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Stepping Stones to the Solomons: the unofficial history of the 29th Battalion with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Pacific.

Rugby Football

Rugby Football

The wearers of the red and black battalion jersey created an outstanding record on the rugby field, being defeated only three times in competition football. Wherever the 2.9th was stationed platoon, company and battalion games were played and followed with great keenness. During the early days in the land of Isa Lei three battalion games were played against the CSR at Mba, a picturesque little spot on the Namaka side of Viti Levu, the chief island of the Fiji group. The 29th team always managed to win, but this fact in no way altered the hospitality shown to players and spectators. Early players to represent the unit were Max Conder (skipper of the side and later a Major in another brigade), F. Allen, A.R. Stubbing, 'Horizontal' MacDonald, R. H. Barlow, R. F. Nurse, H. M. Richards, W. D. Sutherland and C. L. Randall.

Later, on the Suva side of the island, games were played between the different battalions and each week hundreds of spectators including civilians, soldiers, Fijians and Indians thronged Albert Park to see the army teams in action. Many of the best tries, however, were scored after the game in the Grand Pacific Hotel. Great rivalry existed between the 29th and 36th Battalions, and the 29th always had to play hard to keep on top.

At Suva a representative side picked from units of the eastern side of the island played a similar team from the western area. To the Kiwis the fixture was equally important as the yearly clash between the North and South Islands. Battalion players to earn the distinction of playing in that game were:— Backs: Barlow, L. R. Jordan, Nurse, Richards; Forwards: Ted McKenzie, W Sargison, A. D. Pye. The East team, in which the battalion was represented, won 11-9. East also won 13-5 in a second game, played at Namaka. During one of these fixtures played away from home the 29th side, minus eight of its regular players, was narrowly defeated by the 2nd FDF team. Two very enjoyable games were played against teams from HMS Leander., After one of these games the battalion side was invited to dinner aboard the ship and found that a rum issue, plus page 80other refreshments, could help to make an evening most enjoyable.

At the end of June, 1942, the 29th went down to the troopship with kitbags, footballs, broken wheelbarrows and shovels with no handles. New Zealand was right in the middle of the football season and Papakura Camp soon rang to the sounds of rugby. After a game against an air force team came the divisional fixture against Auckland, which resulted in a win for the Kiwis 23-13. In the divisional side the battalion side was well represented by P. J. Eastwood, B. J. Vile, Nurse and Ted McKenzie, with Jordan as first emergency. Randall and Fred Allen (who captained the divisional side) were both originally members of the 29th before being commissioned and transferred to other units.

The next move was to New Caledonia, and as soon as the men had settled in goal posts rose over the hard, hot, dusty grounds. Now ably captained by Dick Burke (a member of the New Zealand University team which toured Japan in 1936) the battalion team had a great run of success, maintaining an unbeaten record for months until it was defeated in the semi-final of the Barrowclough Cup competition.

Company games each Wednesday were followed with interest. The most evenly matched teams were headquarters company and A company; many a real battle was fought between them. The rugged play of H. G. Cutler, Ted McKenzie, Conder, G. F. J. Bolt, A. W. Wright and J. P. Meadows, aided on a few occasions by a bit of weight from 'Bags', often had A company on the defensive. On the other hand, the brilliant back combination of D. S. Swinburne, C. E. Rogers and Jordan usually pulled the game out of the fire for A company, who also turned on forward rushes led by Pye, K. E. J. Ward and 'Jeep' McKenzie.

For weeks in the land of the niaouli rugby was the chief topic of conversation. Without it the long stay in New Caledonia would have been much more tedious. As it was the team went from success to success. No side in the brigade offered serious resistance, and sometimes cricket scores were run up. So the brigade championship was won easily, the points tally standing at 306 for and 71 against. But hopes of higher things remained and one day All Black Archie Strang took his fifteen battalion representatives out of the brigade area to play the 37th Battalion in the semi-final of the Barrowclough Cup competition. This was the most important fixture in the bat-page 81talion's rugby history as the championship of the division was at stake.

Here the team met its first reverse. The score was n-6, composed of two tries, one conversion and a penalty against one try and a penalty. It was a day of bitter disappointment for players and supporters. The fast breaking tactics of the 37th Battalion forwards continually harassed the 29th defence, and the side did not function in its usual welloiled manner. On the day Des Thurston was the only 29th man who possessed the will to score. His determined runs had just the necessary polish added to them and he, together with Ted McKenaie, Alie Pye and 'Jeep' McKensie, worked like Trojans to save the sinking ship. AU told, the game was exciting but the standard of football was not high. The battalion was grateful to their opponents, however, for their hospitality and their readiness to accept, at even money, the almighty dollar on the name of the 29th.

As a climax to this first period of football in New Caledonia an exhibition game was arranged between a base units team and a side from the 8th Brigade. This was played at Noumea before hundreds of Americans, who showed their appreciation by their hospitality after the game. Archie Strang, Len Jordan, Bill Wright and Bob Barlow were the only men from the battalion able to make the trip.

After the tumult and the shouting had died on Mono Island, Falamai Beach saw several company games, plus a match between NCO's and officers, in which Colonel Davis played fullback. The 'old man' proved that he had played the game before, and was not nailed quite as much as many of the CB men would have wished.

Severe damage had been done to the battalion back line by manpower boards and leave drafts before inter-unit rugby started again in New Caledonia, but in its first game, against the 36th, the battalion maintained its record, although only by three points to nil. The drain on men continued and in the next game the 29th toppled, by seven to five, to the 34th Battalion.