ROGBY FOOTBALL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3509, 27 April 1912, Page 3

ROGBY FOOTBALL.

(By “Long-pot.”) Peculiar characteristics are sometimes advanced to prove' that a footballer is sure to make good, but the reason given by a local enthusiast as to why a new addition to bis club should turn out to be one of the best ever certainly lifts the biscuit. While discussing tlie prospects for the coming season the oilier day with tlie aforementioned enthusiast I ventured to remark that a three-quarter, who had done yeoman service in the battles of ,Ins club and who had left the district, would be sadly missed when the struggle for supremacy commenced. “I tfiink I have a fellow as good, if not better,” was the reply. “My young friend here will make a grand three-quarter. Anyway he takes size ten in boots.” .* * ■ * About two tons of beef, heavily shod, indulged in a friendly kicking match last Saturday afternoon on the Victoria Domain. No serious casualties were reported, though Douglas copped a fairly decent root on the left optic which put him out of action for tlie rest of the afternoon. The unholy desire to shove Tlie uuob into a man, when lie is on the ground, still lives, it is apparent, and the energies of Dr. Referee will have to again be directed to eradicate from the football field the waster who indulges in tlie practice. Anyway there is absolutely no necessity for indiscriminate kicking in a practice match such as last Saturday.

The ball certainly had the best of tlie deal during tlie run, it being the first appearance of many of the playersl. A lot of superfluous fat will have to be worked off some of those who pretended to push in the pack if they anticipate touching rep. honours at the end of the season. * * * The business-like manner in which the new Management Committee put through the different matters before the meeting on Monday, last augurs well for the control of the game for the coming season. The first meeting of the year is always a heavy one, and very often the success of the season depends upon the way in which the different relative items are disliosed of. * * * It is always a good policy for a Rugby Union to arrange its representative programme as early in the season ns possible. The keenness of the players is .stimulated and there is always an incentive to the man who lias a chance to gain the coveted rep. honours to keep in training. Besides often ,the weaker teams are kept in the competition for the same reason that several members are desirous of being thereabouts when the selector is making liis final decision. As a team is to be sent to play Hawke’s Bay an attractive programme would be put before the players if the tour were extended to include matches against Manawatu at Palmerston N., Horowlienua at Levin, Wellington at Wellington, and Wairarapapa at Carterton. To this might be added a trip to Auckland to lift the shield. With the above five matches played a team would certainly have worked up good combination and the descent on Auckland would be far more likely to be attended with success than the metod of sending teams direct without any previous games to obtain cohesion. A good programme such as just outlined would also do more than anything to kill any movement towards starting the Northern Union game in this district. * * * To serve on the executive of any sports body for twenty-five years is a record that anyone may well feel proud of. Such is the distinction that belongs to Mr A. Gray, who has represented the Wanganui Football Club on the management of tlie- Rugby Union since 1887, and who refused nomination for a further year at the annual meeting. At the conclusion of the ordinary business, Mr G. Spriggins moved that Mr Gray be elected an honorary life member of the Union.

In the International match at Belfast on March 9, in which Ireland defeated Wales 12 to 5. Wales, had the advantage of a stiff breeze, and had slightly the better of the game in the first half, Daniels scoring the first try, which was converted by Bancroft. At half-time the Welshmen led by 5 to nil. Changing ends, Ireland turned the tables, putting on 12 points Uo nil.

Commenting on tlie turning down of the New Zealand Rngoj ifnion team in favour of the South Africans by the English' Rugby Union, “Aristobulus,” in the Dominion of Saturday last, says:—“ It is now certain that there will be no All Black team going to the Home countries to win more honours and dollars for the Neiv Zealand Rugby Union in the season 1912-13. Probably the rank and hie of footballers do not know that the Now Zealand Union made overtures to the English Rugby Union as to the possibility of a series of matches being arranged for a visiting team from here. First of 1 all the request was for matches in all four countries, and that request was refused. Then, apparently, the New Zealand representative in London, Mr Wray Palliser, made further representations about matches in England only, and that request was likewise turned down. It appears that the Springboks are going Home instead. It is certainly the All Blacks’ turn

to bo received, and t'h.o choice of the South Africans’ offer must mean that the New Zealanders are not wanted in England any more. Last time they went Home they certainly showed very much better football than the brilliant Springboks, who followed them. Is there any other kind of s form of which the gentleman who control Rugby in England take more stock? No doubt they have forgotten that it was the All Blacks’ tour that made a South African tour possible, and no doubt they -er men from the Cape better. They can win more matches against them, for one reason. The lot of the New Zealand Union has been no easy one for the last few years. There is certainly a restiveness among a section of the players owing to the success of the League' game wherever it is tried, and there have been secessions. In spite of that our Union hus Beared a visiting team to go to Australia to hold up the old Rugby there against the incursions of the League game, and they also entertained at considerable expense a very poor lot of American boys—also to help New South Wales out of a heavy financial loss. Their reward for this was that they have been financed out of their share of the profits. They don’t pretend to be satisfied, and they are not on visiting terms with New South Wales now, either; We seem to be getting unpopular.”