Great Struggle For Senior Rugby Honours

Chronicle (Levin), 19 July 1948, Page 4

Great Struggle For Senior Rugby Honours

With orily three series of games still to be played, the Horowhenua senior rugby championship has developed into the closest and most interesting for • a number • of seasons". Hui Mai/after holding top ' position by a slender margm for some time, had their colours lowered, on Baturday by their defeat at the hands of Athletic. In consequence Wanderers, who had a comfortable . win pver 'Otaki-Rahui, moved up to . top position with 15 points. Athletic and Hui Mai are Only two points behind them. Thus the honours could 'ultimately go to any one ' of , these three teams/ By ' their Mn "lOn Saturday Athletic captured the ' Easton Cup, which Hui Mai had taken from Wanderers in the first round. ' Making an unimpressive showmg in- the first round of the no'rthern section of the junior championship, Punahau have since .been playing .good footbail and are now only t\yo ' points behind ihe leaders, Athletic. So far Punahau have been ihe only ; t'eam to beat Athletic, and if they pah do so again in this," the third and final round, their chances will be good." Paraparaumu are almost certaih winiiers in the southern division, where they have a fourpoint lead over Rahui. Old-BoyS'A ahd Rahui are fighting out the third grade championship, the for'mer having a lead of three points. Nevertheless, unheaten as they are tnroughout the season, OM Boys will be difficult to ,upset. - Following Saturday's games, College A displaced Otaki for. top position in the fourth grade championship, which has now entdred its final round. College have 13 points and Shannon and Otaki 11 points each. , The. following are the results of Saturday's games in all grades: — Senior Athletic 12, Hui Mai 8. Wanderers 19, Otaki-Rahui 3. Shannon, a bye. Northem Junior Punahau 29, Shannon 0. Athletic 12, Wanderers 3. Tokomaru, a bye. Southern Junior ■ Paraparaumu 21, Hui Mai 3. Rahui 5, Waikanae 3. Otaki, a bye. -. Third Grade College 13, Shannon 8. • • > Rahui. 1T, Athletic 8. ,i Old Boys A\29, Old Boys B 3. Fourth Grade College B 11, Otaki 5. College A beat Rahui (default; . Shannon, .a bye. ' The tables below set out the positions of teams in the "various ffrades: —

..... - . W g . -a h " | | i ft p ^ "S &* fo S?" ^ O g g »'. » H © f— » fc> O +9 .■ +3 AH B Ut >-■ Q J PL» PL, O Wanderers 1Q 7 1 2/132 62 15 'Hui Mai. . 9 6 1 2 99 60 13 Athletic 10 5 3 2 90 67 13 Shannon 9 3^ 1 5 60 64 7 Otaki-Rahui 10 10, 22 152 —

Senior Championship

Athletic 9 8 — 1 132 31 l'6 Punahau 10 7 — 3 151 56 14 Tokomaru 9- 5 — 4 99 54 10 Wanderers 1Q 4 — 6 65 105 8 Shannon' 10 — — 10. 33 234 —

Junior Championship—North

Para'umu 10 9 — 1 124 46 18 Rahui 9 7 — 2 83 46 14 -Hui Mai 10 .5 1 4 115 87 11 Otaki . 9. 1 1 7 53 132 3 Waikanap lp 1 , 9 51, 107 >,2

Junior Championship—South

Old Boys A 12 11 1 — 113 40 23 Rahui 12 10 — 2 134 55 20 Athletic 12 5 3 4 86 62 13 Shannon 12 3 2 7 55 133 8 -College 12 3 1 8 110 79 7 Old Boys B 12 1 — 11 40*268 2

Third-Grade Championship

College A 8 6 1 1 86 22 13 Otaki 8 5 1 2 71 33 11 Shannon 8 5 1 2 106 48 11 College B 9 2 — 7 37 105 4 Rahui 9 1 1 7 25 95 3

Fourth-Grade Championship