FOOTBALL NOTES.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 9835, 18 September 1897, Page 2

FOOTBALL NOTES.

[By t)ROP Kick.] ♦'Weekly Press and Referee." The curtain was rung down in football in Canterbury on Saturday last, when the weather was all that could be desired; indeed the season throughout will be remembered as one of the driest experienced for many years, playing having been postponed on only one Saturday owing to bad weather. The final trial match was played at Lancaster Park when an even game was witnessed, but the public took very little interest in the contest, nioet people preferring to witness the seven aside tonrnament oy the President's Cupplayers, which was held, on the adjoining ground. The team chosen to play for Canterbury against Otago at Dunedin on Saturday is a fairly good one, but, in the absence of

Fanning and Brooker, it is hardly as strong forward as the combination that wag beaten by Wellington on Saturday week. Reveli has been picked as emergency, and Thomson, Chambers and Duggan, who are included, are all now to representative football, aa ia Midilleton, who replaaea Glennie at five* eighths. Judging oy the results of trie matches played by Wellington in the south, the Canterbury team should render a good account of themselves, although both games should be close ones. The team meets Southland this day week. Before the Wellington team started on their southern tour it was telegraphed from Wellington to tho papers that it was tho weakest team that had been sent away for years. If such is the case, it does not aay much for the condition of football in the south, as the northerners won all three mutches thoy played. Report says that the Wellington team showed a lot more roughness than was necessary on Saturday, end in the other two matches they did not appear to mind how hard they threw their man when tackling.

" Wanderer," of the London Sportttman acknowledges the receipt from Mr S. E* Sleigh of the " Otago Rugby Union Annual," and he gives a laudatory paragraph about the book.

The Hawko's Bay Rugby Union held a trial match on Saturday, when the Probablee beat the Possibles by 14 points to 7, and after the game the following team was selected to play against Wellington t>t Wellington on Saturday next: —Full-back Caultou ; throe-quarters, Troon, Williams' Bear; five-eighths, W. O'Connoll; half, J. D'Connell; wings, Simmonds, D. O'ConneH* forwards, Speedy, Johnston, Qeordino, lj\ Caldwell, Hobson, Merritt and Haves.' Emergencies—Back, Lynskey ; forwards' Cheer, Speight, Tankard" aud Thompson. "'

In the match Ellesmere v. Greymouth on the ground of the latter on Monday 'the v isitors won by 8 to 3, a goal from a try and one try to one try, Graham scoring both tries for the visitors. Sheedy captained tho homo team and Graham the visitors, whose forwards played a good game.

The New Zealand Rugby Union has refused the request of the Wellington Union for a copy of the ovidence upon whioh the recent disqualifications were based, on the ground that tho men are under the control of tho New Zealand Union, and that some of the evidence was of a confidential nature It was decided to take no action re providing medals for the members of tho team, as the local Unions wero not unanimous.

At the annual meeting of the Northern Union, held ut Manchester on July 20th, the line out was entirely demolished, the follow ing important rule being unanimously carried: "The ball is in touch when it or a player carrying it touoh or cross tho touch lino—it shall then belong to the side opposite to that last touching it in the field of play. One of the side to whom the ball belongs shall bring it into play by punting it from touch at or behind the spot where it crossed the touch line. Tho ball may be kicked in any direction, but must not bo kicked over the goal line of the sido taking the kick. The opposite sido may come up to and charge from anywhere on or behind a line drawn through the spot where tho ball crossed the touch line, and parallel to goal lino. On any infringement of this law the ball shall belong to the opposito side. The kickor's side must be behind the ball when the kiok is taken." With regard to the kick-off from the centre aud drop out from the twenty-five yards line, it was decided: "That if the ball pitch into touch twice in succession it shall be scrummaged at mid-field or at the middle of tho twenty-five yards line, according to where the kick was taken from."

The following aro the results of the Premiei'shij) matches played in Melbourne on August 21st:— Colling wood beat Melbourne by 7 goals 9 belauds to 7 goals 5 behinda. Kssendon boat Geelong by 5 goals 5 behinds to 3 goals 11 behinds. Port Melbourne boat Richmond by 13 goals 9 behinds to 3 goala 3 behinds. Williamstown beat North Melbourne by 9 goals 7 behinds to 2 goals 5 behinds. Footscray beat Bruuswiok by 3 goals 10 behinds to 2 goals 8 behinda, A disgraceful scene was witnessed at the match nelweeh Iho Victorian and South Australian Clubs at Broken Hill on August 21st. The game was stopped by an oxcifed crowd, who rushed the ground when tjie . South Australians wove leading by 2 goefo 5 behinds (17 points) to 1 goal 7 behindß'|l3 points). Great rivalry exists between the two clubs, who are running almost level Xt the premiership. >