RUGBY FOOTBALL STAR CLUB'S GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION

Grey River Argus, 7 August 1948, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL STAR CLUB'S GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION

An Interesting History Since 18981 the amber and black of the Star football club has been watched with interest by rugby enthusiasts on the West Coast. The Golden Jubilee celebrations which begin today commemorate 50 years of the Club’s existence. In 1897 a group of schoolboys, who were unbale to get a game, banded together to form a team which they named the “Comets.” This team more than held its own with the established clubs. The following year, encouraged by their successes, they formed the Star Club, and adopted the colours, amber and black. Thus was laid the foundation of a club that has kept its colours flying for half a century. ORIGINAL CONVENORS The original convenors on this historic occasion were A. (Ngata) White, Ted Richardson and Charlie McPherson. The first team was L. Bromley, C. McPherson, F. Bruhn, L. Corcoran, A. Hopkins, A. West, E. Kennedy, H. McGlashan, C. Simon, W. Sweetman, J. Richardson (capt.), G. O’Connor, A. McCarthy (vice-capt), J. Hall, A. (Ngata) White, J. McKechnie, J. Parfitt, A. H. Chunn and F. White, treasurer. At this stage the club was not under the jurisdiction of the West Coast Rugby Union, and arranged all its own matches. However, in 1901, the club entered the Union’s competitions as a junior team. In 1902 they were defeated by Reefton by 20 points to nil. In 1903 Star won their first junior competition, by defeating Ross after a hard game by 18 points to 3 at Hokitika. SENIOR TEAM IN 1904 The first senior team was fielded in 1904, and in 1906 it won the senior competition in Greymouth. Victories followed in 1907, 1908, 1909 and 1911. One stringent rule was that every player must train four nights a week or be dropped from the team. In 1908 the Star Club was considerably strengthened by the inclusion of several tough players from the famous “Black Diamonds of Brunner. Among these were Bill Carse, Sim Mclvor, D. Mclvor, and J. and T. Hallinan. In 1910 the club toured several centres in the North Island, winning matches at Palmerston North and at Otaki. EIGHT MEMBERS IN WEST COAST REPS The Star Club’s greatest single contribution to West Coast rugby was in 1911 when eight of their senior players were selected in the West Coast representative team which played a touring Taranaki team at Victoria Park. Coast won after a hard game by 9 points to 8. This was Taranaki’s only defeat that year in its tour of New Zealand. The Star Club members were Gus Ring, Racer Nelson, Jerry Church, Joe McPherson, Jim Beban, J. Fraser, Arthur Morrison and T. Mclntosh. SOUTH ISLAND REPS. Tom Learmont was the first club member to gain South Island honours. He was selected in 1904 and 1905. Other members of the club to gain this honour were W. Sothern 1909, T. Mclntosh 1913, J. Russell 1921, Jack Steel 1919 to 1927, A. Fong 1933, B. Scandrett 1933, W. Mann 1935-36 and J. Pegley, the present field captain, in 1945. Tom Mclntosh represented West Coast for sixteen, seasons in succession. Racer Nelson created one of the longest representative records. He first played for Coast in 1910, and except for four years overseas during the war, represented Coast until 1926. In 1933, Arthur Fong and Bernie Scandrett represented the South Island playing together in the same team.

