N.S.W. Rugby Players Arrive in Auckland

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 439, 22 August 1928, Page 1

N.S.W. Rugby Players Arrive in Auckland

TEAM FIT AND WELL WORK-OUT THIS MORNING Reporting all players fit and well, Mr. C. E. Morgan, manager, and 26 players, comprising the New South Wales Rugby team, stepped off the Limited this morning. The team arived at Wellington from Sydney by the Ulimaroa yesterday. The trip was smooth and uneventful, and the team landed in first-class condition. The side is a youthful one, the average age being 22 years. The height of the players averages sft lOJin, and the weight 12st 4Jlb. In Mr. C. E. Morgan, the manager, the side will have the benefit of his 30 years’ experience of the Rugby code as a playei-j referee, and official. Mr. Morgan has often acted in this capacity, his last visit to New Zealand being as manager of the Australian team in 1913. He is president of the Glebe-Balmain Club, and a life member of the New South Wales Rugby Union. Also- accompanying the team Is Mr. A. M. Thorn, a former New South Wales representative, who is acting as honorary masseur. To a Sun representative Mr. Morgan stated that the present season was one of the best they had had in New South Wales for many years. The standard of the play had been very good, and the code was making steady progress. PROMISING MATERIAL They were looking forward with keen interest to a visit from a New Zealand team next year, and following that would be the English visit in 1930. Under the circamstances it had been considered desirable to send as many of the young, promising players as possible, and he had no doubt but that the standard of Rugby in New South Wales would greatly benefit from the trip. “This is going to help us a great deal to prepare for the big football in the next two seasons,” said Mr. Morgan, “and the players are out to gain the utmost advantage they can from it.” Having to open their tour against the strongest provincial team in New Zealand was setting them a rather big task, he said, and the next few days would see them busy working up combination. After a few games, however, he thought the material available should weld into a good side. This morning the team indulged ini a light work-out at Victoria Park, in order to wear off the effects of the journey. Scrum work and fast passing rushes were the order of the morning. Judging by the work done, the team, although a little on the light side, should be fairly speedy and should handle well. Included in the team, which was published yesterday, are two New Zealanders, R. Westfield (Randwick), who comes from Hunterville, and W. H. Hemingway (University), who is an Aucklander.