CENTRAL H.B. RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 65, 3 April 1937, Page 3

CENTRAL H.B. RUGBY

t Our Own Correspondent)

Report on Past Season's Activities

(Froir

WAIPUKURAU, Last Night. The following report was presented at the annual meeting of the Oentral Hawke's Bay Rugby Sub-Union Is meeting; — The 1935 season marked an advance in comparison with the preceding season, and I am plealsed to say that similai remarks. apply to the period now uuder review. ' The season commenced with eight senior teams and six junior, and although one senior team found itself unable to complete the season, the intercst evinced ,by clubs in general was a noteworthy feature of Rugby in the distrlct. Again we were handicapped as a xegult of seasonal farming work claiming the attention of a percentage of players from the latter part of July onwards, but as I have xemarked^ in previous reports, that is a f actor which seems inseparable from Rugby^ in this atea, and beyond commencihg "the season as early as possible and eoncentrating on getting club fixtures through with despatch, there is no remedial action we can take. The policy of ranking club engagements in priority to representative fixtures has still been pursued, and although it is recognised that the system has its drawbacks if held to too rigidly, it iis diffieult to conceive what alternative would better suit the conditions nnder which we are placed. However, the aim of the sub-union is to arrive ultimately at a solution as nearly ideal as possible, and I am sure the question wili receive from the) incoming executive the same caref ul attention which has been accorded it in the past. The annual statement - of accounts shows that there is a surplus of income over expenditiire of £8 2/1, compared with a deficiency of £1 12/5 laJst year, The season's competition xesults were: — -Senior, Takapau; junior, Takapau A; Central Park Challenge Cup, Takapau. The sub-union heartily congratulates the Takapau Club, which has now put up a very meritorious performance over some seteons. A1I competing clubs are likewise to be congrat' ulated for the standard of performanco auring the season was high aud some very interesting games were witnessed. X take this opportunity of formally welcoming into the sub-union the Otane Club which affiliated at the commencement of the 1936 season. The representative fixtures resulted as follow: — v. Napier-Hastings, at Waipukurau, won 17 — 14; v. NapieiHastings, at Napier, lost 3 — 11; v. East Coast, at Waipawa, lost 6 — 12. Te Aute College played matches with St. Pat's % (Silverstream), St. Pat's (Wellington) and Varsijty, losing to the first-named and winning the 6ther two. In all three exhibitions an exceUent display of Rugby was provided for an appreciative public. Provincial honours wero galned by C. Wilson (Old Boys), A. Aldrich (Takapau), R. Aldrich (Takapau) ,and' Whelan (Waipukurau), and Murray (Te Aute) and Reid (Takapau) were selected in the colts' team. To all those players the sub-union extends its codgratulations. Once again' the seven-a-side tourney attracted large entries in spite of several counter-attractions being on foot, and'although the financial result of the fixture is never what it ought to be having regard to the magnitude of the task, we weleome the opportunity of provxding players throughout the province with the ehance to meet one another and compete in an interesting day's sport. The results Were: Senior, Napier H.S.O.B.; junior, Waipukurau; thirds, Hastings D.H.S.; Limbrick Cup, R. Phillips (Napier H.S.O.B.), all of whom we coneratulate. Our Primary Schools representative team did not achieve the distinction of acqurring premier honours in the scnools tournament held at Dannevirke, but nevertheless acquitted itself with merit and turned out a credit to itself and its mentors. Towards the latter part of the season the experiment of having midget schools seven-a-side teamS take the field during the interval between spells of senior and other games was tried, and judging from the enthusiasm of players and spectators the practice could well be pursued with the worthy idea of encouraging school football. I wish to thank all club and subunion officials, the referees and players, for their co-opertion during thp season, without which the carrying on of the game would be impossible. I also wish to thank all our supporters ainong the public and in particular those who have assisted with the provision of transport and hospitality for visiting teams.