FOOTBALL

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2576, 10 August 1909, Page 6

FOOTBALL

POVERTY BAY RUGBY UNION. The weekly meeting of the Management Committee of the Poverty Bay Rugby Union was held last night in the Masonic Hotel. Present: Messrs if E. Maude (chairman), H. Bright, W. Johnston, J. S. Wauchop, J. A. Eaton, G. Iv. Pasley, and E. B- Maude (hon. sec.) An apology for non-attend-ance was received from Mr. h. U. Ingram. , x , . Ar The hon. sec. of the Ngawan (Man-(i-jvtu) Club wrote asking permission to play matches next week against the Takitimu and Makauri Clubs. —The requested permission was granted,, the Xgawari Club to fix any dates except Saturday. ■ _ , The secretary of the Hastings Club wrote stating the intention of that dub to entertain, the touring team at a ball on the night of 23rd August. The secretary of the New Zealand Rugby Union wrote notifying that the North v. South Island match would be played at Wellington on August 25th, and asking for nominations from the Poverty Bay Union. The selectors forwarded the names of the nineteen players chosen to go on tour, and the report ' also recommended that Mr. Watchorn be appointed captain of the team. —The report was adopted. . . The Gisborne Club wrote asking for payment for two club jerseys missing from the Town v. Country match.—lt was decided that the request be not granted, as the jerseys had not bean lent to the Union. The secretary of the Mangatu subunion wrote asking for a proportion of the gate taken in the game, Country v. Mangatu, on Thursday last.—lt was resolved, after discussion, that the sum of £1 be granted. The secretary of the Tuparoa Football Club wrote protesting against their disqualification by the Waiapu subUnion through their not being able to keep a fixture with the Tokomaru Club. —it was decided that the Union take no action in the matter, which was purely one of local government. _ A letter was also received regarding the alleged illegal transfer of a Coast player, and it was decided to forward the letter to the "Waiapu sub-Union, asking for a report on the matter. Accident insurance was granted to an Alhambra Club player, who was injured recently in a match against the City Club.

The Treasurer reported that the sum of £26 8s 6d had -been taken at the gate last Saturday. Mr. A. It. Gatland, headmaster of the High School, wrote thanking the Union for the donation {riven in connection with the Napier High School match. Additional players were passed for the Gisborne, Kaiti-City, Alhambra, and Y.M.O.A. Clubs. It was resolved that Mr H. E. Maude accompany the touring team as manager. Mr. Tocker was appointed vicecaptain, and it was decided that the selection committee consist of the captain, vice-captain and one other member to be selected by the players. Messrs R. Morse, H. Pufiett, R. "Wilkinson, and J. Casley were appointed to select a team to represent the Thursday clubs against Motu on Thursday next.

It was decided that the country team play a game against the representatives to-day at the Domain, the captain and vice-captain of the “reps.” to select the team to meet the country players. Play will commence at 3 p.m. After other routine business had been transacted, the meeting adjourned.

HAWKE’S BAY REPRESENTATIVES. (Per Press Association.) NAPIER, August 9. The following represent Hawke’s Bay against Taranaki on AVednesday: Fullhack, Symes; three-quarters, Wall, Absolum, and Lewis; five-eighths, Kennyen and Higgins; half, Smith; forwards, Davis (wing), Hackett, Struther, Thaw, Cullinge, Downing, Scullion, and Nicholls.

THE AIAORI TEAM IN AUSTRALIA

United Press Association— Copyright (Received August 9, 10.55 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 9. Mr. Jack’s action against the Maori footballers has been ordered to stand over till August 18th. Meantime the injunction continues, and two of the trustees of the tour fund have been added as parties to the motion.

