RUGBY ROMANCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 3, 27 September 1937, Page 6

RUGBY ROMANCE

Our Own Correspondent.)

All Black Captain Knew Fiancee for Years

LIVED IN SAME TOWN

(From

AUCKLAND, This Day. The engagement just announced of Miss Pearl Dowell, of Greymouth, to Mr. Bon King, captain of the All Blaek team which played the Springboys at Eden Park yesterday, has followed a friendship of years. To . them, however, accoruing to Miss Dowell 's mother, Mrs. D. R. Dowell, of Greymouth, the real beginning of their romance dates back about three years, when Mr. King was best cnan and Miss Dowell was bridesmaid at the wedding of another West Coast Eugby footballer, Mr. Carl Shroder, who used to play wing-threequarter in the West Coast representative team. "They were brought up in the same town, Hokitika," said Mrs. Dowell, speaking to a reporter by telephone from Greymouth, "and have known each other for a number of yCars, although I suppose their friendship really started at Carl Shroder 's wedding. They may l>e. married in about a year's time. Pearl is the second of my five daughters and is aged 23." It was Miss Dowell 's father who started Mr. King 's representative career. Since 1923 Mr. Dowell has been the selector of the West Coast teams and it was he who recognised the All Black captain 's playing ability when he was still at the Hokitika Distriet High School and chose him for the West Coast team, for which he played on the wing in his first game. After that his representative career was assured, and although he transferred to the forwards he continued t« show extraordinary ability until he was selected as a New Zealand representation to tour Australia in 1934. Having taken such an interest in Mr. King's game, Mr. Dowell is especially pleased, he said, with the romance which has developed between his daughter and the All Black captain. Miss Dowell admitted that liei friendship with Mr. King had really begun when she had been bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousin and Mr. Shroder. She had actually known him, however, almost all her life, since they had lived in the same town. Plans for their marriage were not yet certain and the wedding might bo next year 011 the year after. t