RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 101, 29 April 1921, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE SEASON'S KICK-OFT. AT EDEN TARK TO-MORROW. The Rugby football teams of Auckland will kick off for the season to-mor-row afternoon at Eden Park and Devonport- Every ' indication goes to showthat the clubs are taking the game more eeriously than they have done for the past two seasons, practices having been more largely attended and keener than ever before, and it is certain that whatever the football form show n by the individual teams the players will turn out conspicuously lit, and "the games will be fast. It is anticipated that the game on No. 1 ground at Eden Park, between University and College Rilles, will provide very fast football, with little' between the teams. Sprcial interest attaches to the meeting of Grammar and Tonsonby (on No. 2 ground), for the Poneonby team is looked on as likely to give last year's champions the game of their life. ilarist Brothers and Grafton both have strong sound teams, and they should be evenly matched. At North Shore the residents will once again have good Rugby at their door, and the resuscitated Devon port Club is of a calibre to justify not only prospects of a win against Newton to-morrow, but of finding the ?hore team anions the front-ran-kers later in the season, though Newton is reported to be a team now that

cannot tie considered lightly. The teams are: — GRAMMAR OT.n P.OTS. ■Seniors.—Biin. s . Williams, V. Uaflelev, ?.°??T. ln - f- Ba<Mc - T . K. Ifwersen, Wricht Mc-Lul.iviig-li, la.rlor. Arnold. Heather Menlips. Cleal, Knight, 'Liutott. Reserves' llwile. Olsen. ltoliinson. • . GRAKTUN. Seniors.—Flnlay. Hntrhcs. I.arai. <3>. Gnsjmrich. Wakerley. Harelay, Xnnkos. Pn.wop Brendle, Dixon. Cn-.Uson, Hansch, Moore] IDobson, Nicholas, McLeod. XORTII SMOKE. ■Seniors.—Mnrtin, Houshton. Firth, B. "White. McGinlny. ' SomervlUe.' lloswei], Carruth. Stlchburv, Shepherd Goudie Henry, Paltrey. XEYVTON. ■Seniors.—Wnld ins. M.irtin. liookeT. Clarke, Loujrrflle. Anderson. Ki\rl, Clark, Kelly. Thomas, Mnrrell. O'Omdy, Uixon, iMonahan, Wilkln, Kirtherford. Frost, iMclilwaln. CaspJey, Maekle. PARXELL. The following members of the Paraell Football Club are requested to meet nt •Eden Park at 1.30 p.m.:—Hancock. Stanley, Rowe, Mc-Clure (3). Canon. "Mitchell. iSounhwen. Callaghan Cloke. MrCann. McDowell. Jerrat. Wright. Swaffield, Maddren. Calsley. Smith, 'Gedye, 'Hardwick, Cleave, Elliott Gunning. SEW 2EALAX£> UNION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. The annual meeting of the New Zealanc .Rugby Union was held to-day. Mr. J. Mc ■Leod (Taranaki) presided. In moving th< adoption of the annual report, the chainnai said the game had had a good season lasyear. They had only to stand hy amateur ism and they would come into a "boom. . The .Rugby game and others were on trial The South Africans' visit would be a Wj thing for New Zealand 'Rugby. As to nev nilos. only rules approved by Englan< •would be played. England would have gone fnrther than New Zealand by maktn , . ft possible in certain circumstances for th< jrame to be played by 14 men instead of 13 The spirit of this was understood, but thi fact remained that this was a sreater ad vance towards the rules of Northern Unioi than anything proposed by New Zealand The motion for the adoption of the repor ■was carried. Officers were elected as follows:—Pairon Lord Jeilicoe: president, Mr. .T. McLeoc (Taranaki); treasnrer. Mr. E. "Wylie: anrll tor, Otfr. O. <5. Kernhrr: English representn tive. Mi. Cecil Wray; appeal council (It Cbristchurch). Messrs. W. G. Garrard. F Cowlleshaw, and G. H. Mason; Managemen Committee, Messrs. G. W. Slade, G. A ■Howe, H. Paton. S. -S. Dean, A. J. Griffiths A. T. 'BalUey, and E. little. It was resolved that the schools' gran for the 1921 season be £300. A proposal t< reduce the grant was heavily defeated. I

uras stated that It was proposed to earmai the prollts from the Moafcar Cup contes for the benefit of primary schools. It was Tesolved to set up commissions to go into the question of a rearrangement of the South Auckland-North Auckland boundaries. " FATHEH OF RUGBY." EX-AUCRLAN.D'EiR HONOURED. (By TelegTaph—Special to "Star..") WELLINGTON, this day. A gratifying compliment was paid toy the New Zealand Rugby Union at its annual meeting, when the ex-Anckland ret>.. Mr. Oeorgre Dlxon. now residing in Wellington, was made a life member of the union, this •being the first appointment of the kind. Mr. G. W. Slade (treasurer) moved the motion, which was greeted with hearty ■pplause. .Speakers referred to Mx. Dixon's long association with Rugby, and his etnunch loyalty to the amateur principle. The motion was carried unanimously, the

chairman remarking that Mr. Dixon was the -father" of .Rugby football In New Zealand. .He presented Mr. Dixon wita a gold token as the first life member. Mr. Dlxon expressed his acknowledgments, remarking that he had been connected with itugby football for thirty years He believed sincerely that the game of Jtugby had done more than anything else of the kind to build up good honest citizenship. He hoped it would continue to progress on amateur lln«s, the game being played for its own sake. <Applause.) , >TEW ZEALAND'S PROGRAMME. TEAM TO TOUR BRITAIN IN 1924. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) : WELLINGTON, this clay. The TJew Zealand Rugby Tnion decided that there shall be one Inter Island niatctt this season to be played at Chriatchurch on July 2. also thut a British, team be Invited to visit New Zealand in 1922, a French team invited for I£«3, and a New Zealand team to visit Great Britain la 1924.