THE AUCKLAND AND OTAGO FOOTBALLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6758, 16 July 1883, Page 3

THE AUCKLAND AND OTAGO FOOTBALLERS.

[BY TfiL'r.GRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Dunedin, Saturday. In yesterday'a Daily Times thefollowingletter appeared in reference to an extract from the Herald telegraphed re football: —" Sir, —It is a pity that a paragraph such as the one from the Auckland Herald, which appeared in your yesterday's issue, should have been published in any New Zealand paper without the actual facts. No direct communication of any kind has taken place between New South Wales and Otago this season. At the beginning of the season, a letter C3me to the Otago Rugby Football Club from the hon. secretary, Welliugton Union, conveying the proposals as to terms, &c., of the New South Wales Union to a New Zealand (mark, not Dunedin) team visiting Sydney. These terms, the Otago Union, which had been asked by Wellington to furnish a portion of the team, considered hardly acceptable, in that nothing definite was guaranteed, whereas Otago did guarantee a certain portion of the Sydney men's expenses. The original idea of Otago was to have an inter-Island match in either Wellington or Christchurcb, a New Zealand combined team thereafter to be picked to proceed to Sydney. -The Otago Union would indeed have been presumptuous to have even dreamt of sending over a team on their own account. The vVellington Secretary asked Otago to join Canterbury in sending a team to Wellington to take part in a tournament in the la3t week in July, and the two Southern Unions acceded to that request. That even this date is not sufficiently early (Auckland wanted it a fortnight later, to suit New South Wales) is not the fault of Otago. Otago has already withdrawn the statement re interprovincial teamß paying their own expenses, finding that on the occasion of a Dunedin team visiting Auckland in 1577, certain expenses were paid. As matters originally stood as regards the tournament, Otago first wished to play Canterbury in Wellington, but at the request of the Canterbury Union agreed to play in Christchurch, both teams proceeding thence to Wellington. These arrangements were positively agreed to a week a«o, and as far as Otago is concerned will te carried out.—l am, &c., John H. Chapman, Hon. Sec. O.E.U. Union."