Fifty Years Of Rugby

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1949, Page 3

Fifty Years Of Rugby

Also in festive mood over the King's Birthday weekend is the Shannon Football - Club, which is celebrating its golden jubilee. The club is one of the oldest sports organisations in the town, having been formed in 1899. It fiyst became afflliated to the Horowhqnua Rugby Union by entering a junior team, and at the present time the club has teams in all four grades of the Horowhenua union's eompetitions. The local club has always had a fair share of players in representative football and it is worthy of mention that during the period when Manawhenua held the Ranfurly Shield, Shannon ha'd the distinction of providing no fewer than five of the team. In 1908 J. Tannahill, a member of the local club, played in the combined Horowhenua and Manawatu team against the British team. The late R. Movnihan played in the trial matches and the North Island Probables and Possibles in 1924. Cliff Hunt played in the trial games in 1928 an'd, after turning to league football in Taranaki, had the honour of leading the New Zeaiand League team against overseas visitors. 'Chris Anderson, another member of the club, played in .the 1937 trials and Harry Jacob, the well-known Maori player, was a member of the senior team in 1914. Ofiicially the club has been very well served and has had a good share) of .rCpreseptation " on the Horowhemi'a" Rugby Union. At different times Messrs W. Moynihan, W. W. White, Hone McMillan, H. Hardie, G. G. Mitchell, A. H. Richards, Robertshaw, J. B. Br'anh and A. Gillespie represented the club on the management committee of the union. Mr. A. Gillespie was president of the union for a number of years. ,Messr§ D. Cole, Snr., L. Coulter and V. J. Bateman are recent delegates, the latter at one time being a vice-president. Tonight the club combines with the. school in the combine'd jubilee ball at the Druids' Hall. On Saturday afternooii there will be a football match at .the 'domain. This is a senior fixture and commences at 2.45 p.m. Sunday afternoon there wiir be the. cbmbined church service in the Renown Theatre. Monday is to be the club's big day, when at 2 p.m. there will be a parade of footballers to the domain an'd the laying of wreaths at the war memorials at 2 p.m. The parade will be headed by the Horowhenua Pipe Band. The Maori-Pakeha football match will begin at 2.45 p.m. at the domain. In the evening a smoke concert will be held in the Druids' Hall, commencing at 8 p.m.