DISTRICT RUGBY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 April 1938, Page 9

DISTRICT RUGBY

EARLY DAYS OF THE CODE IN THE WAIRARAPA

NOTABLE GAMES AND PLAYERS.

A CHRISTMAS DAY OCCASION. (By “Blue and Gold.”) Though games of football were played between Wairarapa Clubs —or combination of clubs —ten years before, it was not until 1886 that the Wairarapa Rugby Union was formed. The Carterton and Greytown Clubs played matches as far back as 1879, while games were played at Masterton in 1876 between Masterton teams and fifteens composed of Wellington College boys, among the former players, besides Mr Bannister, being the late C. E. Cockburn-Hood, Harry Holmes and T. L. Thompson, and out of these games eventually emerged the Masterton Club. Matches were played between boys from the Wairarapa attending colleges in (Wellington and Lower Valley teams in the early 70’s. Then about 60 years ago the late Mr T. S. (“Barney”) Ronaldson came down from Rangitikei way and took up his residence in Greytown. He set to work to organise football in Wairarapa’s pioneer town, and soon gathered together a strong fifteen. In the 80’s Wairarapa teams competed against Wellington teams for what was known as the Wellington Rugby Union Cup, the champion team of the Wairarapa meeting the premiers of Wellington. In 1883 Greytown and Wellington played a drawn game at Wellington for the cup, and that accounts for the Greytown Club’s name being coupled with that of Wellington on the Senior Championship list of the Wellington Rugby Union. It is on record that at Christmas time about 1875 a football match was played at Masterton at the conclusion of a cricket match in the Park. The first recorded straight-out- match between clubs took place at Carterton on July 5, 1879 when the Carterton and Greytown teams met jin a contest which was won by the latter. Thus it is nearly 59 years ago since Carterton and Greytown first met in a football match. “Barney” Ronaldson was in the Wellington team which toured as far as Christchurch in 1879.

The year 1880 was an important one because it was in that season that the first representative match was played by Wairarapa when Wellington was met at Greytown, losing the game by one goal and three tries to nil. That season the Wellington team which defeated Auckland, contained four Wairarapa players:—D. Cameron, J. McMaster, T. S. Ronaldson (Greytown) and W. Wylie (Masterton). Wellington won by 4 points to nil. In 1881 the Athletic (Wellington) and Wellington clubs sent teams to play Masterton and Greytown respectively, and in each case the Wairarapa teams won.

The final for the Rugby Cup at Wellington between Athletic and Greytown was won by the former by 5 to nil. In the Wellington team in 1882, which met the New South Wales fifteen, T. S. Ronaldson, R. Kirschberg, H. Udy, Charlie Beard, J. Somerville, C. B. Morison and W. Harvey (father of lan Harvey, the 1924 All Black) from Wairarapa were included.

The two contests between Wairarapa and Wellington in 1884 were won by the latter, and Greytown went under to Athletic in the final for the Rugby Cup at Wellington by one goal and three tries to one goal. Iffis season Hart Udy, of Greytown, was selected for the New Zealand team which went to Australia.

The Mastqrton fifteen was the champion team of the Wairarapa in 1885, but were defeated in the Rugby Cup final at Wellington against Wellington by three tries to nil. Charlie Perry, the greatest all-round games player the Wairarapa has ever had —a champion at football, cricket, tennis, golf and bowls —was a member of the Masterton team, as was Sir Wm. Perry, W. B. Chennells, J. Bannister and C. Bannister—names well known in the Wairarapa today.