FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 89, 15 April 1913, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

BUGBY. j The annual meeting of the Parnell "'"Football Club will be held in the club's "training hall, Hohson Park Road, at 8 p.m. this evening. A full attendance of j ' -members and intending members is xequired. ■■ _■;• ■••'■■ At the annual meeting of the Marist -Bros.' Club the secretary Avelcomed back to the club, after a period of six years, * the ReA*. Bro. Vergilis, the ftriginal .. organiser and coach of the "Tikes." The rev. hrother has spent the last six years in Hawke's Bay, Christchurch and Wellington, and in both Christchurch and Hawke's Bay he has organised amateur Hugby clubs, which are now meeting .Avith considerable success in the field. Mr. James Malioney, the .first captain of the club, Avas also at the meeting. -■ -When the election of the Management : Committee came before the meeting, a lengthy discussion on the constitution governing the election took place, and several alterations were suggested, but as a notice of motion Avas necessary, ' the rule was left unaltered. A feeling seemed to exist among the juniors that ■ they were entitled to more representation than they at present had. '.Two outstanding "features of the "meeting Avere the laTge attendance of •jimiorsj and the' great interest they took in the various elections and discussions. ■ Present .prospects point to the club ..having a record year. :. Grafton "Football Club members meet lor practice at the training shed. Eden Street, Mt. Eden, to-night. All the imemhers:and intendingmembers are requested to 'attend. Several promising players are joining this club, and it should be heard of during the coming season. Tlie training shed has been thoroughly ..renovated by members during the past week, and is now in readiness for the season's work. COLLEGE MFLES CLUB. The annual meeting, held last night .nnder the presidency of Capt. T. H. Da.wson, was attended by ahout 50 members, and the report, chronicling the success, of the club an its first year as a. senior competitor, and intimating that on the financial side the club had a credit balance of £10 5/, was adopted. The election of,: officers .resulted as follows: Patron," Colonel R. Logan, 0.C.D.; president, Captain T. H. Dawson; same as last year; secretary, Mr H Olay ■ (re-elected) ; treasurer, Mr C. TEiije-: 'delegates. Captain Dawson, • and-"—lessrß. F. H. "Bedford and E. W. Gordon; committee, Captain Daweon, fl". Clay, R. Gordon, F. H. Bedford, H. Jacohi, -L. Weston, L. Hartland, R. Pountney, L. Nisbet, and J. Hines. Mr R. W." Gordon-vvas elected club captain. There Avere 18 new members elected, and a counting of heads showed that the" senior team, will .probably not he radically different from last year's. •Seeded -weight is likely to be added to the scrum hy the promotion of F. E. . Sutherland. The chief loss among the backs, arid a severe one it is, will be that of: C. Webb, who did great things last year as scram half. The club will hold its first practice- at Victoria, Park on Thursday afternoon at 5 o'clock." CITY CLUB. The annual meeting of the City Club last night was attended by about 60 members. The office-bearers elected were: Patron, A. M. Myers, Esq., MP.; president, A. E. Glover, Esq., M.P.; vicepresidents, Messrs D. Cooper, M. Barry, Cresswell-Meredith, J. Ingram, R. Forgie, C. -Leonard, 31. J. Sheahan, W. Stevens, J. H. Pagni, and. last year's vice-presi- - dents; committee, Messrs R. Magee, W. Stevens, W. Birnie, J. Hoare. J. H. Pagni, W. Arnold, W. Heath, A. Bruce, M. J. Sheahan; hall custodian, G. Magee; hem. treasurer, Mr H. Skinner: lion, secretary, ■ Mr-J. J. Mnlvihill (pro tern)-"club captain, Mr R. (Magee. Twenty-five new members were elected. The training-hall will be open for practice on Thursday evening, and a practice will >be held on No. . 1, ground, show- ■ ground, at 3 •p.m. on Saturday. NOHTHERW UNION. PROGRESS IX AUCKLAND. "The League has almost doubled its membership, and has doubled its profits during the past year." Thiis the third annual report of the Auckland Provincial Rugby League, as prepared by the lion, secretary (Mr. H. Oakley). " Another clause in the report is as follows:—"It is gratifying also to note that the game has risen in popularity more than ever, both among players and the public." -The receipts for.the season amounted to [£1,06*4 3/5; and the expenditure to i£962 10/7. leaving a. balance to credit of £101 12/10. Tlie number of members registered clubs under the League's control is now 000. Some 500 players took part in last year's League competitions. In the junior grade there ■ avere no less than 22 teams. Four new clubs and.; three new district leagues had been started. In the. senior grade six teams competed, and the Newton Rangers' Club was to be congratulated "upon annexing the championship, together with the Meyers Cup, and the ■ caps donated by the president (Mr. J..S. . THckson, MP.). In the second grade seven teams took part, and the standard of play Avas most, encouraging, some of the games being equal to certain of the , senior grade matches. Ponsonby United •went through without losing a match. Out of the seven