FOOTBALL.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 8, 9 July 1903, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

WELLINGTON RUGBY UNION. Last evening the Wellington Rugby Union disqualified for twelve months the captain of the Petone IV. team, on a charge of having written out an incorrect team on his slip for a match on the previous Saturday week. Authority -was given to the Secretary to grant a permit to one of the city clubs to make a presentation to a prominent player on the eve of his departure for Australia. A long discussion took place on the matter of ladies having been charged a shilling for entrance to the ground last Saturday. It was brought out that the charge was made through a misunderstanding, and it was admitted that if practicable ways of making a refund could be thought of the union would meet the liability. It was resolved to tender apologies through advertisements in the papers sxpressing the regrets of the union for the misunderstanding. Steps ■will be taken that such a mistake will not occur again. A protest was received from the D.I.C. against a match won by the Permanent Artillery on the ground that the latter played a man ineligible to take part in the match. It was decided to write to the Artillery Secretary on the matter, and leave decision in abeyanc* until next week. Permission was granted to the Civil Service to play matches against Wellington second, and Railways v. Post and Telegraph on Wednesday next, under the usual conditions. ■ It was resolved that Mr. King be appointed manager for the Wairarapa tour and Mr. Stevens for the Horowhenua trip. 'iwo selectors for the Wednesday competition (Messrs. Read and Priest) were elected. The selection of a third was left for a future occasion. THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM. The members of the New Zealand team are beginning to arrive in town prior to their departure for Sydney on Saturday next. R. M'Gregor, the selected fullback, and one of Auckland's representatives, arrived last night, and his fellowAucklanders are expected to-morrow night. All the Southerners, with the exception of M. Wood, who comes across the Straits by Saturday morning's steamer, will also be here to-morrow night. During their short stay in Wellington the team will be housed at the Trocadero. , The match on Saturday beween the New Zealand team and a fifteen selected from the Wellington provincial unions, is exciting much attention. No defections have been made from the ranks of the New Zealanders, and present advices point to the Wellington combination going on to the field in its entirety. A fine exposition of the game may be anticipated. His Excellency the Governor, Sir Joseph and Lady Ward; have intimated their intention to be present at the match, by request of the New Zealand and Wellington Unions. Arrangements have been made for afternoon tea to be supplied on the ground.. After the match—at 5.45 to be correct —a"send-off" dinner will be given the New Zealand team in .the Trocadero. The Mokoia leaves at 8 o'clock, and it is hoped that there will be a big muster, on the wharf to give the team a hearty sendoff. It would appear from the Dunedin Press Association telegram published on Tuesday that the Otago Union has accepted the view of the New Zealand Union as to the disqualification of the Oamaru player Hegarty—viz., that a disqualification iunder a bylaw becomes a nullity when the bylaw is declared ultra vires. It would appear from the somewhat doubtful wording of the telegram that the Otago Union will not remove the disqualification because it has been "ipso facto removed." At any rate, the threatened difficulty appears to have evaporated. The language of the telegram in dealing with the Porteous incident is also somewhat doubtful, but it would appear that the Otago Union holds the referee to have been mistaken, and Porteous to be justified. "His charging an opponent, for which he was ordered off, was unavoidable." Nothing is said as to how the union proposes to deal with the Kaikorai team as a whole, which is reported to have left the field when Porteous was ordered off. Even if the referee was mistaken, what justification is there for the team's action ? At Newtown Park yesterday Permanent Artillery defeated the Star team by 10 points to 3. At a meeting of referees and the management coniraittee of the W.P.A., Mr. A. E. Gibbs presided. The rules were thoroughly gone into, and members present derived much benefit from the questions asked and answered. A Board to examine referees was set up, Messrs. A. E. Gibbs, C. Lawrence, and A. Williams being elected to fill the position of examiners. Another matter that referees decided to see into is the illegal bars aud studs that some players have on their football boots, so players are warned to give their attention to this, as once a leferee orders them off the field, even if they put on other boots, they will be unable so take any further part in thegame. There was a good attendance of members and friends at the monthly meeting of the Yorkshire Society held last night, and a very enjoyable evening was spent in negotiating a progressive euchre tournament. The winners of the prizes for the most wins proved to be Mrs. Lawes and Mr. Isaac, whilst, the booby piisew fell to the lot of Mrs. and Mr. Hanson. The date of the annual dinner was not definitely fixed, but it will probably take place towards the end of August. '-'They remind me of a line of Browning poem after it has been discussed by a Browning Society."—Mr. Justice Denniston on a Legislative licensing tangle.