Levin Wanderers Celebrates Its Golden Jubilee This Week-end

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1948, Page 4

Levin Wanderers Celebrates Its Golden Jubilee This Week-end

Celebrating its Golden Jubilee this weekend is the Levin Wanderers Rugby Football Club, and if the arrangements made are any guide it should be the biggest event in Horowhenua foqtball for many years. The celebrations will begin tonight with a -smoke conceyt in the Regent Uall and conclude on Monday with a grand jubiloe bait

AccQrding to the souvenlr booklet now in the process of publicatiori, the Levin Wanderers Club of today is the result of a series of aihaigamations over the flrst years Trom 1898 to/1908. The Levin Club came into being in 1893, when it was a foundation mepiber of the Horowhenua Rugby Union, which had just commenced. In 1897 Mr. Charles Williams, the proprietor of the Weraroa Hotel, inaugurated the Weraroa Wanderers who played in the union's competitions for three years. In 1900 the Weraroa Wanderers an'd the Horowhenua Clubs amalgamated to become the Wanderers. Then, in 1908, the Levin Club and the Wanderers' Club joined forces to formulate the Levin Wanderers, In 1899 the officials of the Levin Club were as follows:— President: Mr, P. Bartholomew; vice-presi-dents: Messrs. J. Davies, H. F. Davidson. J. W..GOwer, J. Kebbell, Dr„ McKenzie, J. R, McDonald, R, Smart; club captajn: W. L. Fitzherbert; field captain: C. ' G. Powles; management committee: V. Hitchings, C. K. Wilson, j. McIntyre, M. Fosella, B. R. Gar'dener, H. H. Ostler; match committee: J. Mclntyre, H. Denton, C. W, Allen, C. G. Powles, W. L. Fitzherbert; delegates to Rugby Union: B. R. Gardener and C. K: Wilson; secye^ tary: C. W. Allen; treasurer: W. L. Fitzherbert. Both clubs held annual meetings at the beginning of the 1903 season, but there is no record of the meeting -that brought about the formation of the amalgamated club. "In 1909. however, the club played as the Levin Wanderers ahd from competitiop matches in 1903 it is evident that the amalgamation took place in that year. A most detailed history of the events leading up to the amalgamation, and of the successes and failures in matches thereafter, is con- i tained in the jubilee booklet, which, compiled by Mr. F. G. T, Carring- 1 ton, is the first complete and authentic review of football generally throughout the Horowhenua that has yet been produced." In his fine survey, Mr. Carrington dwells periodically on the lighter side of rugby in the district and revives many long forgotten inci'dents. The enthusiasm was so great in those days that some footballers resident as far away as Waikanae regularly played in Levin. One year the club was Short of players so they sent word to Jim Arcus, who was tljen many miles away. Within a week, however, he was back in Levin ready to play. One player, Rangi Broughton, showed great determination and spirit in overcQming -a physical deformity and succeeded in becom^ng a Maori All Black, the booklet states. He had always a fiair for raising a laugh by his humorous utterances. Whjle the Maori teapi was Ofi its way to Australia in 1923, the members of the narty went to dinner, The ste\yardess handed the menu to Rangi, who very nopchalantly pqinted to an item thereon- Tbe surprised young woman -replied, "Sorjry, sir, the orchestra is Diaying that." In one local game the players ; •

held up play while they groped rqund in the mud and slush to fina the referee's whistle. The referee was left to extricate himself. These are only two of many such instances recounted and doubtless they will be even further enlarged when past and present footballers gather during the coming weekend. * The Programme Following the smoke concert on Thursday evening, a veterans" Sbcial evening will be held on Friday night. Friday morning will see the primary schools' annual rugby and basketball tournament at Rugby Park. On Saturday at 10.45 a.m. there will be a parade, headed by tlie Levin Municipal Band, which will march from the Post Office to the Public Gardens, via Oxford Street land Bath Street, where four 'wreaths will be laid at the ImemQrial, one for the South African War victims, carried "oy Colonel C- G. Powles, two for World War I, carried by Messrs. J. Sciascia and H. Jacob, and one ^for World War II, carried by Mr. G. Milroy. In the - afternoon the junior and senior competition matches will be continued at the Levin Park Domain, The Horowhenua pipe Band -will play the .teams on to the field and entertain iwith selections during the afternoon. In the evening the jubilee banquet will take place. The highlight of the celebrations will be a Maori memorial servlce, conducted by Rev. Paora Temuera at the Winiata homestead on Sun|day. Later there will be a recep[tion and luncheon, all the food for !the latter being cooked in Maori fashion. Marquees are to be erected in case the weather is inclement. The Levin Municipal Band will be present. On Monday the junior and senior Maori-Fakeha matches will be played on the domain, the. Horowhenua Pipe Band being in attendance. The celebrations will conclude that night with a grand jubilee ball. For this event the Regeht Hall has been decorated with the colours of Horowhenua, red, white and blue, and the LevinWanderers' colours, black and White. ,