WEST COAST RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION – 1966
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1966 Season
WEST COAST COLOURS: RED AND WHITE HOOPS
(Founded, 1890; Affiliated, 1893)
Selector: Mr.R.R.King
In a limited programme , West Coast defeated Buller twice, but had no other success. The inability of a number of players to appear more often, due largely to injuries, resulted in 30 players being called on for the live matches, meaning that it was well nigh impossible to achieve any real combination. A light pack could not cope with the Canterbury and Marlborough forward strength, and as a result the backs had few chances.
Wright captained the team, and with MacRae, the other early side-ranker, showed up in the loose. Maughan was played at No.8, and Olson, as hooker. Dixon, 1964 Manawatu representative, was a welcome addition to the team, both as a prop and as an all-round forward. The Baty’s were the usual locks, Rogers being available only on two occasions. Forsyth was a 1964 representative, McDonald, a 1964 Horowhenua prop, and Ross, who played once, had last represented the Coast in 1962. Johnson, a neat half-back, and Gray who was in good form on the wing, were the only members of the team to appear in all live matches. Beams was a sound five-eighth, twice partnered by Conradson, McAra being seldom available. Davies also filled an inside back position quite ably.
Only five of the 29 players were new to representative Rugby, Halsall having represented Buller the previous season. Gray, McAra, Conradson, Beams, Dixon, MacRae, Rogers, Caldwell, McDonald, and a new side-ranker, Everett, all played in matches for the Buller-West Coast combination.
1966 Squad
A.G.King (Greymouth Star)
A.D.Henderson (Hokitika Kiwi)
B.J.Conradson (Greymouth Marists)
Michael A.Gray (Hokitika Kiwi)
Kenneth McNee (Hokitika Excelsior)
T.E.McLean (Greymouth Star)
L.B.Halsall (Hokitika Excelsior)
K.J.J.Beams (Greymouth Marists)
J.A.Davies (Greymouth Star)
T.N.McAra (Greymouth Marists)
B.W.Johnson (Hokitika Excelsior)
P.W.Veale (Harihari)
J.A.L.Wright (Hokitika Excelsior)
R.W.Baty (Hokitika Kiwi)
V.K.Baty (Hokitika Excelsior)
M.S.MacRae (Harihari)
B.E.Caldwell (Greymouth Marists)
J.W.Olson (Hokitika Excelsior)
K.J.Dixon (Hokitika Excelsior)
J.B.Maughan (Greymouth Marists)
T.E.Rogers (Hokitika Kiwi)
T.T.McDonald (Harihari)
L.J.Everett (Greymouth United)
Robert Forsyth (Blaketown)
M.G.Sturgeon (Greymouth United)
D.H.Minchin (Greymouth Star)
L.J.Trowbridge (Blaketown)
K.J.Heveldt (Hokitika St.Mary’s)
B.L.Ross (Hokitika Excelsior)
MATCH RECORD
Played 5 ; Won 2 ; Lost 3 ; Points: For 45 ; Against 96
April 25 v CANTERBURY at Rugby Park, Greymouth Lost 0 to 41
Referee: Mr.J.C.Reynish (West Coast)
May 28 v BULLER at Westport Won 8 to 6
Michael A.Gray, try
J.W.Olson, penalty goal and conversion
June 11 v BULLER at Rugby Park, Greymouth Won 17 to 15
Kenneth McNee, M.S.MacRae and J.A.L.Wright, tries
B.J.Conradson, 2 penalty goals and conversion
Referee: Mr.P.Reynolds (Buller)
August 13 v GOLDEN BAY-MOTUEKA at Motueka Lost 9 to 11
Robert Forsyth, try
T.N.McAra, dropped goal
M.G.Sturgeon, penalty goal
September 3 v MARLBOROUGH (Seddon Shield) at Blenheim Lost 11 to 23
J.A.Davies, try
B.J.Conradson dropped goal
A.D.Henderson, penalty goal and conversion
WEST COAST – BULLER
COLOURS: CARDINAL AND BLUE HOOPS
Selectors: Messrs. Robt.R.Dickson (Buller) and R.R.King (West Coast)
Once again the Westland Province’s two Unions were paired to meet opposition. Three matches were played, the first against the northern section of the Seddon Shield Districts, the second against British Isles, and the third against A Canterbury XV as a curtain-raiser to the Lions – Canterbury fixture. All the matches were lost
The 1966 WEST COAST – BULLER Squad
R.T.Dawe (Buller)
Brian Stack (Buller)
M.G.Head (Buller)
Michael A.Gray (West Coast)
W.N.Forsyth (Buller)
B.J.Conradson West Coast)
K.J.J.Beams (West Coast)
T.N.McAra (West Coast)
Mason Geddes (Buller)
J.W.Halsall (Buller)
T.A.Craddock (Buller) (Capt.)
O.H.Nahr (Buller)
T.E.Rogers (West Coast)
L.J.Everett West Coast)
K.J.Dixon (West Coast)
B.P.Roche (Buller)
T.T.McDonald (West Coast)
B.E.Caldwell (West Coast)
J.B.Shaw (Buller)
M.S.MacRae (West Coast)
C.R.F.Carlyon (Buller)
J.W.Olson (West Coast)
MATCH RECORD
Played 3 ; Lost 3 ; Points: For 20 ; Against 67
June 15 v MARLBOROUGH, NELSON & GOLDEN BAY-MOTUEKA at Motueka Lost 9 to 34
Michael A.Gray, J.W.Halsall and L.J.Everett, tries
July 20 v BRITISH ISLES at Victoria Square, Westport Lost 6 to 25
Michael A.Gray, try
K.J.Dixon, penalty goal
Referee: Mr.L.C.Walker (South Canterbury)
July 23 v A CANTERBURY XV at Christchurch Lost 5 to 8
R.T.Dawe, try
K.J.Dixon, conversion