Rugby

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 75, 8 April 1949, Page 5

Rugby

UNIFORM COACHING URGED IN BAY OF PLENTY . (By “Kai ti tiro”) An indication that Rugby is well on the way in is seen by the fact that clubs are- now beginning to hold their first practise runs of the season. Some country clubs have been out with the ball already and indications are that 1949 is going to be a bumper season for Rugby. Last season play rather fizzled out towards the end of the year and it has been suggested that the competition was kept going too long. As a result, players lost interest and clubs found it hard to raise a team of 15. Usually it ended up with seniors, juniors, schoolboys and anyone else who happened to be around and wanted a game. This is,.not good for the club, the union or rugby, and the union this year might give some thought to finishing the competition earlier and conclude the season with a series of representative games. With the Australians coming over this year there is a chance that they may play at Whakatane on the new ground, which, with a bit more development will be the best in the Bay of Plenty. Club games develop rugby during the season but public interest is held by representative matches and it is to be hoped |hat the local competitions will finish in time for such games to be played. Seriously lacking in Bay of Plenty rugby are the finer points of the game. Clubs would do well this year to formulate a coaching policy, as used by other unions in the country, at the beginning of the season and stick to it all through the, year. Players would develop stage by stage and the result must be a rising in the standard of play. The Bay of Plenty Union too, could give some consideration tp coaching. By appointing a coach for the Bay as a whole and adopting one system of training would eventually result in uniformity of play. The chief coach could mee’t, at sometime, the coaches of the different clubs and outline the methods that he, as the appointed coach of the union, would require players to be coached and trained for selection in the Bay reps. This would do away, to a large extent, the strangeness of play amongst players when they are brought together for the first time as a rep. team. A uniform method of coaching throughout the Br*y of Plenty would improve the standard of play of the representative team. This was proved in Taranaki where the same difficulty, long distances betwene different clubs, exists. A planned programme was embarked upon last year and the union there, now considers itself strong enough to challenge for the Ranfurly Shield, While not suggesting that the Bay of Plenty could reach that stage in one season it is felt that the Standard of rugby, as it is here today, could be raised considerably by adopting a recommended coaching system for the whole of the Bay.

WAIRAKA FOOTBALL PRACTICE The following Wairaka Club footballers will attend a practice at the Whakatane Domain at 10 a.m. on Sunday: R. Bluett, M. Bluett, Rip Crapp, Tinny Crapp, Roily Crapp, R. Dodd, G. Lawson, R. Hudson, B. Hudson, P. Gardiner, J. Simpson, D. Simpson, T. Riini, M. Riini, Koha Merito, Koni Merito, W. Merito, K. Martin, L. Reedy, Leo Stewart, R. Kingi, T. Wharewera, R. Carter. WAIRAKA HOLDS ANNUAL ( MEETING A successful season is expected by the Wairaka Football Club during the coming year. This was indicated at the annual meeting recently, which was fully attended. Officers elected: — Chairman, Mr F. Bluett; secretary, Mr C. Bluett; union delegates, Messrs C. and K. Hollis: coach, Mr J. Dodd; selector, Mr S. Merito, manager, Mr A. Shaw.