League Rugby.

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1001, 18 June 1930, Page 15

League Rugby.

Notes ernd. Comment.

Largest Inter-Island Gate The “gate” at the inter-island match at Carlaw I’ark on Saturday was the largest ever recorded since the interisland series was initiated. The olficial estimate of the attendance was 12,000, and as the charges for admission were slightly higher than usual, the New Zealand Council’s pocket must have been well fortified to stand the initial expenses of selecting, assembling and sending the Dominion team across th© Tasman. Noticed in the stand at Carlaw Park on Saturday, Mr. D. W. McLean, first chairman of the Council of the New Zealand Rugby Football League. * s* si: Never Please Everybody Probably no football team ever selected met with the approval of all and sundry who were interested in it, and the New Zealand Rugby League “All Blacks,” 1930, are no exception to the rule. Some players appear to be lucky to be included, and others just as unlucky to be passed over. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that the combination is one which includes the extremes of football age and youth and, for that reason, should fast develop into a side well capable of upholding th© best traditions of the New Zealand thirteen-aside code in Australia-

Now Zealand team strong enough, They s will reassemble the Kangaroos which • recently toured Australia, and play a • test match, which would be the only j trial of strength between Now Zea- ! land and Australia for the tour. It ■ is to be hoped that the All Black team is sufficiently impressive to merit j this match. “Shorty” Admired by All W. Short land, the dapper little Maori halfback, well known in the red and black colours of City, whose exclusion from the New Zealand team is one

of the biggest surprises of the seleo- k tion of that side, is one of the most popular of players with the fans at Carlaw Park. Perhaps liis colour has something to do with it, tor Maoris are always popular in football teams. But none at present playing League has ' captivated the tmgina-

tion of the spectators in just the saa.e wav as “Shorty” has. Apparently h.s play sets many a feminine heart a-flut-ter as witness the following comment on his play by a flapper in the stand on Saturday as ,the limping Shortlai d hurled the ball out from the scrum: “Come on. Shorty, out with it. jove, lie’s wonderful,, that boj. Next Saturday's Draw Now that the Northern Union Chnllenge Cup and New Zealand trial games j have been finished with, the Auckland Rugby League will be able to resume j its senior A grade competition for an ; uninterrupted spin. The draw for next Saturday is: City v. Kingsland, Carlaw Park, No. 1, 1.30 p.m. Marist v. Newton, Carlaw Park, No. I, 3 p.m. • Ponsonby v. Devonport, Carlaw Park, No. 2, 3 p.m. Ellers!ie v. Richmond, Grey Lynn Park, 3 p.m. ; Last of First Round | Saturday’s senior matches will be the last of the first round, and the featured one of the four is the MaristNewton encounter. On the performances of both teams to date this season, it is too much to expect that Newton will be able to up-end last season’s champion of champions team, but the young rangers’ side ought to be able to make an interesting battle of it.

Senior B Grade Games | The senior B grade matches for Saturday are: Richmond v. Northcote, Nor th cote, 3 p.m.; Parnell v. Point Chevalier, Point Chevalier (1), 3 p.m.; Manger© v. Otahuhu, Princes Street Reserve, Otahuhu, 3 p.m.; Mount Albert, a bye. Lipscombe Shield When, for the first time since the I North-South series were initiated, the j South Island defeated the North Island i at Carlaw Park last year, Mr. Harold Lipscombe, of Auckland, a member of the council of the New Zealand Rugby League, donated a shield to commeraorate the victory of the South Islanders By making a draw of last Saturday’s match the visitors will have the right to retain the shield for another year. * * * Four New Zealand Reps. The City side for the next two months will be minus the services of S. Watene, M. Wetherill, S. Clark and Len Barchard, who have won places in the New Zealand team. This will mean that City’s ample supply of reserves will be fully utilised. Now that Riley is not available, -Ponsonby will bo without representation in the Dominion side. At present heading tlie championship table, Marist will miss Brisbane and Gregory, its star backs. The other two Aucklanders in the New Zealand, team, Dufty and Seagar come from Ellerslie and Devonport, respectively. Veteran of many New Zealand teams, and a member of the New 1 Zealand touring sides of 1925 (in Australia) and 1926 (in England), j Calvin Dufty was evidently imi mensely pleased with.his selection in the latest team. His face wore a broad smile at Carlaw Park on 1 Sunday morning. ’s= * * Christchurch Chapipionships The following table sets out the positions of the teams in the Christchurch League championship up to and including last Saturday’s games:—•

Town v. Country ; A match between Town and Country. played in Wellington on Saturday week, resulted in a win for Country by 16 points to 8. For the winners Fleming. Dennison. Simons, Saunders, Marshall and Mooney were prominent, and O’Brien. Child,' Moisle>’. Lawrence and O’Brien played well I for Town. RILEY UNAVAILABLE N.Z. LEAGUE TEAM S. (“Spot”) Riley, the Auckland player who was selected as a back

t-ijir am e w Zealand Rugby League football team to tour Australia, is now not available for the trip. ETis place in the team will be taken by J. Dodds, the West Coast fiveeighth. who played a fine game for the South Island in the inter-island match at Carlaw Park on Saturday.

Adding-ton P. W. I* Pts. .. 6 5 — i 10 j Waimairi n 4 — 2 \s j Woolston Sydenham | Limvood . . . * <12 — 4 4 « 2 — 4 4 « 0 — G 0 * *?»