SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Matamata Record, Volume VI, Issue 474, 24 September 1923, Page 3

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

FOOTBALL. THE RANFURLY SHIELD. Hawke's Bay beat Auckland by 20 points to 5. Hawke's Bay's score was five tries, one converted, and a penalty goal, and Auckland's a converted try.

Morrinsville High School boys beat Walton third grade on Saturday. The Waikato Rugby Union closed its 1923 season with the match against Wellington last Wednesday and from a playing point of view it has been most successful. Three matches were played at Hamilton, a win being recorded for Waikato in each case. These were against the N.Z. native team, Thames Valley and Wellington. The latter was undoubtedly the most important win the union has had since its resuscitation in 1920 and will go a long way towards dispelling the suspicion that Waikato is a second-rate union. This has crept into the minds of the executives of a few strong unions. Summing up the play it has been proved that Waikato possesses a great pack but is short of really good five-eighths and a centre three-quarter. Financially the season has not been as successful as was anticipated, chiefly owing to the big matches being held on Wednesdays. This was unavoidable under the circumstances. It would not be surprising if the sub-unions were called upon to provide some of the funds for a probable tour south next season. Matamata has been well served by representation in the Waikato teams this year, no less than five players having been included. These were P. Cotter, -N. Delaney; J: Stewart, -T. Wright and F. Crawford. A sixth, F. Holmes, would have been included in the last team had he been available. Manv footballers were anxious to see G. Wilson given a chance at fiveeighths but perhaps this will come next year. • One of the best sporting teams that has visited Waikato was Wellington. At dinner on Wednesday night the were quite the best of tha kind that the writer has heard. Th" difficulties of the country unions were admitted, the assembling and financial aspects both bein<y dealt with. Roth Messrs. Mackic and Calcinai said they had every sympathy with the country unions and the latter asserted it was the aim of the Wellington union to help these in the interests of the game. They appreciated the fact that many good players came from the country, as his own union had experienced. " The best referee of the tour," was the Wellington players' opinion of Mr. B. Chapman (Morrinsville).