FIFTY YEARS AGO

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 96, 10 August 1945, Page 5

FIFTY YEARS AGO

BAY REPS DEFEATED AUCKLAND ——-_ In view of the pending match be^ tween Auckland and Bay of Plenty at the Whakatane Domain tomorit is interesting to recall a match played 54 years ago between representative fifteens from the same quarters. This memorable event took place at Tauranga in, 1891 ami as far as we can ascertain, Mr F. Burt of Matata, then a lusty lad of "18 years is the only surviving member of the local side living in the district?.

The match' was played in two forty-fives and resulted after a most exciting encounter, in a win for the Bay of Plenty by rive points to four. Both teams are described as playing exceptionally well though there was a surfeit of free kicks awarded both with Auckland described as the main transgressor. Reviewing the players the report says that 'Burt was the cleanest and surest hack on the field and saved his side repeatedly.' ;

Umpires for the match w r ere Messrs George and Henderson, representing Auckland and Messrs W. Darragh and Hammond, for Bay of Plenty. The difference in the method of scoring 50 years ago will be noticed in the following:— The first try of the match came from A. Haua. The try was not converted, and that gave the Bay team one. point. Poland next scored for Auckland (an unconverted try) and that made the score one all. Just before half-time, J. Tanner crossed the line to score again, and that made the score Bay 2 Auckland 1. >

In the second spell Cole scored for Auckland and Peace converted bringing the score to Auckland 4, Bay 2. Towards the end, J. Haua scored another try for Bay and F. Burt converted bringing the final score to Bay 5 Auckland 4.

From this it vill be 6een that a try counted as one point and if converted, 3. The district, is indeed fortunate in having in its midst, such a man as Mr Burt who has often been de-. scribed as 'the father of the Matata Club.' At present he is Patron of the Bay of Plenty (Referees' Association and a past president for seven years Patron Executive Member and Life Member of the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, and Patron and past president of the Bay of Plenty Cricket Association.