ON TOP AT LONG LAST

NZ Truth, Issue 1192, 4 October 1928, Page 16

ON TOP AT LONG LAST

All Metropolitan Championships To Universities

Year after year, records are niade and improved upon, But the Rugby statistics have been smashed to pieces for a record which will stand until Brisbane or Melbourne take up the game, and that will be many years hence.

THIS year, for the first time m Rugby history, all the, universities . playing the amateur game m New Zealand and Australia have won .the respective senior championships m which they have competed They were Otago 'Varsity (Dunedin), Canterbury College (Christchurch), Victoria College (Wellington), Auckland University .College and Sydney University. Strange to say, Otago,- the team which was rated highest m New Zealand at the beginning of the season, had the narrowest shave when they just got- home against. Kaikorai. Canterbury College, minus Alley and Burrows, the only Varsity players with the All Blacks, can " be rated as the best scholastic team N m the Dominion this year. But to compare them with Sydney would be another thing, after seeing the tour of the Waratahs. On the form displayed- by the popular Aussies, it is quite possible to-be-lieve that the standard- of club Rugby football m Sydney. is a good deal better than it has been anywhere m New Zealand this year. In addition to scoring its first senior champiorishi^ victory m Christchurch, Canterbury College defeated Otago Varsity twice arid lifted- the Payne egg, while a sound thrashing was administered to Victoria College. ' Victoria, however, had their revenge When quite a number of their players were included m the Wellington representative side which trounced Canterbury two weeks ago. • ; Auckland, which won the competition last Saturday after a protracted series of games, probably could be graded as the second best club, team m the Dominion. ■ . i . ' Most football fans m the Queen City thought that the teams would be bracketed, but the Auckland . Union, after some six weeks, did the fair thing and matched the two sides for the pot. After a hard game, Varsity beat Ponsonby, the champion team of many years' standing, to have their name cut into the trophy for the flrst time. Then m Wellington interest was maintained right to the death through the fluctuation* of the three leadingteams. The standard of football was not high, but most people were glad when Varsity got there and collected • the piece of silver.

Victoria College played fajrly consistently throughout and deserved the honor that came their way. In Christchurch, past Varsity students were so pleased with the success of Canterbury College that they threw a party. It was a delightfully convivial evening, made really bright by the sparkling wit of legal men, doctors and school . teachers. Had they not gone ten miles' out pf Christchurch for the party, it is quite possible the town would have been painted red, so great was. everyone's happiness of heart. George Mason,, manager of the 1913 All Blacks and coach of the record-breaking Moascar Cup team from Christchurch Boys' High School, trained Canterbury College and trained the team well. Down Otago way it was the same old story until half-way through the season. Year after year people have become used to Varsity topping the competition m an easy manner. This season Varsity players took a big part m provincial and international games. , "Otago Varsity supplied the whole of the rear division, for the Otago representatives m most games, while of the South Island backs four came from the. same combination. Minns was the only Varsity player selected m the North Island backs, but lie did not play. When the New Zealand Test teams were selected the combined Varsities again made bold among the backs when Holden, Bradanovich and McClymont (Otago), McKenzie (Wellington), and Butler (Auckland) gained places, while ' Minns was again' selected ■ but did not play.. Over m Sydney l/niversity had a hard struggle' to get to the top of the tree, but they landed the i mustard while the Waratah team was m New Zealand. ° Next year New Zealand will be | graced by a visit from the Sydney University team m quest of the urn which contains the ashes of the seats of learningThis mythical trophy is at present •held by "New Zealand. Should Sydney get their very best side away some wonderful football will be witnessed. At least a third of the team will comprise Waratahs, while the New Zealand side will include a good percentage of All Blacks.