NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1594, 26 October 1905, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALLERS

OUB NATIVE BORN.

(Pen Press ’Ausoclatlon.) Wellington, last night. A correspondent having raised tho question of how many of the Now Zealand football team are native born, the Times has made enquiries, with' the result that it finds that the whole of tho team, including Duncan, were born in tho oolony. The manager, Mr Dixon, alone seems to be an Englishman, and he has been a long tims in New Zealand.

COMMENTS IN THE ENGLISH PRESS. London, September 15. ' English papers are taking great interest in the New Zealand footballers, and are even devoting leading articles to them, their country, and thpir doings. One paper says: •’ The New Zealanders play a rather old-fashioned game, and English teams may very well hope to teach them something. Their forwards, big fellows, ranging from 12st lib to 14st 61b, are, theoretically, at least, too heavy for the rapid combination game of run and pass which, as far back 33 20 years ago, began to make for a lighter and freer sorum. Nor are they said to dribble well. Their backs, instead of being two halves and fonr three-quarters,, are one-half, two five-eighths, and three three-quarters, au arrangement which may have its merits, bat looks unlikely to produce a free, fast game. Rugger men are always willing to learn, however, and the interest of this oolonial tour is, in any case, greater than that of the occasional visits of French teams. Now or later, one expects a good deal from a colony in .whioh one man in every three is said to play the game, and most men understand it. . . . It will be a popular tour none the lees, for, apart from its appeal to the world of sport altogether, it has a sort of Imperial meaning. Anything colonial receives encouragement in these dayß, and the Motherland will be uncommonly well pleased if these New Zealanders should give our men a dressing.” Another paper says :—“ There seems to be a general expectation that the chief matches of the Netv Zealand Rugby team will be essentially battles of styles. This belief owes its origin to the fact that the New Zealand system of back play differs from that in vogue in the Mother Country. Unfortunately, the expectation, is not justified by tho faots, for’ New Zealand baok play, in spite of all the talk about tbe two five-eighths, and so forth, is very muoh tbe same as British back play, and for all practical purposes is the Welsh game, -or as good an imitation thereof as tho New Zealanders have been able to attain.”

Under the heading, “ Stale-Aided Football,” the Daily News eays:—“ The New Zealand Rugby footballers are probably tbe first team to receive State recognition. They havo arrived in this country with the full blessing of Mr Seddon, the Premier of the colony, who told them when they left New Zealand that football was a manly, healthy public game, and in order to enoourage it he has made arrangements with the Hon. W. P. Reeves, the High Obmmissioner in London, to cable out to the Government news of tho varying for. tuoea of the team. From Mr Walter Kennaway, secretary to the High Commissioner, a Daily News representative discovered how far tho Government of New Zealand are officially prepared to enoourage the national sport. ‘lt is an excellent idea,’ said Mr Kennaway. ‘ The toam is, so to speak, yet another instru mont for the welding together of the Em pire. Of coarse, it must be understood that, beyond receiving tho guoßts at Plymouth, and seeing that they are suitably aocommodated, we have nothing to do with its organisation or its expense. Oar party is simply to send the news of their victories or defeats to the other side of tbe world for the benefit ’of tbe football public. The Now Zealanders are possessed of the true Bporting instinct?, and although they oaunot musicr, out of their entire population of 800,000 (which is only a trifle in excess of that -of Glas. gow) a cricket team like the Australians, they are thoroughly proficient in all otoer brakes 0 f sport. The lovo of football is as firmly embedded in tho New Zealander’s breast as it is in, our own people, and tho fact that the Governmant will be responsible for oabliog the news ought to be a greater incentive in the winter game.” —N.Z. Herald.