Wolfville High Takes Rugby Championship
Captained by William Oliver, Wolfville High School started the 1929 rugby season with a tie against Horton Collegiate Academy who had been expected to win. In their next game, they beat Kings County Academy of Kentville 6-0. “Fifteen minutes after the beginning of the game a nice piece of playing by the Wolfville three quarter line resulted in a touch-down being scored by Oliver....Halfway through the [second] period Tedford secured the ball on a throw-in on the twenty-five yard line and carried it thought the Kentville backfield for a nice try....”
The big game came on November 6, when the High School again met Horton Academy and beat them 7-0. Team work was important in the win: “the prettiest play of the game [was] when Oliver secured the ball, ran to the five yard line and passed to Forbes who in turn passed to Eaton, who fell over the line for a try” As proclaimed by the local paper: “It was the first time in history that the High School were able to defeat the Academy at Rugby.” The win gave Wolfville High School the Valley League title and the trophy, donated by Acadia coach Fred Kelly, that went with the title.
(Wolfville Acadian 24 Oct 1929, 1; 7 November, 1)
Edson Graham, Wolfville. 1929. Wolfville Historical Society photo PH 108.
