Review Of 1947 Rugby In Bay

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 58, 21 June 1948, Page 4

Review Of 1947 Rugby In Bay

, Bay of Plenty failed to improve on the promising form that was evir dent in the 1947 Rugby season, says the 1948 New* Zealand Rugby Almanac in its review of last season’s Bay of Plenty Rugby record. This Union, the Almanac continues, still suffers on account of its scattered nature and the difficulty of getting the teams with the firstclass players together. This position is aggravated still more by the fact that the Union is divided into eight Sub-Unions, each with its own separate senior competition. Selectors’ difficulties are many on this account and it is inevitable that many good players are missed. With the majority of last year’s representative players still available the Bay of Plenty is expected to do much better this season, Almanac says! A welcome addition to Bay Rugby last year was the return of M. D. Wickham, who had been a regular member of the Wellington XV; also Sadd, a Marlborough rep winger in 1946 and Wakelin, a rep winger who had played for King Country in 194. Both were speedy forwards. Best of the Bay forwards the Almanac opined, appeared to be Ranapia, Seton, a hooker, Woods a front row support, Roigard a light, but speedy forward, McLaughlin, who came in as a lock and performed very well later in the season; Brown a tall and vigorous Maori side row man. Even though good the Bay were badly beaten on many occasions in hooking and in line outs. Raureti, a newcomer to the representative Rugby, proved a half back of no mean ability. Wickham played good solid Rugby at all times. Goldsmith, another newcomer to rep Rugby, stood out in the fiveeighth line and Delamere at all times showed very classy and heady at centre. McGougan gave many solid displays and Clarke impressed at full back with safe handling and long kicking. Shepherd a newcomer to the Bay showed promise, a good all-round player and fine personality. M. Delamere, Goldsmith and H. Ranapia were members of the Maori touring combination. For the New Zealand trials the Bay of Plenty nominees were J. Gardiner, B. McGougan, Jacobs, Delamere and Wickham; Gardiner being selected r to play, but owing to absence overseas was replaced. McGougan took part in the trials at Palmerston North. Tfvo players nominated for' the North Island teams were Delamere and Wickham. The Bay of Plenty representatives team played six matches in the season winning two and losing four, with a total of forty-six points for and one hundred against.