Grant Batty

Seems not even Grant Batty knows what Grant Batty is doing these days.

In mid-January "wonderboy" Batty intimated to the Varsity rugby club that he intended to play for them again during the '71 season.

But this was of course dependant on his registration with Stud. Ass. as a student attending lectures. And the powers - that - be in the Insurance firm for which he worked were not prepared to let him attend the lectures he had selected. Consequently, no Batty for the Varsity Seniors this year.

But no Batty for Petone, the Jubilee Club holders, either. 19 year old Batty has played most of his rugby at half-back, and his representative coach last season, Mr. Bill Freeman, held the view that Grant would be better suited playing in this position. So he accepted the Petone's club's invitation to play in the half-back berth as a possible replacement for the former Wellington and Junior All Black halfback Ian Stevens.

Thus he joined the Petone club on Tuesday 2nd March - but left on Thursday 4th March. Why? "Because," he said, "travelling and time were against it", and there were also other "private" reasons (Could one of these "private" reasons be the probable, return to Wellington of lan Stevens?)

Consequently, Grant Batty is now a member of the Marist St. Pat's Club where he hopes to play at halfback, because, as he says "my size will eventually tell against me, despite a good season further out last year"

The Varsity Club wish him every success in his future rugby career.