FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2254, 28 July 1908, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THURSDAY RJPRESENTATIVES

A practice of 1 the Thursday representative team b visit Whntatulu oil Thursday will re held to-night at Redstone’s stakes, at 7 sharp, when every member is expected to attend. Tho first emergencies. in tho backs and forwards aje also requested to bo present.

POVERTY uiY RUGBY UNION,

Tho usual vookly meeting of tlio Poverty Bay Jugby Union was held last evening. [ Present: Messrs 11. Maude (ehairnnn), Sliomff, Wauchop, ■Morso, Johnston, Bright, Ingram, Eaton, Brady; Puflott, and E. L. Maude (lion, secretary). Tho minutes wero road and confirmed. V

A claim fori accident insurance was sustained, subject to tho player showing his bone tides. The Hawke's Bay Union wrote informing tlio local Union tliat, in regard to tlio shiokl presented for annual competition between the Poverty Bay ltugby Union and the Hastings sub-Union, they had received no information thereof.—-It was deckled to inform tlio Hawke’s Bay Union that tlio shield was presented to tho local Union, and that no doubt the Hastings sub-Union would apply to tlio Hawke’s Bay Union for the necessary permission to play for the shield. The Takitimu Club wrote withdrawing their senior and junior teams from the Saturday competitions.— The withdrawal was accepted with regret. Mr. J. S. Thompson was appointed captain of tlio Thursday representative team. ;

It was decided that, owing to The withdrawal of Takitimu', the senior match next Saturday bo West End v. Kaiti-C.ity. Soveral players were passed, and accounts for various sums wero passed for payment, and the meeting terminated.

AUCKLAND v. SOUTH CANTERBURY. [Press Association.] AUCKLAND, July 27. The following team has been chosen to represent Auckland against South Canterbury next Saturday :—Fullback, Romvick; three-quarters, Wilson, Murray, Johnston; five-eighths, Bater and McGhee: half-back, Morse; wing forward, Gillett; forwards, Herring, McGuire, Francis, Cunningham, Nicholson, feeding, and Hayward. Emergency forwards, McGuire ami Young. THE BRITISH TOUR. FAREWELL TO VISITORS. [Press Association.] AUCKLAND, July 27. The British football team left here this evening for Sydney, by the s.s. Victoria. Vassall missed the boat, and will go to Wellington, leaving there by the steamer on Friday for Sydney. Prior to their departure tho team were entertained at a farewell function by tlio officials of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Mr. D. Gallagher, on behalf of tlio New Zealand team which played in the third test match, presented Mr. A. F. Harding, captain of the British team, with a gold cigarette case. (The action of the Now Zealand team was greatly appreciated by Mr. Harding and his comrades.

A NARROW ESCAPE. FOOTBALLERS NEARLY DROWNED. [Special to “Times.”] AUCKLAND, July 27. Just as the s.s. Victoria, en route for Sydney, with the membors of the British Rugby team on board, cast off from the Queen’s wharf, Auckland, tliis evening, Percy Down, the British forward, overbalanced and fell overboard between the wharf and the steamer. Down was saying good-bye to a friend on tho wharf when the steamer swung into the stream. Shaking hands with his friend, Down was suddenly overbalanced by the steamer moving off. The British footballer became entangled in portion of the gear and, turning a'completo somersault over the rail, fell with a. splash into the water. Immediately there was a wild cry from the thousands assembled on the wharf, “man overboard.” Instantly ropes were dropped down over the side of the steamer, but before this was done Jackett, the British full-back, had divested himself of his overcoat and dived overboard, followed immediately after by Gillett and Francis of the New Zealand team, who were standing close by when the catastrophe .occurred, and another man, named Cassidy, also dived overboard to effect a rescue. Down, although a fair swimmer, was handicapped by a heavy overcoat he was wearing at the time, and was making frantic struggles in the water while crying loudly for help, It took some minutes before rile rescuers succeeded in getting the British footballer out of the water, which they eventually *did amid cheers from the assembled thousands. It was a narrow escape, and the danger was intensified by the possibility of the steamer boring close against the wharf where the rescuers and rescued might have been crushed to death. .Fortunately, the captain of the Victoria realised the position, and kept the steamer out stream and avoided what might have been a sad catastrophe. In diving overboard Jackett received a slight concussion, but the others were none the worse for the incident though Down received a shaking and a shock to the system. The event cast quite a. damper on the send-off to the British footballers, which was witnessed by thousands of people. Vassall. the English international three-quarter, missed tho steamer for Sydney this evening, and will catch a late boat. Jackett and McEvedy purpose returning to New Zealand after the Australasian tour, the former to take up a position offered him in the Tourist Department, and McEvedy to settle and practise his profession in the North Island. Harding, who received a severe injury to Ins heart and had two ribs injured immediately after the kick-off in the final test match on Saturday, recovered sufficiently to depart for Sydney with the rest"of the team by the Victoria to-day. Gibbs, who burst three bloodvessels in his leg in. the match against Taranaki, and who, it wa6 thought, would not play again in the tour, 'has made a wonderful recovery and aiiticipatesTieing able to take the field in three or four weeks. J. L. Williams, the Welsh international, who had his shoulder badly injured, against Taranaki, k also improving, and will probably bo able to play in Sydney. "All the other members of the team are fit and well.