Wanganui Gains All Black Half from Wellington

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 633, 9 April 1929, Page 14

Wanganui Gains All Black Half from Wellington

Mark Nicholls for Executive Position ? RUGBY NOTES FROM CAPITAL (Special to THE SUN) • WELLINGTON, Monday. The air is full of rumours in regard to Rugby prospects for the coming season, not only in connection with club football, but in regard to provincial prospects. Wellington lias n6t held the Ranfurly Shield since it was lost in 1922 to Hawke’s Bay, but during the past few seasons, steady progress has been made, particularly in the back division, the only weakness being a shortage of forwards of the heftv variety. Coming down to individual players one finds quite a lot of likely changes occurring, as will probably be the case in each of the centres where the game if Played. F. D. Kilby, the All Black half, has been transferred to Wanganui, where he expects to turn out for °" e of the local clubs, but his loss is offset to some extent by the arrival of Huxtable, a speedy wing threequarter from Hawke’s Bay. The loss of Kilby will be still further relieved by the arrival of Judge, from Auckland, who is reported to be a nippy player ot" provincial possibilities. It was" hoped that Tommy Corkill, the ex-Hawke’s Bay half, and a well-known East Coast player, would be available for Wellington, but it is reported that he has gone to the Wairarapa and will be turning out for Red Star at Masterton.

Good forwards of the fast, hefty variety are much needed in Wellington, which province has been inclined of recent years to pay toe much attention to the player who shines in the loose, but who more often than n'ot does not give a fair deal to his side in the tighter play. The arrival of Stitchbury, who played in Auckland last winter, and N. Dowsett, the well-knc.wn distance swimmer who comes from Wanganui, is welcomed as providing forward material of the right kind.

Although Wellington has gained quite a number of new players of interprovincial standard, it has also lost others apart from Kilby. University, last year’s champions, have lost the services of Brown, who accompanies Kilby to Wanganui, and Noble-Adams. who is now stationed in Nelson. Both are brilliant backs who have won provincial caps in the past, and their services will be missed by both club and province. The same club has also lost the services of Con O’Regan, who has decided to retire from the game which he has adorned for a number of years.

A suggestion has been put forward that Mark Nichoils should be put 'on the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union this year, in view of the fact that the coming English tour requires the best knowledge possible being made available to. the governing body. There are few men in the Rugby game whose knowledge is as sound as that of the Petone captain, who has gleaned his experience in big football since 1921, including the visit of the Springboks and the tours of England in 1924 and Sopth Africa in 1928, besides taking part in several visits to Australia. He has splendid theoretical and practical knowledge allied with the ability to express and impart his experience.

It is also suggested that New Zealand should adopt the rules as played by England and South Africa, thus making for uniformity. If this were done it would mean the abolition of the wing-forwa.rd and the abandonment of the klck-into-touch rule, two dispensations under which New Zealand alone plays. If this were done the w-hole of the British Empire would meet on equal terms on the Rugby field, and there would be fewer recriminations and declarations about unfair tactics. Indications in Wellington are that the local delegates are in favour of such a reversion, but it is hardly likely that other parts of the Dominion will see eye to eye with the central province in this respect, so that the suggested change is hardly likely to happen unless something unexpected occurs in the general policy of the game in New Zealand.