MAORI TEAM DEFEATS NEW SOUTH WALES. MAORIS’ HIGH-JUMPING, BUMPING, FENDING, AND STRENUOUS ATHLETICISM. (By ‘ ‘Cynic” in the “Referee.” The Maoris, who had been quartered at the Sir Joseph’s Banks Hotel, Botany, for more than a week, made their first appearance in Sydney in a match at the Agricultural Ground On Saturday, July 25, against New South Wales. It was not the team which defeated the New Zealanders —Rosenfeldt, Frawley, and others having departed to the football haunts of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Still, it was a good team, and one to which the average Northern Unionist in Sydney pinned his faithand might do so again. There was little in the opposition Rugby Union matches to attract the football crowds, and accordingly most people went out to see this match—--20,000 were present, and over £BOO was taken at the gates. It was a glorious day for football, and it evidently appealed to the Maoris. Maoris.—T. Papakura, full-back; P. Wharepapa, T. Roera, H. Pakere, K.Pouwhiuwhiu, three-quarters: N Whare uro (capt.), five eighths; N. Ratete, half; W. Neera, A. Haira, R. Pukere, forwards. ’ , , N S Wales. —F. Woolley, fuL-back; F. Cheadle, A. Conlin, W. Broomham, J. Stuntz, three-quarters; D. Brown, five-eighth; G. Patfield, half; RGraves (capt.), B. Carpenter, A .J. Surridge, E. Courtney, J. Davis, W,. Cann, forwards. The Maoris, accompanied by tw;o chiefs, marched on to the ground m

sin Me file, made a circuit of the on- ’ closure, and halted in the centre of the . field. There, joined by Maggie and •; Mural Papakura, in the garb of Roto- . rua guides, they gave the war-cry, now i so well-known. A business-like call, it i was a wee bit terrific. The game briEt- : led with incident almost from start- to finish, and altogether was. one of tie most sensational football bouts ever seen i a Sydney. The actual football itself was, on the whole, not first-class, but the play of several or the men was of the highest quality. And tins individualism, taking the form of higli-jump-in<T clean over an opponent, bumping, pushing, and fending opponents with marked success, besides slinging taoklers off by means of a shake of the hips or the shoulders, combined to give many sensations to the game. _ The te(un led at lialf-tniie by 1 o to 9, but early in the second half the Maoris, who had exteni in the earlier stages almost overwhelms a them by their impetuous bumping anu sheer strength, came along with some magnificent football. Raieto had provided the high-jumping in the first naif, tor, coming at full-back Wcokey, ii© jumped clean - over ■ him. But in the second j half A. Asher cast Ratete into the shade. He jumped over Davis’ head and dodged and bumped ahead until lie scored a wonderful try between ,tho posts. The crowd had seen Asher before, but in the Rugby Union game the tackle’rs had evidently been too good. This time, however, lie outshone himself, and the crowd was amazed and delighted. Let us all hope this steeplechase act, sensational as it is to the onlooker, will not end disastrously to tire iiori three-quarter back. Though he possesses the bouncing qualities of india-rubber, liis feats are as risky as thev are rare. His big run on Saturday has never been surpassed on a Rugby field in Australia. The Maoris, whose fending and bumping had made some of the local tackiers look like men of straw, ran the score to 19. But the Sydney team were more expert in passing. The backs made some very smart movements, and though they wore knocked out like ninepins, they hang on to the Maoris. With the score 19 to lo the Maoris kicked penalty goal, and added a try —24 to 16. Then Cann got. away and scored a trv, which was converted—24 to 21. Finally, near time, Stunz, who bad played verv well all through, started a movement for goal, and finally had the ball returned to him. The sprinter had hut a few yards to go, and no one to heat, but his feet slipped fiom beneath him,’ and the Maoris were saved. This game will, I suppose, never be forgotten by those who V‘W it. not lor its excellence as football, bun for its sensational and novel, and, one might say, almost heroic feats by various members i of the Maori team. Many f tk« m ’ played with the athletic vigor and the abandon of their ancestors in some great battle, lialf-mimic, half real. Their blood was warm, and the fire m their play and their athletic skill were 1 wonderful. That they won the game after giving such a rare display peculiar to" their race must have pleased 1 ninety out of every hundred present. 1 The game was played in a and though the Maoris occasionally : tackled men before the latter had got s the ball, it was not the cunning or tin- • fair tackle, but the result of sheer iml petuosity. The referee at times seemed to be carried “off his feet” by the Maori 1 rushes, for he did not penalise for i these things. In a very fast and very hard game there were many stoppages, s chiefly to permit winded local players ■ to recover from a bump by a big Maori. - But the visitors had a share of tho i casualties.