RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16780, 24 April 1926, Page 19 (Supplement)

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

NOTICE TO CLUBS. Clubs, which have teams for insertion in Friday’s Issue each week, are reminded that they must reach this office by 7.30 on the Thursday evening prior to insertion. Otherwise they cannot be accepted. Please write legibly. —Sport. Ed., W.T. NOTES FROIVI ALL PARTS. (By “Drop Kick.”) The controlling bodies of the game in the Waikato and Hamilton have had their annual meetings and everything is now in order for the start of the competition games in the various districts.

Entries of teams of' all grades under the Hamilton Unian are due this evening. The junior competition in Hamilton will commence next Saturday and the senior grade games will open on the following Saturday, May 8. Registration for junior players is due by April 30 and for seniors by May 7. There is a strong leaven of new blood on the Management Committee locally this season but they are all men who have been closely associated with the game in this and other parts of the Dominion.

The selection of representative teams in Hamilton this season will be carried out by Mr F.'Tooman. Mr Tooman has had a long connection with play and players in the local competitions, where he has been for several years one of the stalwarts on the managerial side of the game. Dr. McMiken is donning the jersey for Old Boys this season. lie gained his Rugby education locally, but has had the opportunity of improving it in the wider fields of the game and should be a decided'acquisition to the Red and Blacks' three quarter line. The Old Boys' pack for the new season gives the impression that it will be a good deal heavier than it has been for a long time. This will be a welcome advantage to the local seniors who, with useful scoring backs, should get many opportunities to open up the game. Carter, the Waikato rep. forward and the North Auckland player, Finlayson, a brother of "Bunny" of N.Z. fame, have joined up with Old Boys who, on paper, at anyrate, look to have a very useful side. Canterbury arc looking forward to a most successful season. Dalley, Robilliard will form the nucleus of a strong back division. These two are the only members of Canterbury's contingent of the All Blacks of 1924 to play this season, although Parker may turn out. Harris, the full-back, and Elvcv, the wing three-quarter, are later All'Blacks who will again turn out and should have claims to representative honours. Dickson, the big Otago forward who represented New Zealand last year, will be a valuable addition to a pack that is always a good combination. Bead Masters will probably not be out. _ Otago and Southland both anticipate fielding good sides this season. The latter should bencOt materially from the results of the Art Union arranged to provide better facilities for sport la the extreme south of New Zealand Wellington, led by the brilliant Porter will be able to place a strong representative side in the field again. Mark Nicliolls and Svcnson are also turning out, and there will be several acquisitions from other centres, including McGregor from Canterbury and South from Napier. Mac Ewan, who played in the forwards for Cambridge University las year will turn out for them, and Adams,, a Nelson College player and Marlborough representative is said to show great promise as a full-back Emerson, of Whangarci who has icpresented Auckland, will also play in Wellington this season. _ 11 E Nicholls, who accompanied the All Blacks to England as a spectato" and did not take part in the game, in New Zealand last year, has turned out again this year for his old club, PC Auckland will be much ab out.the same, though they have lost Cooke, but it is expected that Sheen will replace him with success-lhough not the same success. Knox, an Otago forward, is said to be playing there this year, and Righton and M. Wil-. Sams with Bunny Finlayson champion forward of the 192 > All i tooto, will bo out again. Lucas, brilliant centre three-quarter will be ou again but Matson, who gained the All Black ierscv last year, will not be out. JC B lly Stead, of the 1905 All Blacks predicts that when the Maori touring earn is selected there w. 1 be no lew than 12 chosen from this Proving. This would make a big hole in the Ranfurly Shield team, and Normal McKenzL would have to do some h ar d thinking to fill the gap, (says a Napier writer). No doubt hci e are 12 possible, in fact, probablesi from iawkc's Bay for the Maori team but it is certain that at least .two prominent Players will not make I he trip even if chosen. » c ™ ll ™cS*lblo mentioned that Grcnsidclis not, eUgibie for this team, as has been stated by a certain Wellington writer Talking of the Ranfurly Shield, iduuiib u „„ n oral impression there seems to be a genu u i. i Maori Players, says a writer n c Napier Daily Telegraph. With « 0 ful 1 strength the shied team should he oven stronger than it was last, sea inn and the writer cannot imagine any KM" team taking the shield under So'conditions. Jl might be a liferent story after the »j™ leaves, but it must not be forgotten hat the same cry went up when he 1924 All Blacks left, but (in* k tiu ,oss .of six the Bay gave Auckland a had hiding. History may repeal, itse Al the same time, one cannot SoVp fueling that the shield ha, Con Rs duty in Hawkc's Bay and it can with advantage go clscwhc re more particularly to a union nol yet held it, such as Canterbury ol,a o o Wairarapa or Manawatu. RUo-1 ia on such a solid footing here now that the shield is not needed to keep U, interest up, but all the same ovcotno in the Bay would like to see it roma.3 here for at least three more games. if" it, can he held for two move Mickland's record of stalling off -J consecutive challenges will be equal! 1 and three .games will boa it and *lw enable the Bay to establish new cords in every department onMnung shield statistics. After that Hawko s

Bay won't mind if one of the other unions is successful with a challenge. If the first three challenges are decided before the Maori team leaves, then the record looks like being established. The first two shield matches, v. Wairarapa on .Tune 3. and v. Wanganui on June 5, should at least see Auckland's record equalled.

CLUB CHAMPBONSHIPS. It will interest readers to study the points scored by the respective clubs in the club championships last year. They were as follows: —■ High School ■. fit Old Boys •• 57 Frankton • 47 Technical Old Boys ... 36 Marist Old Boys - 22 Technical ....--. 10 Ruakura -•■• city » Waingaro •. J ' Gordonlon 12 United •• • s It will be seen from the above figures that one club lost a good opportunity by a little falling-off towards the end of the season. A point worthy, of note is the number of points scored by Technical Old Boys and Marist Old Boys. Both these clubs fielded two teams only, and it is evident that, with the work being put into the development of their junior teams, they must be reckoned with later on in the decision of the Hamilton Rugby supremacy.