SCHOOL RUGBY.

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 17840, 12 October 1929, Page 11

SCHOOL RUGBY.

j TROPHIES PRESENTED. t | HAMILTON EAST FUNCTION. | A fitting conclusion to the Hamilton | Primary Schools football season was I the presentation of trophies in the l grounds of the Hamilton East School 1 yesterday afternoon. The schools in J the union were represented by the i headmasters, sports-masters and team | captains, while there were also prei sent members of the Hamilton Rugby j Union. The donors of the trophies j were represented by Air F. Hare, and ■ two of the Gwynne Shield trustees, ! Messrs C. Speight and J. Tidd. i 1 The Trophies. [ The six trophies which were ! awarded were as follows: I Gwynne Shield (Waikato Primary Schools championship) : Won by Hamilton East from Marist, last year’s holders. Howden Cup (Hamilton Primary Schools championship) : Won by Hamilton East. Last year’s holders, Whitiora and Marist. Wilkin Cup (for the runners-up in the senior championship) : Awarded to Whitiora and Southwell. Jackson Shield (13 Grade championship) : Won by Forest Lake. Last year’s holders, Whitiora. Hare Cup (championship under 6st) : Won by Whitiora. Last year’s holders, Hamilton East. Choat Cup (D Grade championship,! under Gst 71b) : Won by Whitiora. ! The Presentation Ceremony. j Mr Gurteis, headmaster of Hamilton I East School, in welcoming the visitors, j said that the function was primarily a ; reunion of all those who had in any way been connected with primary schools football. He proceeded to outline the history and expansion of the annual competition, which had been in j existence for nearly twenty years, j There was a splendid spirit existent in j the Hamilton Primary Schools Rugby | Union district, which proved that the competitions did much to foster good sportsmanship. Much assistance had been given the Primary Schools Union by the Hamilton Rugby Union in the allocation of grounds and grants, and this indeed had been much appreciated. But one | point which is not as strongly stressed j as it should be is the fact that there ] are three governing bodies In Hamilton j Rugby—the Hamilton Rugby Union, [ the Junior Advisory Board and the Primary Schools Union. More than 250 \ boys play under the Primary Schools j Union, which, as prominent sportsmen j had said, was the nursery of football, j and thus deserving of assistance. He ! welcomed the donors, and thanked j them for their tangible evidence of j interest in school football. The com- | petitions had 'done much to foster a | spirit of friendly rivalry in the primary schools of Hamilton.

In presenting the Choat Cup to Whitiora Mr F. Hare congratulated the captain of the team on their success. He thanked Mr Gurteis for organising the function, the like of which had not been held in Hamilton before, and he expressed the hope that it would become an annufd’event. As one of the donors it gave him great pleasure to assist in the encouragement of school football, which in his opinion was one of the finest means of cultivating sportsmanship. The Hare Cup was presented to the Whitiora C Grade team by Air Curteis,

who congratulated them on their fine record In never having their line crossed during the season. He then presented the Jackson Shield to Forest Lake. Mr Robinson, the headmaster, said that he was pleased to accept the trophy on behalf of his school. He attributed its success largely to the efforts of his assistant, Mr Laird, who had devoted mucli time to the boys.

Mr C. Speight presented tile Howden Cup to Hamilton East, remarking that tile trophy had been fought for on many occasions. Many well-known I footballers, including Gookc i the All j Black, had learned the ethics of the | game on the Hamilton East ground, ! and there was no reason why the pre- | sent generation should not achieve ! fame in later years. He then called | for cheers for the donors of Hie trophies. The Waikato championship trophy, the Gwynne Shield, was presented to Hamilton East by Mr J. Tidd, one of the trustees, lie said that the shield commemorated a scholar and a sportsman, Mr R. J. Gwynne, who was one of Waikato's foremost athletes in his day. He recognised that the primary schools were the nursery of Rugby. When he died, some years ago, his trustees agreed that an admirable means of perpetuating his memory lay in the presentation of a shield to school football. Thus the Gwynne Shield came into being. In the years past many prominent footballers had played cn the Hamilton East schoolground, including the famous All Blacks the Gillett brothers. On behalf of the Hamilton East School Mr Gurteis thanked Mr Tidd for the shield. The onus of the work in coaching the teams had fallen on Mr ; Leech and Mr Malhieson, and to these I two masters much credit was due. , Throughout Hie district it would be j found that the assistant masters de- j voted much of their time to the teams, i and their work could not be too highly | praised. i The function concluded with the \ singing of the National Anthem. j