Rugby Tourists

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 961, 2 May 1930, Page 7

Rugby Tourists

FIRST BRITISH TEAM

Stoddart’s Memorable Visit

PURPLE PATCHES AT WELLINGTON By J. G. McLKAN OK tlie three British Rugby teams that have toured New Zealand to date, Harding’s team of 1908 was the least successfid, and Bedell-Sivwright’s in 1904 aroused the greatest public interest, but Stoddart’s tour of 1888 had far the greatest influence on our Rugby. From that year, dates the introduction of science and studied combination into the Xew Zealand game.

Stoddart’s team plaj-ed no matches against a New Zealand side. Its nearest approach to test engagements were two matches against the South Island, both of which it won. The team’s programme was arranged according to what now seems a most haphazard system. Matches were usually arranged as it went along, sometimes only a day or two ahead, guarantees being required from each New Zealand union which sought a match. The managers went ahead booking engagements as if for a theatrical company. Leaving England under the captaincy of R. L. Seddon, of Lancashire. ; the team landed at Bluff in April, 1888. won its first match (against Otago) four days afterward by 8 j | points to 3. and, after playing eight j ; additional matches, paid a visit to j Australia, where Seddon lost his life j in a sculling accident on the Hunter ; River on August 19. ; Nineteen of the 28 matches played | j in Australia were played in Victoria under Australian rules, at which the ! Englishmen were not conspicuously 1 successful. Of the nine matches played S under Rugby rules, they won seven 1 and drew two. Returning to Australia, with Stodi dart, one of the most gifted all- ■ rounders England has ever produced, j as its captain, the team played ten more matches. Stoddart was a test I cricketer, a brilliant golfer, and a really | great Rugby threequarter, still remembered by old-timers as one of the best-turned-out players who ever stepped on to a Xew Zealand ground. When the Rugby tour was being arranged. he was in Australia with Vernon’s cricket team of 1887, and he waited there to join Seddon a few months later. HECTIC MOMENTS After beating Otago by 8 to 3 and 4 to 3 in successive matches, the team in the first part of its Xew Zealand programme went on to Christchurch, won two matches against Canterbury in the presence of the biggest crowds ever assembled in the colony, and then went on to encounter Wellington in a hectic encounter that was drawn. 3 | all. | The visit to Wellington was marked by some piquant sideissues. In the first place, the managers of the British team had not booked berths on the Te Anau for the trip from Christchurch, and several of the team had to spend the night on deck. The steamer was early in arriving at Wellington, and only one of the official reception committee was at the quay to meet it. Six thousand were present to watch the first Wellington game, in which rough play became so pronounced that Seddon at one stage threatened to withdraw his men from the field Baker and Stewart, two of the British team, were rather badlv hurt, and illfeeling was so pronounced that only a few of the visitors appeared at the smoke concert tendered them after the match. A candid outside view of the proceedings is revealed in an Auckland

paper’s comment on the match: ‘‘From our recollections of the ungentlemanly conduct of the Wellington footballers during their last visit to Auckland, and after their return to their own city, we are not surprised to learn that the Englishmen have been roughly used in the metropolis.’* The “Wellington Times.” on the other hand, blamed the visitors. “In practising ways that are dark and tricks that are vain, the Englishmen are unfortunately a little too proficient. They use most disgraceful language, and in point of conduct generally are by no means desirable models.” ENJOYED THEMSELVES! A suggestion that the team had not played up to its true form occasioned a most remarkable interview:—“Asked whether it was a fact that the Englishmen had been dissipating before the match, Mr. Burnett (a player) admitted that three or four of them had “enjoyed’ themselves in Christchurch with some friends, but he denied that they were intoxicated c-n the way up. little or no drinking having been indulged in.” It will b© seen that those were the days of true journalistic candour! After considerable difficulty a return match against a scratch Wellington side captained by JL Roberts was played on the following Monday, th*visitors winning by four points to one. Their record was tarnished in the next match, however, when Taranaki beat them by one point to nil, though the British team claimed to have scored an equalising try. In Auckland the tourists met really strong sides, in which appeared such distinguished players as Braund, Whiteside, R. B. Lusk, Madigan and T. B. O’Connor. Incidentally, a local paper stated before the first match that in the South the Englishmen had been given the impression that Auckland’s chief object in th© gam© would be to “win, tie or wrangle,” which wa* a favourite saying in those times. BRILLIANT STODDART Britain won the first Auckland match by 6 to 3. but lost the next, I—4.1 —4. Soon afterward the side left for Australia, where it won most of its matches easily. Returning in September, the players wore black arm-bands as a tribute to their late captain. Stoddart was now leader, and dominated the field whenever he played. Though nominally a threequarter, he was more of a rover and placed himself any- : where from the scrum to the wing, as his fancy or the need of the moment I decided. ~ After a win and a draw in I Auckland, the party went on to pla\ Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Canterbury. Otago, South Island (twice), Taranah ! and Wanganui, this being th© first appearance of a representative Wanga - I nui side. The only setback during thi = part of the tour was a scoreless draw against Otago. Against Taranaki th* tourists handsomely avenged th© former doubtful defeat with a win by seven points to one. The match against Wanganui con eluded their programme. Efforts had been mad© to arranc© a cricket match with Wellington, but from Wanganui the team was hustled away to Palmerston immediately after th© match and leaving Palmerston next morning, they arrived in Wellington just in time i catch the boat. Three members of th© team. Speak - man, Mathers and Burnett, remained in New Zealand, but a fourth, Paul, changed his mind and scrambled aboard at the last moment!