THE LATE "HAMI" GRACE. AN APPRECIATION.

The following appreciation of the late i:Hami" Grace appeared in a Wellington paper:—How cruel this war is is borne home to Rugby enthusiasts in Wellington by the news that h:is come through this week that T. M. Grace, who had made a good name for himself on the Rugby fields of New Zealand and Australia, has been killed in battle. Mr W. T. Parata, of the Bay of Plenty, has organised one or two Maori football teams to tour Australia, and "Hami" Grace always received an invitation to make one of the party. He was a 'member of the team which made a run through NewZealand after touring Australia. T. M. Grace was one of the few who have represented Wellington at both cricket and football, playing mostly for the Old Boys teams, having been a student of the Wellington College. In business life ho was in the service of the Post and Telegraph Department, and went to the front with the Main Contingent. .In this column T will mainly refer to him as a footballer, and would just say that, as*a cricketer, he was a fine all-rouna player, being expert with both bat and ball »and a trior in the field. In the Rugby arena he -played for both the Old Boys and 'Wellington Clubs, and on fifteen occasions wore the representative jersey, primarily as a centre three-quarter. At. times he rose to a high standard as a'player, and was young enough to have climbed still higher. He gained a, position in the North Island team. To show the spirit of the lad I The Old Boys football team was at one time one of the strongest under the Wellington Rugby Union, but of lateyears its former glory has departed.

In the last match as a Senior team, played some four years ago at Miramar, the Old Boys" were unmercifully beaten. After the game the majority of the team wanted to throw up the spongo, but Grace pleaded with them to keep together, as, although they were down and under just then, there was plenty of promising material distributed amongst them to make a strong team in the future. His arguments were unavailing, however, aud the Old Boys team went out o c Senior football. Several overtures were made to "Hami" Grace by other Senior clubs, for him to transfer his services to them, but, in a sporting spirit, be decided to play tor the then weakest team in the competition, viz., Wellington.