Personalities In Sport

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 737, 9 August 1929, Page 7

Personalities In Sport

Wiggcd and gowned in the dignified atmosphere of the Law Courts, Mr. V. r. Meredith presents the ease for the "Crown in crisp, incisive language. He does not favour the involved legal phraseology which is the despair of common-sense jurymen and note-tak-ing pressmen. He comes to the point quickly, and his advocacy is clear and concise. Even so, it is a somewhat startling contrast to find away out in a football training shed at Onehurga or Xorth Shore a short, thick-set man in an old cap, who is identical with Auckland’s Crown prosecutor. But in the packing of a scrum or getting the backs away with the run on, one notes the same keen, penetrating eye and the crisp command of words which distinguish V. fV Meredith at the Bar. In passing, it may be remarkrd that even ‘the Bench itself has been graced by men no less distinguished in law as in the Dominion’s national game. Sir Walter Stringer was one of Canterbury's first Rugby representatives, and l he New Zealand magistracy includes at least two old representative footballers, all of whom still take a keen interest in football. Mr. V. R. Meredith’s football career dates away back thirty odd years ago, when he was in the Customs Department in Wellington round about 1900. The Wellington Club was the premier Rugby club of the capital. “Morry" Wood. “Bangor” Rowe and “Vin” Meredith were its shining lights. The story goes that this trio were room-mates, and last thing at night and first thing in the morning, the redoubtable three were cogitating fresh ways and means i»f beating the opposing team on the following Saturday. Suffice it to say that the club duly landed the premiership in 1901. and Wood. Meredith and flow got their representative caps. Between 1899 and 1901, “Vin” Meredith played 26 games for Wellington in inter-pro. football, and was recognised as one of the best halfbacks the province had produced. Running briefly through his caree:’, we find V. R. Meredith acting as manager of the 1910 All Blacks, who won two out of three tests against Australia. and lost only one match (the second test) on their jaunt across the Tasman. Roberts, who later succeeded V.R.M. as Wellington’s half, and became the greatest “donkeyman”

Auckland’s Sole Selector in Representative Rugby

this country has ever produced, was captain of the team. Toward the end of the war, when Mr. Meredith had taken up permanent residence in Auckland, he acted as coach to the Grammar Old Boys’ Club, and during that time, Ces and Vic Badeley and other fine wearers of the All White jersey came to light. In 1923 he was appointed sole selector to the Auckland Rugby Union. The writer remembers the stir that was created when he picked four centres. Vic Badeley, Cooke, Molloy and Lucas in his first team. Many of the critics predicted disaster. But, on the contrary, the team overwhelmed Southland in a duckpond at Eden Park on a day which should have suited the Southerners better than Auckland, and the backs went like clockwork together. It was the finest exhibition of handling the ball on a wet day that the writer has seen. The years, 1923 and 1924, were boom years in Auckland Rugby. It was realised all over the Dominion that a new force was at work in Auckland Rugby, and presently when it was learnt that V. R. Meredith was the man, the old heads in the South ceased to wonder. The story of the intriguing that went on over the All Black managership in 1924 is a long one, but it iS sufficient to say that the concensus of opinion in the South Island was that V. R. Meredith was the man who should have had the job. In any case, he was sidetracked out of it in Wellington. Meantime, the good work went on apace in Auckland until 3 926, when a nice little bit of internal dissension in the Auckland Rugby Union resulted in three selectors being given the job which Auckland’s sole selector had managed with such conspicuous success. Suffice it to say, that it lasted only one season. Back in his old position in 1927, Mr. Meredith selected and coached a team, which won every match it played. Its sweeping run of successes undoubtedly entitled it to rank as the premier Rugby team of New Zealand, although at that stage Auckland wasn’t bothering very much about the Ranfurly Shield, and did not play for it. It may be said that the biggest test of Mr. Meredith’s work as selector will come at Carterton tomorrow, but it is only fair to say that the odds are on Wairarapa winning. In the past season or two there been a shortage of high-class representative material, and the sole selector has had to depend on the “old hands” to keep things going until fresh material comes to ligh t. V. R. Meredith has his critics in Rugby. They say he is too much of an autocrat, for one thing. That, however, is a matter of opinion—the test of a man is his ability to fill the job. And judged on that. Auckland’s strong position in New Zealand Rugby, despite powerful opposition from the rival code, is in no small measure due to the way its representative teams have been built up in late years. They say the Auckland team always plays better when V.R.M. is on the touchline in his old cap, smoking the inevitable cigar. As a representative player. All Black manager and provincial selector and coach, his name stands high in New Zealand Rugby.