teams competing in the third grade, Ponsonby Lhited B Avon the championship, Avith Ponsonby "United A, as runners-up. There were eight teams in the fourth grade, and ■the North Shore Albions came out on ' top. Caps Avere presented by the League for the second, third and fourth grade Avinners." The Lower Waikato League successfully defended the Endean ■Memorial Shield. The report mentioned that a monopoly ' over the Eden PaTk ground (last year's headquarters) had unfortunately been • secured by the Auckland Rugby Union. '.Tlie City* Council's reserve at Victoria Park and the Domain would therefor© be the only grounds available during the ensuing" season, apart, of course, from "the Dovonport Domain. ~ Dealing with representative matches, ; the report stated that the Auckland team had successfully defended the • inter-provincial . cup against Hawke's • Bay and Wellington. The local representatives .were also called upon to play 'the far-famed Australian combination. "How the Auckland League men rose to the occasion and outplayed their opponents".proceeded the Teport, "will..everVbe a_ bright spot in the annals of Northern Union football in New Zealand-. The victory was great one, notwithstanding the subsequent defeat of the":, Auckland, representatives by the Australians in September." ''" The conduct of league players, it, was stated, had been-highly satisfactory, no . serious. offences;, having been, recorded, jhe, gttrttgaaarl 'ffj-'r. ■had^yaßt'ly t __•

proved, and the League again__appeale& to older and more experienced players to assist in this direction. Among matters recommended for consideration by the incoming committee were: Insurance of players against accidents; limitation of 'weight of players for fourth grade (say, 9st. 71b. and under); the provision of League membership badges, at a fee of 10/G, to admit bearers to the season's matches; and the limitation of the number of. teams in the senior grade, in order- to raise the standard of senior football. MR. McLEAN EST THE SOUTH. "CIHRISTGEDUROH GOING STRONG." The president of the - New Zealand Rugby League (Mr D. AY. McLean) has returned from a tour of the South. Primarily he went for the. purpose of attending the Australasian conference of commercial travellers in Dunedin, but lie also took various opportunities of assisting tlie progress of the Northern Union- football code. "The outlook in the Southern centres is very promising," said Mr McLean to a "Star" reporter this morning. "Wellington is finming up well, ana Christchurch is doing Avonders. I visited Marlborough by invitation, aud was very pleased to find that the prospects in that district are also good. Blenheim is to have two strong clubs, and I am informed that other Marlborough centres are going to form clubs too." Mr McLean was most struck with the doings in Christchurch, and he expressed the opinion that the new game was being pushed forward there by some of the finest sports he had ever met. He spoke specially of the enthusiasm displayed by Dr. Thacker, and mentioned that he had donated a Thaeker Shield for competition between clubs in Christchurch, with a provision for-the winning club to be challenged by clubs from the other centres. A happy ceremony took place in Christchurch, when, at the invitation of Dr. Thacker, the New Zealand president's -wife (Mrs McLean), who is a keen follower of the game, placed some sih-er coins beneath the new goal pests that were being erected for the League game. A large gathering of players and supporters was present, and the function proved very pleasant. It •took place in 'the Agricultural Show Grounds, which have 'been secured for the season. "Christchurch is extremely •fortunate, in the matter of playing grounds," said the president, '"and I am assured that the Northern Union game "is sure to make rapid strides." Keen interest was evinced by supporters in Wellington and Christchurch concerning the League's decision to send a New Zealand team to Australia early •in June. "The combination is to be made thoroughly representative," remarked Mr McLean, "and it is probable that a Selection Committee of three will be chosen from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. It is likely that either a Queensland team or a New South Wales team will also visit the Dominion before the close of the coming season." Mr McLean said that the Southerners were most interested to hear from him that tlie'English League contemplated sending a team to New Zealand for the coming season. ASSOCIATION. The first meeting of the bovis' subcommittee was held in the V.M.C.A. rooms last evening. Mr A. Turley occupied the chair. The work of the previous year was revised, and the review showed that undoubtedly marked progress had been made through the untiring efforts of the outgoing committee. The prospects for the coming season are even brighter than ever before, as the association has now acquired grounds of their own, and this will enable more teams to enter for competition. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Mr A. Turley, chairman: Mr Percy Stainton, hon. secretary. A hearty vote of thanks ayus accorded the retiring secretary, Mr W. O. Long, for his invaluable services.