NORTHERN UNION FOOTBALL,

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 400, 8 January 1909, Page 7

NORTHERN UNION FOOTBALL,

CABLE RECEIVED FROM> HOME! THE NEW ZEALAND REPLY.. : It is practically certain that a British football team, under Northern Union rules, will visit. Australia, during the: coining season,: arid efforts are being made to ,arrange' an extension of the'visit to. New Zealand.--Mr. D. Fraser, secretary/of tho.New Zealand: Rugby Football Club, has : received the following cablegram from. Mr. Joseph Piatt, secretary of the Northern Union League, Oldham, Lancashire: : "Australia offers ub sixty per cent, of the gross takings for next season. Are you sufficiently organised to give us the : same- terms for six ; :representative, matches :in Now Zealand on suitable grounds?" _. ■ . ■ • ' . The following reply was oabled: "Only established short time, not sufficient to warrant visit j writing." Speaking to a. DojiinioN v ; representative yesterday, Mr. Fraser explained that Mr. J. ,T. Giltinau, secretary' of the ' Australian, team now iu England, - has offered tho Northern Union League a guarantee of £3000: .and .60 per cent, of the gate money for a visit to ; Australia.. "The position," he said, "is this.' We would -have nothing to do ' with bringing an English team to Australia, but, if they did come, wo invite them here. We would make terms with them.-in- Australia, but wo would not do this while' they are in England., In my letter to them . I .stated that I .thought that; the; gates they would receive in.: Australia and New Zealand at. the,present time would not, warrant their .coming; ' I consider, that- if they came they would be certain to give a better, exposition-:of- football;than .the last, .Anglo-Welsh-'team, and would 'not be m .disappointing -.to,'. New Zealanders. I think the people of New Zealand are sick and tired, of football; they have, had too.much of it, and therefore that a trip would not pay.' As to organisation, we havo the players, but'the trouble is grounds. If this difficulty were overcome, I am absolutely certain that there would be a future for professional football' in Now Zealand."

Mr. Frasor expects to seo a number of clubs playing the Northern Union gamo next winter, probably in most parts of the Dominion. ' ■

; If.the visit f is made,,the Australians want a New Zealand team to go to Australia and participate in a tournament between Rngtand, Australia, _ and' Now Zealand. It is probable that this suggestion would be acted' upon. . In any ease, a visit is cortain to be mado to Australia during the season. .