FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1407, 6 April 1912, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

[Br AIUSTOBIJI/BS.I E. Roberts for Athletic. Some surprise has boon caused in local football by tho announcement that E. Koberts (ist: James and representative half) had decided to throw in his lot with the Athletic Club during tho coming season. Tho announcement is not lacking in confirmation, and it is now certain that the St. Janies Club which has had able assistance from Koberts for some years past will have to look for a new man behind tho scrum. Probably tho vacancy will be filled by Israel, who played representative football in Napier last season. A nuiulwr of other now faces will he been in the St. .lames ranks this season, notably C. Manning. Marlborougli and South Island representative; Icggatt, n Southland representative; Jacobs, of Otaki; Poananga, of the Maori team; Howie, of Ponoke; end Biggs. Though naturally upset by tho loss of Roberts, the St. James men are hopofiil of (loin? well in tho championship again this season. Appointment of Referees. Followers of Rugby are anxiously waiting tho outcome of the negotiations between the Wellington Itugby Union am! tho Wellington Hugby licl'wees' Association. The decision of the union to alter tho system of appointing referees was arrived at at Hie annual meeting of delegates after a good number of the delegates had left for home. Considering tho importance of the question at issue this was regrettable , ! although it is quite possible that-had tho matter been" dealt with earlier in tho evening when all tho delegates werb present, the motion would have been carried by a larger majority. However, the main thing is that tha union has decided on the alteration and it is to be hoped that a- satisfactory arrangement will to como to before the championship matches start. From what one can gather both the union eommitteo and the referees seem to bo in n conciliatory mood and perhaps all differences will be settled in the course of a week or so.

At the Other Side. Tho state of the rival Rugby games in Now South Wales may bo gauged from the fact that the New South Wales Rugby Union's statement of revenue and expenditure for the year ending December 31 last shows tho receipts for tho period to havo been JMO3 Us. 3d., and the disbursements <£IG3 11s., leaving a deficit on the year's workings of .£159 165., 9d. The union's ass-ots arc .£1429 Os. 2d. in ex-cer-s of the liabilities. But (says the "Uefereo"), the annual report of New South Wales Rugby Lenguo tells of a prosperous season in the city, and the growing popularity, of the game, in the country districts. Tho financial statement discloses a liapny condition of affairs. There is a balance on the year's workings of -Ji'iHa Its. 5d., which, added to the credit from season 1910, shows a balance of .£3887 12s. Ed. The finances of tho Knglish tour are not included. Notes. A meeting of the International Board of Rugby football was held in London recently, and was important to us in that its colonial policy was discussed, comments a writer in tho "Otago Witness." Tho cablegram had informed us of tho invitation to the South African Union to send a team to England this season, and only the other day it was cabled that South Africa had accepted. Now the claims of New Zealand were put forward, but rejected in favour of tho South Africans. Why? That is a question the New Zealand liugby Union might answer; or must one seek tho reason from Kngltiml? Tho answer may bo contained in the following;—" The Nsw Zcalambrs had shown us the great possibilities of the game by methods, some of which were clever, and others which, to put it very plainly, were uiidisirable. Then came the South Africans, wham it is to be hoped we shall have, again with us in another year. Their plav had its features. They were not so skilful as the All Blacks, but very sound." There we have it. The New Zealander.;' methods were not "sporting," aci-ordin;; to British ideas, while tho methods of the South Africans, though less skilful, were.

11. 'Paton, the OtaßO and New Zealand representative forward, who came out of his retirement last >easo:i to assist Ota-jo in Hie representative matches, is under oi'dt'v for transfer to Wellington, reports a southern exchange. The departure of tho Duneilin player will be as gv-sat a loss fo local football as his arrival in Wellington—should he elect to play will be a gain in t'ie nortluru city. Paton, who, if memory servos, orifcii'ally played as a, back, but who found his true position' in tho forward?, lias boc:i a particularly iisi'l'iil representative for Otano /iince ho first won honours in ISOO. His nil-round work in (lie pack, but particularly his long-range kicking, hns been of incalculable value to Otng:; representative trams in the past. While rc;;rpiii)ijf Patau's departure, everyone will congralulats him on his promotion. (in-alil M'.Kcllur, the ox-Wellington forward and New Zealand representative, lias Ireon dented to a sent on (lie maiiajfoniPiit committee of the I'irates' C.'lul), Dunediu. Tte is «n excellent clubman, anil a good footballer, though in his first season last year he did not reproduce his best Wellington form. With a year's residence, ho has become, acclimatised, and will no doubt furnish ample, proof during the apprcaching sea-oii of lii.s worth. 'I'll? wins-fnnvard, which received fueh henrl.v eendemnation from llii> London pros at I In- lime of thp .All blacks' lour of (ireat Jin'tain, is now accepted by (ho same critics as nil excellent piece of Husby inaehiiury. Whero they ]ire-vioii.-l.r i-.ii.-td a storm of- iii(]i};unlioii, they iimv stop lo appluud. One ))aper which had it deal (n say in raiui-piiinatioii of Ci.ii;aKlu>r lind thi> the oilier d;.v afler the inlpriwtir-iial inaloh lietweon Kivland and Wales: "The \Vrlsh puck ,vns (he best seen nf recent ycarf. the lar-k of a really first-clnss wius-forward bciii[j its Milj , deflcicuoj."-