NOTED PLAYERS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 82, 3 October 1931, Page 15

NOTED PLAYERS

RUGBY RETIREMENTS

KEEPING AN INTEREST

CONTKOL OF THE GAME

(By "Drop-Kick.")

It was at the end of last season that ono of New Zealand's greatest Rugby players of recent times announced his retirement from the game. That player was C. G. Porter, and the gap causod by his retirement has been found very hard to fill. Now this season closes with. the.entry of Mark Nicholls to the list of retired Rugby representatives. Nicholls, too, has been a great figure in the game, a boru footballer and a tactician of exceptional ability, lie has had a wonderful record in representative football, and the bigger the occasion tho better he. seemed to be. There have been times when his value as. a New Zoaland representative has been questioned in certain quarters, but almost invariably Nicholls has given an effective reply to the doubters. "Drop'Kick'' strongly advocated Nicholls's claims to inclusion in all tho big matches of New Zealand's 1928 tour in South Africa, and corsidered that bad errors of judgment were coin.mitted in dropping Nicholls from the first thT,ee Tests. Ho was given a chanco in the fourth Test, and that memorable game provided striking oyidenco of what Nicholls meant to a sido. But ho has played many great games. Mark Nicholls, the player, takes a prominent place in the records for all timo of Rugby's greatest players. Porter, too, is there. And not a few of tho other players who have recently retired from representative football have also justly earned a place of distinction ou tho honours board of Rugby football. NICHOLLS HONOUBED. After the Hawkes Bay-Wellington * match on Saturday, Mark Nicholls, tho Wellington captain, who played hia last game in-this match, was presented with one of1 the balls used in the match.- Mr. G. Maddison, president.of the Hawkes Bay Rugby Union, in making tho presentation,; briefly reviewed the Wellington captain's Rugby., career, mentioning'that all in Hawkes'Bay remembered the occasion of the fourth Test in South -Africa in 1928,: when Nicholls, had won the1 game for tho All Blacks. Nieholls had first played for Wellington when he was 17 years old, and sineo then ho had represented New Zealand on seven occasion*.: He had appeared/ in Wellington sides in Hawkes Bay-on. four occasions with conspicuous success, and was very popular with Rugby followers in this province. Next to Mr. W. .Wallace, he had scored the most points for New Zealand, something well over 200. • The. ball with which Nicholls was presented is to be autographed by the members of both sides which played in the match. In returning thanks, Nicholls ■ said that Hawkes Bay had produced'many fine footballers, some of ■whom in their day were among the best in the world. He referred particularly •]to M. Brownlie, who, he said, was a . fine- sportsman^ liIKBLY ADMINISTRATORS., ! ' 'The- knowledge'-and wide experience gainedby:'C. G>' Porter arid M. F. ■Nicholls as internationals are not like- ' ly to be lost to the game. Fresh from the playing fields, not only "< of tbo Dominionib'ut of the Rugby world, these two distinguished perfor'mcrs should bo of considerable Value as administrators. •AH players'do not' make good ailminis'tratdrg, but thesc'two' appear-to.be well : qualified W'be given; an active:inte'rost in the control of the game: -; It was'hopea that P, orter would have ■been available' this year, but ho decided to 'make, a business trip to England! ana he,returned to Wellington only, this week/ As already indicated, Porter .has.' been giving! attention W Rugby •Matters, and one hopes that he will bo • able toispare the timo : to take.ah active part in .the management of the game . next year,- : '■■■[~'■■ ■ . , . • ■ COOKE'S INTENTIONS. ' A statement .by A. E/Cooke at Nanier last Saturday that, as was the case with M. F.Nieholls, he had playea his last game wag not taken seriously by those who regarded this famous player as by no means at the end of his play'irig days. . However, the following indicates that Cooke had made up his mind-.—"Yes, I'vo had enough.'' The 1-laconic' remark came from the lips of ■^..-E. Cooke, Hawkes Bay captain against Wellington on Saturday, and it spelled, his swan-song in Rugbyfoot- (- ball. From 1924, when ho toured /Great Britain, until last year, when 'jjtis presence was an important.factor in tittw '.Zealand's defeat of the British "tojifing -team in three of. tho four Tests, Cooko represented New Zealand consistently, with the exception of tho 1028 tour to South Africa, for which he'was iiot available. It«was a matter ;£or gratification that in his final game,'.this brilliant back should oa'p- • tain .ft team: representing Hawkes Bay, - the" province for which he played hia best football, as a member of the invincible: team of, 1926. It was fitting, ./top, that he should, bo one of the most . conspicuous backs ,on the field for the ;day, giving a display of defensive work oi a character that was practically incomparable., ' . : '- :It,was in tho Magpies' dressingroom, just.before tho commencement of the game, that Cooko told a Pressman "of his intention of withdrawing from 'the game. "I've had enough," he said. "Quite definite about if?" ho ■was asked. "Definite!" So an outstanding Rugby career closos, states the ''Daily Telegraph." ; No'doubt Cooko will find.it exceedingly difficult to resist the call to the playing fields when next season comes round. RTOBY ADMINISTRATION. In the course of the discussion at this week's meeting of the local Management Committee on the matter of tho entertainment of visiting teams, the , 'chairman, Mr. Prendeville, briefly referred to a suggestion that had been made to him by Mr. Harry Frost, of Auckland. Mr. Frost's idea was that, in order to curtail the timo spent in ■ more or less aimless discussion at the annual meeting of the New Zoaland . Union, sovoral matters should bo grouped under the heading of "Rugby Administration" and considered in that light. The question of entertainment was one that could well be-includod in •' that class.1' Mr. Prendeville said that he had cohaklered Mr. Frost's proposal, and ho considered that there was a lot iji it. .