FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 95, 21 April 1906, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

The first Saturday afternoon practises were set down for to-day.

The statement of receipts and expenditure presented by the treasurer, Mr. V. Langsford, at the annual meeting of the. Auckland Hugby Union last night show a highly satisfactory state of affairs. The statement of accounts, as is usual when it is the union's turn to send a team ou tour, show a loss on the season's operations of £260 3s sd; but, owing to thu New Zealand Unionj having with commendable promptness repaid the mouoy advanced for the purpose of the tour of the New Zealand team to Great Britain, together with interest at five per cent, the treasurer is, able to bring forward a credit balance. The Northern Wairoa match shows a profit of £15 13s sd, tho Hawke's. Bay match a profit of £21 14s lid, andtho Thames match a profit, of £10 15a 9d. The ground fund is in a good position, and the trustees have been enabled to pay off mortgage £ 100 out of ground revenue. Taken altogether the balancesheet is one on which the management of the union is to be congratulated.

Mr. C. E. MacCormiek, secretary of the Auckland Rugby Union, has received all the alterations recpntly made in the laws of the game by the International Board. The system of scoring has undergone very little change, the only difference being that a goal from a mark or penalty will count three points instead of four, as formerly. A dropped goal, except from a mark or penalty, still counts four points. As regards a tackle, the Board have decided that a tackle is when a player is so held that ho cannot pass the ball, and after the definition conies the following: If a player carrying the ball bo thrown (but not tackled), and the ball touches th<> ground, he may play the ball. How referees will interpret this in the face of Rule 11, which says that tlie penalty—a free kick—will be inflicted if they interfere with the ball in any way whilst lying on the. ground, remains to bo seen. Tlie definition of a drop kick has also been altered. Formerly it was that the ball must be kicked the very instant it rose, now the wording is a_s it rises. With regajd to a fair catch, the rule now provides that, when a mark is obtained any player on the side can take the kick, the same as In the case of the penalty kick. The bouncing-in of the ball from touch has been entirely done away with, and it is now compulsory to either throw it into play or else take a scrum ten yards out. Tho rule regarding stoppages now reads that no stoppage shall be of more than three minutes' duration, which is, to my idea, a mosl ."ensible alteration, as formerly games have often been delayed for fully ten minutes from -sometimes trivial causes. The kicking of the ball back into the strum will in future be disallowed, and the offender penalised, an alteration which should havo a tendency to open ;ip play a bit. The pooling of a goal from kicking a rolling ball over the bar has also beon done away with, and goals will now only be allowed from a place kick or drop kick, but not of course from the kick-oft' or drop-out. With the exception of tlie rule regarding a tackle the alterations saould all go to make the gaaio more acceptable to both players and onlookers.

The l'arnoll Club will have a very fair team this year, the members including Absolum, T. B. Todd, " Bunny'" Abbott, among the backs, and Plugge, tho big Suburbanite, Sheath, a Northern Wairoa rep., White, a front row man from the Thames, and Foubiator, a. former .Suburbs player, in the forwards. Bob Hancock has been pressed to don the maroon jersey again, but it is not likely that he will. Football isnt a married vjjjjbn'a game, as fhe i/iao in the street says.

Hen. Kelly, ex-Wellington rep., who was here for several years, and who played for Grafton. has been appointed one of the Wednesday (Selection Committee. Claude Butler, who skippered the Wangauni representative team in the 1904 and 1005 seasons, has been transferred to Auckland. Mr. T. Roberts, a well-known Sydney Rugby enthusiast, who saw the Mew Zealanders piay in England, and who has only recently returned, and who has seen every important match in Sydney for many years, holds the opinion that ■ a strong M.B.W. team would in all probability defeat the majority of the county teams of England. Mr. J. R. Henderson, the well-known N.R.W. Rugbyite, holds the opinion that this season is going to be a record one. | The last game against Now Zealand : would cause the players to go into the . fl-eld with the idea that they were not going to bo '"receiver general." Referees, however, must act right'up to the mark. The hitatp was teeming with good players. Mc was of the opinion that the money spent in connection with \ schools' football had not been thrown away, and that this year they would be able to continue their good work on a much smaller sum. The balance-sheet adopted at the annual meeting of the X.S.W. Rugby Union disclosed the season's expenditure had been exceptionally heavy, and there was . a loss on the year's working.of £521 8/6. j The union had, however, a surplus of j assets over liabilities of £1943 7/10. j Interest in amateur football is by no | means dead yet, says the "Athletic, News," and the matches for the Amateur Cup played last week were i quite a financial success. At the Chelsea • ground on Wednesday the gate for the' New Crusaders and Romford re-play yielded £125, and nearly £200 was paid l at the receipt of custom at Eeading on i a pouring wet afternoon for the Oxford City v. New Crusaders semi-final. These. gates were put in the shade by the 9000 | attendance at the Northern semi-final' at Darlington, in which Stockton and j Bishop Auckland drew with no score. Mr. J. J. Calvert, president of the N.S.W. Rugby Union, iae written to Mr P. Coles, secretary to the Rugby ¥oot-l ball Union, suggesting that, with the ob- j

the English universities should be sent across. lam afraid this would be whipping a dead horse.

To whom does this paragraph in the "Town and County News" (Sydney) refer: "St. George Club, one of the two additions "to the Pirst Grade Competition, is expected to have a very good forward team, but them will probably be a weakness in the three-quarter line. Efforts, however, are being made to effect a cure, and it may happen that a couple of well-known New Zealanders will be prevailed upon to give the strength required." AUCKLAND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON UNION. The annual general meeting of the Union was held on Tuesday last, but was adjourned until the same eveningnext week to allow of the statement of accounts to be gone through. The season resulted in a loss financially, but otherwise was more successful than even the most sanguine supporter anticipated would be the case.

The Bakers' F.C. held their meeting during the week, as also did the Drapers and Chemists, whilst the Grocers and Milkmen completed their meeting and a practice in the same evening. The Bakers will in all probability have the services of Lewis, the ex-Newton and Queensland player, which would compensate for the loss of their brilliant lock of last year, Savoury. The latter has joined the Grocers and Milkmen, and should his play equal the anticipations formed of it he will possess strong claims for Auckland

"rep." honours. Littlejohn will also be available for the same club, who will probably be found to be the strongest opponents of the redoubtable Butchers.

In view of the weak teams put in the field last season by the Hairdressers and Hotelkeepers, the Union may possibly rearrange the trades so as to allow of this club being strengthened. For this purpose it is suggested that the hotelkeepers l>e amalgamated with the drapers in lieu of the chemists, whilst the latter and all miscellaneous trades, such as bootmakers, etc., be included in the ranks of the hairdressers. It is felt that the drapers and hotelkeepers will make a stronger combination—certainly a happier one —than the present union.

Practice will be indulged in by all tho teams next Wednesday, and the cup matches will probably be commenced in a fortnight.