RUGBY IN FRANCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 77, 17 April 1937, Page 14

RUGBY IN FRANCE

LETTER FROM FALWASSER IHE LEAGUE CODE NEW ZEALANDEBS ABBOAD. "We have enough fine New Zealand footballers in England and France to form a team that would hold its own with the best in the world," writes Albqrt Falwasser, former Maori Bugby Union All Black, who is play-er-coach of Bordeaux Bugby League Club in France, in a letter dated February 22 to a friend in Auckland. After expressing pleasure with the reports of progress of the code in New Zealand, confirmed since the. arrivai of Lou Brown there, he says his experience in France has been most enjoyable, and though he had missed the home life and other things. accustom■ed to in New Zealand and.^ England, he was being wonderfuUy treated. The French were very sporting and the advance of "Bugby a Trei?e" was marvellous in that country. This waa largely due to enthusiastic club ofidcials, Jean Galia a:4d his numerous supporters. The standard of play was very high for a game only three years old and probabiy this waa some tribute to English coaches. As he was the first coach to cross the Channel,' he could not help. noticing the vast improvement, and it wqs quite evident the game was now firmly established. An announcement rec.eqtly by the Minister oP'Sports Indicated that the shortage of grounds would soon be a thing of the past. Schools and colleges had taken up the game and more universities in Paris were joiniug at the time of writing. Lou Brown's Advent. "I am pleased that the Bordeaux; Club is playing attractively and in consequence every match is being well attended. Though not at the top of the table— being surprisingly defeated by several lower clubs at times— the team is still in line for the. cup. and the championship. Two weeks ago we played a selection side from England. We drew, with seven points all, so that is some testimony to the gtrength of French clubs. The same visiting side- was beaten by Roanne where Haslehurst, the ex->Christ-

church plpyer, is player-cpqch. He is making a name for himself in that part of France and ig very popular. Lou Brown, of Auckland, wns signed pn and, played his first game, for qs against the English team mentioned. I was ceptre tq him and we quickiy combined, in one attaeking movoment I reeeived thO ball from halfway, and serving Lqu he mad? up tbe ground like a greyhound, and, inpassing to rne, | ran in to score unopBOsed. It was considered to be t^e best mqvement qf the day, and hqw thie spectators cbeered? From then on Lpu made a hit with the crowd. How wonderful it is to be so reeeived in a sfcrange country? Believe me, Lou is feeling already quite at home and happy. Occasionally I meet other New Zealanders and have a. chat about our native land and things in general out there." Stars in England. "I have met Len Mason, the big Waikato Maori forward who used to play with Lqu and myself ih the Wigan team. He is captain and coach of Keighley, and now playing on the wing. He is so hard to stop that he is known as the 'Steam Engine.' Spillane, also of Cantei'bury, is still playing brilliantly as coach for Bradford Northern, now one of the top cjubs in England. George Nepia and Charlie Smith have greatly improved Halifax, the former being as hard as ever to tackle, and still well up to the marlc in his goal-kieking. George Harrison (Taranaki) and $kldie Holder (Buller) are with Wigan, whieh club is well satisfied with them. Holder is not only making great progress as a winger, but is one of the leading goalkickers. Wigan also have Gordon Innes (ex-Christchurch) • and he is a daring centre. My old club, the second I played with — Rochdale Hornets — have five New Zealanders, Hall, Blacklaws and Stephens (formerly of Newton Rangers, Auckland), and Cutbush and Logan, who hailed from West Cpast, South Island. Cutbush previously played in Lqndon. MacDonald (Marlborough) is still with Streatham, and is regarded as one of the best forwards in England." Falwasser, whp sent his best wishes to all New Zealand friends, said the season was due to close in May, and then would come for him three months' spell. With a party he had 1 made arrangements to spend some | time at the French and Jtalian Rei viera, then cross "to dear old B.iighty" before returning for the new. season of pia