very close score, 8 to 7. Wairarapa held the Shield that sea* son, beating Bush Districts, Marlborough, Wellington and Manawhenua. In 1929 it staved off challenges from Hawke’s Bay, Auckland, Manawhenua and Canterbury.

Then, on August 31, 1929, came Southland to play the 100th match of the Shield series, and Southland won, 19 to 16, the Shield going down into the cold, cold south. It came back again to the North Island, to Wellington, stayed there till 1931, went down to Canterbury, reposed by the Avon till 1934, when Hawke’s Bay brought it back to the north again. Auckland took it off the 'Bay in 1934, but lost it to Canterbury in 1935 and since then it has remained in the South Island, a long 15 years, largely because of Otago’s great team. Wanganui was to have played a match with Wairarapa this year, but it was cancelled when the River City . had ambitions of flying down to Dunedin to have a match with Otago. When Otago lost the Shield the Wanganui challenge was abandoned. Cancellation of the Wairarapa match this year was by mutual consent, and on an understanding that Wanganui would .get an early fixture next season. Who knows, that maybe Wairarapa’s first challenge, though, more than likely, Hawke’s Bay, with an annual King’s Dav fixture may have a chance. It will depend on whether that match is due this year to be played at Solway or McLean Park.