Rugby Club

When the 1954 season opened, Victoria University College were the reigning senior champions and a successful season was anticipated with the return of the four Victoria College All Backs, Jarden, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick and Clark from the British Isles, France, Canada and America.

Fitzpatrick, however, transferred to Auckland and Savage had gone to Pahiatua, but their loss was balanced by the arrival of Des Oliver, a 1953 All Black from Otago, and later in the season of S. G. Bremner, a 1952 All Black from Auckland.

The Senior A team continued its winning way and was two points ahead in the championship with two matches to play when it met Petone, who had gained Bob Scott at full-back and who were playing at the peak of their form. A stern match in which at one stage Petone led by 6 points, was levelled 6 points all late in the second spell and the scores remained unchanged until with under one minute left for play. University gained a tight head from a scrum close to Petone's line. The ball came to Bremner and with a perfect cross kick over the scrum to Jarden's wing, Bremner placed the ball perfectly for Jarden to follow through like lightning to score the winning try in the corner, which was brilliantly converted by Fitzgerald. The famous try, the result of a preconceived plan, painstakingly rehearsed beforehand, has been duly recorded on a disc eagerly purchased by the club's stalwarts and it remains a lasting memento of the last incident in University's three-year rule at the head of the Wellington Rugby Championship.

It can be said that not for twenty years had Wellington football seen anything approaching the play of University during those three magnificent years and the tributes paid to the team and the club have been numerous and sincere. The team during the period was splendidly coached by Dick Burke and Ken Uttley, ably led by Ivan Stuart and with so many brilliant players in its ranks was a club team of a page 80 calibre very seldom seen. The College and its supporters will long remember the 1952-54 1st Fifteen. R. A. Jarden represented a New Zealand XV, as did S. G. Bremner and W. H. Clark. W H. Clark, J. T. Fitzgerald, who had to withdraw from the New Zealand XV against the Maoris, and R. A. Jarden represented the North Island and R. A. Jarden, W. H. Clark and J. T. Fitzgerald represented the 1953 All Blacks in their match against the Rest of New Zealand.

The Australian Universities Rugby team toured New Zealand in 1954. They won one test against the New Zealand University and lost two. They defeated Canterbury University College and Canterbury Agricultural College Combined 24 points to 8 and Auckland University College and Massey Agricultural College 20 to 8 but lost to Otago University 3 to 15 and to Victoria University College 17 to 22. The game against Victoria was a splendid game, as was the test in Wellington which the visitors won. P. C. Osborne, R. A. Jarden, J. T. Fitzgerald, O. D. Oliver, W. H. Clark, I. E. Stuart (captain) and D. M. McHalick represented the New Zealand University in one or more of the tests. P. C. Osborne, R. A. Jarden, B. W. Battell, J. T. Fitzgerald, S. G. Bremner, A. S. Clark, W. H. Clark, O. D. Oliver and I. E. Stuart represented Wellington during the season. The Junior First Grade, the Junior 2nd Grade and the Third 2nd Grade (Weir) teams also won their grades.

The following season saw S. G. Bremner in Canterbury, O. D. Oliver retired and J. T. Fitzgerald injured and the senior team, although still strong, was now not quite of its former calibre. However, it played well and the Queen's Birthday attraction in Wellington was the Petone-University game which drew a huge crowd. University could not quite hold Petone who won a stirring game before a huge crowd for a club match which testified to the drawing power of the team. The team finally finished fourth in the Senior A Championship but there were no regrets in the club when Onslow won the senior championship for the first time. R. A. Jarden represented New Zealand in all the three tests against the touring Australians and W. H. Clark played in the first two tests, and the same two players played for the North Island against the South. P. C. Osborne, A. S. Clark, B. A. Nepia, G. W. Blathwayt and W. H. Clark played for the North Island University team against the South Island University team and R. A. Jarden, A. S. Clark and W. H. Clark represented the New Zealand University when they beat Otago 14-3, R. A. Jarden scoring the entire 14 points with two tries, two penalties and a conversion. P. C. Osborne, R. A. Jarden, A. S. Clark, W. H. Clark, B. A. Nepia and I. E. Stuart represented Wellington.

