FOOTBALL FUN

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 248, 14 July 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL FUN

THE PRESENT AND THE PAST. At least ono retailer is alive to tho Interest that is being taken in Rugby football in Wellington this year, and has devoted one of his show windows in Courtenay Place to fun and facts about the national game. Here is a stanza anent tho recent "tragedy” in Wellington about which much moan is heard: Teddy, oh Teddy , it is a great sin. They left you out when you should have been in; It’s hard, it’s hard, and will cause you much pain, SflWtit the second test we’ll sea you again. The incident is humorously caricatured in' another way, by a recumbent Teddy bear, and "Miss Zealand’’ (a big doll) shedding copious tears as she whines: "I want my Teddy!” Another bit of fun, depicted by marionettes, is made out of the three recent defeats of the Poneke Club. Miss Poneke, with a "black and rod face, is shown wrapped up in a shawl, and a card proclaims that she is very sick, and gives n word from the doctor stating that her recovery is doubtrul. On pedestals are displayed in coloured crinkled paper the caps of the clubs which have downed the Ponekes. In rehearsal of the past glories of that chib are shown several groups of Poneke teams in their invincible days. To add still further to the interest In the old game, are exhibited photographic groups of Wellington and Now Zealand representative teams. One of these is tho fine team of 1884—the first toam visit Australia. This team, which won every match, was taken to Australia at Hie sole risk of Mr. Sleigh, its manager, and was one of the great teams which Built up tradition in Rugby football as far as New Zealand is concerned. Its members were:—H. Roberts (Wellington), Allen (Otago), J. Warbrick (Auckland), Tairoa fOtago), Milton (Canterbury), T/ockie (Auckland), Wilson (Canterbury), Tfdy (Wan-arapa), DumheJl (Wellington), E. Davy (Wellington), Ryan (Auckland), O'Donnell (Otago), Helmore (Canterbury), Carter (Auckland), Webb (Wellington), and Braddon (Otago). * The photograph is euriout, in several aspects. 'AI! the players wore long "knickerbooker” trousers, which came well over tho knee. P. P. Webb (recently deceased) wears a full heard, and Joo Warfcrick has "sideboards." Another exhibit of note is a programme of the match played in Wellington by tho first English Rugby .team to visit New Zealand, of which A. E. Stoddart was the cap tain. A fine photograph of tho Springboks li a feature of the display.