Rugby Football Club

Rugby football at Victoria College in the year 1949 did not show a great deal of improvement on the previous season, when the senior team finished up in the Hardham Cup competition. However, one of the causes was the tour of the Australian Universities team which interrupted the local competitions. Victoria-Massey lost to the visiting Australians 15 to 17 in a close game but promise for good things in the future was given by R. A. Jarden, a brilliant youngster who played for the Wellington representatives, as did J. G. Smith, another very promising youngster. In the New Zealand University Test teams against the Australians were A. S. Macleod, J. G. Smith, R. T. Shannon and C. A. Shannon.

In 1950 the senior team's performances were again mediocre. Jarden (who was injured early in the season and was out of action for the majority of the club games), A. S. Macleod. J. H. McIvor, and W. H. Clark played for Wellington but we gained no representation in the New Zealand University team. W. H. Clark and B. G. Porter were our only representatives in the North Island University team, but R. A. Jarden played for the North Island. G. H. Hipango played for Tai Haurauru when it won the Prince of Wales Cup. The junior grade third division team won its championship, as did the third grade second division team.

In 1951 the team began well, winning its first two games, one against Wellington most sensationally on the call of time, but then the New Zealand University team sailed for

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Australia taking with it Jarden, J. B. Hutchison and W. H. Clark. Jarden remained in Australia to join the All Black, where he commenced his record-breaking way by scoring 88 points for New Zealand on the tour—the highest ever on an Australian tour for a New Zealand representative. Captaining an Australian XV in the match against the All Blacks on this tour was an old Victoria College stalwart, Ran. Jacob, and he also captained Australian Universities in the tests against the touring N.Z. University team. J. C. Smith represented the North Island and R. A. Jarden, C. J. Loader. G. A. Murray. I. E. Stuart, W. H. Clark and B. G. Porter played for Wellington representative teams, B. G. Porter playing for North Island Colts against the South Colts. The final result in the senior competition was not impressive, but Jarden's performance in the final match augured well for the future.

Nineteen fifty-two and the club experienced a season which could only be described as wonderful. As well as the mercurial Jarden, B. B. J. Fitzpatrick and L. T. Savage, two All Blacks, J. T. Fitzgerald, a former New Zealand University and Otago player, and F. C. Muller, a Wellington representative joined the club. The team was of representative strength and set the tone for future proceedings by defeating Poneke, the reigning champions, by 37 to 0. As in 1928 and 1929, the spectacular displays brought large crowds to Athletic Park, which became virtually the team's home ground. P. C. Osborne, J. T. Fitzgerald, R. A. Jarden, B. B. J. Fitzpatrick, L. T. Savage, W. H. Clark, J. B. Hutchison, J. G. Smith and I. E. Stuart played for Wellington and the team once again gained two All Blacks in Jarden and Fitzgerald against the visiting Australians, whilst Jarden and Fitzpatrick played for a New Zealand XV against New Zealand Maoris in the Governor-General's match. Jarden and Fitzpatrick also played for the North Island, Jarden, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Clark, Hutchison and Smith played for the New Zealand University team which overwhelmed Canterbury, and Fitzpatrick, Fitzgerald, Hutchison, Smith, Clark and Stuart played for the North Island University team against the South. It was a grand year and one to be remembered. In all first-class matches Jarden scored 113 points. The Jubilee Cup was won handsomely to the delight of the Wellington rugby public.

The success story continued in 1953, with University again champions. The influence which the team's dashing and open play had on Wellington Rugby was seen when the province won the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1930 in a match in which Jarden scored all 9 of Wellington's points. R. A. Jarden. B. A. Battell, J. T. Fitzgerald, B. B. J. Fitzpatrick, P. C. Osborne, L. T. Savage, W. H. Clark. B. A. Nepia. D. M. McHalick and I. E Stuart played for Wellington, and Jarden. Battell. Savage, Osborne, Stuart and Clark for the New Zealand University. All these and D. M. McHalick and B. A. Nepia played for the North Island University XV. A. J. Henley, who had been transferred from Wellington prior to the end of the season. played for South Island B, and Jarden, Clark and Fitzgerald for the North Island. In addition to these. Osborne played in the All Black trials, as did B. B. J. Fitzpatrick. The climax of the season was reached when Jarden, Fitzgerald. Fitzpatrick and Clark made the grand tour with the All Blacks to Great Britain, France, Canada and America, on which tour all performed exceedingly well, Jarden topping the points scorers for the All Blacks for the tour with 94 points, including 15 tries. He had previously topped the century in first class matches in New Zealand for the second year in succession. It was a great honour for the club to have such strong representation in an All Black touring team. This year the team, despite losses in personnel, is again performing well and thrilling the Park patrons with dashing football. The team has been slower to settle down but is still a strong and dashing combination. Against the Australian Universities team a grand win was recorded and P. C. Osborne, R. A. Jarden. J. T. Fitzgerald, I. E. Stuart (captain), W. H. Clark, D. O. Oliver and D. M. McHalick played for New Zealand University in the tests against the touring Australians. Jarden, Clark, and Fitzgerald played for the North Island against the South. The success of the club in the past few years has been brought about by the keenness shown in all grades by the players and coaches.

The club lost a great enthusiast and worker when Mr. H. E. Moore, who coached the senior team for twelve years (including the championship winning side of 1946) and who was club captain for many years, was transferred to Otahuhu.

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The best wishes of the club go with him. Mention must also be made of the work of Messers.. R. B. Burke and K. F. M. Uttley, whose splendid and enthusiastic coaching of the senior fifteen has brought such good results in the last three seasons. The club sustained a great loss in the deaths of Sir Thomas Hunter, a legendary figure in the club in its earliest days and first captain of its senior team, and Sir Humphrey O'Leary, an early N.Z. University representative and captain. Sir Humphrey, with Sir Alexander Johnstone, donated a trophy for competition between V.U.C. and A.U.C., won for the first time last year by Auckland and this year by Victoria.

The Jubilee celebrations of the club held last year to coincide with the North v. South match were attended by many of the club's most famous names. They were remarkably successful and enjoyable and it was very pleasant for the older members of the club to meet friends of yesteryear who, although now somewhat short of wind, are as long on enthusiasm as ever. The fifty years of football at V.U.C. could not have been better celebrated.