R. A. Jarden had a magnificent season scoring in all 200 points in first class matches and becoming the greatest points scorer in Rugby history. In the tests against Australia he scored 18 of New Zealand's 27 points in the tests.

In this year the Junior 2nd Grade team won their grade championship and the club was runner-up to Petone in the club championship.

And so to 1956 and the Springboks. Everything else in Rugby in New Zealand was subordinated to their visit. And in this great year of victory against the Springboks the club supplied two of New Zealand's key men in the test teams. R. A. Jarden played in all four tests and W. H. Clark in the last three tests. R. A. Jarden scored seven of New Zealand's ten points in the first test in the 10-6 win. His try was a magnificent solo effort. In the third test he scored a wonderful and very timely try in the corner following a cross kick by R. H. Brown when he leapt high in the air to gather in the kick as it bounced towards the corner.

For the club the big event of the tour was the match against the New Zealand Universities and in this first of all matches against an overseas international team the University scored a great tirumph, defeating South Africa 22 points to 15, by fast open back play. R. A. Jarden, who made the run of runs to score only to find the line umpire's flag up, W. H. Clark and J. B. S. Hutchison played for the New Zealand University in this famous match. J. H. Fitzgerald, selected as captain, was injured in the North Island University match and was unable to play. The victorious team was splendidly coached by Dick Burke.

In the Senior A Championship the club finished third, but the club won for the first time the Club Championship, a fine achievement which showed the strength of the club. J. T. Fitzgerald (captain), R. A. Jarden and W. H. Clark represented the North Island, R. A. Jarden a New Zealand XV in matches against a North Island XV page 81 and a South Island XV and the Rest against a New Zealand XV at Wellington. J. T. Fitzgerald captained a North Island XV against a New Zealand XV and W. H. Clark played in the same game. J. T. Fitzgerald (captain), R. A. Jarden, W. H. Clark and J. B. S. Hutchison played for the North Island University against the South and P. C. Osborne, R. A. Jarden, A. S. Clark, T. J. Ryan, J. T. Fitzgerald, C. G. Henderson, W. H. Clark, D. J. Reisterer and I. E. Stuart represented Wellington during the year.

The end of 1956 saw the retirement as playing members of three of the club's most famous players. R. A. Jarden who, during his career, scored a record 926 points in all first class matches and who won game after game for his country, his province and his club, announced his retirement at the commencement of the 1957 season. He was the finest winger ever, and one of the greatest footballers in any position ever to play anywhere. He was in almost every world selection. To see him was to see a champion, and for his last match for Wellington, a Ranfury Shield match against Auckland, he scored one of his greatest tries in a 70-yard run into the wind following an opening by Bill Clark. It was a fitting end to the career of V.U.C.'s greatest footballer, and it is only fair that Ron Jarden should know that in the eyes of his club mates he will remain for ever the nonpareil"—the splendid goal kick and the greatest carrier of the ball in New Zealand's Rugby history.

J. T. Fitzgerald, unlucky with injuries throughout his career, and one of the finest inside backs New Zealand has had for many years, ended his career when injured in the Universities Inter-Island match. A great loss to his country, his province and his club, Jim will be remembered for many years as a back with twinkling feet and a wonderful sense of balance, who helped make great the team during those golden years when it was captained by Ivan Stuart who also ended his career with the club at the end of 1956. Ivan was a front row forward who played for many years for Wellington representative teams and who very ably led the star studded teams of the club's great years. He also captained both Wellington and the New Zealand University and the club owes much to him. We wish him well in Palmerston North. To mark the end of a great era both Dick Burke and Ken Uttley retired from coaching. Their efforts during the past six years, four of them as joint coaches, had succeeded in building up a great team and it will be a long time before such a team is seen again playing for the club. Our thanks are due to them.

And so 1957 has seen a new coach, Frank Muller, and a new team, and its performances have again been good. It is to be hoped that the young players of 1957 will continue to show the same enthusiasm for the open dashing game, now the hall mark of the University Club.