The Star team has always had several runners of outstanding ability. There were E. Richardson, C. Richardson, R. White, A. White, G. Newlands, C. Kilgour, J. Christie, J. and H. Blocksage, F. McGirr, Jack Steel, Doum McLay, Vic. Stevens, Bert Caulton, and Arthur Fong. Among the early forwards who bore the brunt of the rugged Star attacks were Bob Moles, G. Gusterson, Alf Hopkins, F. -.Harnett, M. O. Kittlety, T. Cornish, J. Smythe, A. Henry, Ray McCarthy and the three Keatings. JACK STEEL’S RECORD One of the best known members of the Star team was the late Jack (Frosty) Steel. He played through several of the lower grades of the club, finally gaining senior honours in 1918. In 1919 he made his first appearance in the South Island team, and in 1920 was playing in the three-quarter line with the All Blacks in Australia. His terrific burst of speed, and deadly fend, amazed an enormous crowd in the test match at the Sydney cricket p-round. In 1921 he played in three tests against the South Africans and at C'arisbrooke Park, Dunedin, was awarded a gold medal, as the best back on the ground. He continued to take his place at the head of New Zealand rugby players, and toured England in 1924 with the All Blacks. In 1927 he left the West Coast and played for Canterbury, during which time he made his seventh and last appearance for the South Island. “Frosty” was not only an idol of the crowd, but gave to rugby, what all enthusiasts called for, a great wing three-quarter. In fact, he was one of the greatest New Zealand has ever produced. His death in a motor accident near South Beach, Greymouth, in 1941, was a big loss to rugby. OFFICERS The first president of the Star Club was Mr J. Hamilton, and he was succeeded in 1904 by Dr W. McKay who Held this office for more than 30 years. The club then came under Mr Ngata White, one of tire foundation members, who held this position until 1946, when he was succeeded by Mr W. Williams, who occupies the position to-day. Club secretaries in order of precedence were:—F. Hopkins, F. White, J. McPherson, F. Vosper, B. Hughes, L. Hughes, M. Johnston, “Scragger” Pring, a well known - player, Ivor Steel, W. A. Clarke, E. Parfitt, J. Heasley, W. Braithwaite, G. Hughes, and M. Connolly. Mr J. Jackson holds the present position. To-night, when the past and present members and officials of the Star Club are gathered round the banquet table, and a toast is proposed to “past stalwarts,” there will be a moment of impressive silence. To-day’s Matches The main attraction at Rugby Park to-day will bO the Star v. Kiwis match. With so many distinguished visitors, and past members of the Star Club, present, the team taking the field will have to put its best foot forward to beat the Hokitika visitors, who it is reported, are

fielding a strong side. They will extend Star to the full. In the match on number two ground, United will play Excelsiors. Judging by the fast play of the southern team this season, United are going to have a hard game in front of them. FIVE COASTERS IN ALL BLACK TRIALS The recent announcement from Wellington that five West Coasters had been selected for the A and B teams to play at Westport on Wednesday next in the All Black trials' i s most satisfactory. This is especially so in view of West Coast’s performance this season in which four representatives matches have been played, with only one victory. However, the undoubted qualities of J. Lindbom, W. Amberger, R. R. Eastgate, E. G. Walker, and B. Mettrick have received fitting acknowledgement, and it is to be hoped that these five players are on the road to bigger matches, perhaps in lands across the sea. The unfortunate attitude of the South African Boers in barring the Maoris is to be regretted, but many more Europeans will now have a chance of making the trip to the land of the Zulus and the Bantus. STAR OLD TIMERS The Star Football Club Old Timers’ teams to play a novelty game today. and who require shorts and boots only, are:^ —W. Reynolds, T. Mclntosh, G. Nelson, senr., A. Bowes, P. Pascoe, C. Dewar, A. Mclntosh, J. Eathome, A. Murphy, W. Pring, W. Herring, J. Goodall, H. Dowling, W. Mann, L. Martyn, Ben Dixon. Juniors: Wilson (2), Clark, Blackio, Frueton, Faulkner, Stackhouse, CuJlahan, Nailer, Edens, Bardsley, Kirby, Flood, Bensley, Gardner, Gibbs, Bradley. Seniors: Steel (3), Wilson, Nelson (2), Hayton, R,ose, Hunter, McDougall, Henderson, Solomon, Dixon, Pegley, Lambert, Smith, Stokes, Jackson.

WELLINGTON CAPTAIN OUT WELLINGTON, Aug. 6. R. M. Wlhite, who was to have captained the Wellington representative Rugby team against Canterbury tomorrow, is unable to play, due to illness, and he has been replaced by A ; . H. Avery. FIXTURE ALTERATIONS The fixtures statistician of the West Coast Rugby Union has approved of the following alterations: Now the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades matches will be played at Omoto: Eighth grade at 10 a.m.; seventh grade a 10.30 a.m.; sixth grade at 11.15 a.m.; Star v. Technical (fifth grade) at 10.30 a.m.; Hokitika v. Cobden (fifth grade) at 11.15 a.m. MATCHES POSTPONED Because of heavy rain yesterday at Hokitika the Rugby and basketball matches which‘were to have been played between teams representing the Greymouth and Westland primary schools were postponed until Tuesday next.