" CRAMPING RUGBY." " WATCH THE COLONIES!"

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 147, 18 December 1907, Page 3

" CRAMPING RUGBY." " WATCH THE COLONIES ! "

AMATEURS AND PROFESSIONALS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDOX, Bth November. To a leading London paper a football critic who signs himself "C.A.L." contributes some notes which arc sure to be of interest to I£ew Zealand readers. At the outset he puts tho query : "How is the Rugby football season faring without the visit of an amateur team from tho colonies?" Certainly there has been little sensational to chronicle -to date, for tho amateurs have entirely ignored the doings of tho "Pro. lilacks' against cluba attached to the professional Northern Union. "The general impression in the South of England," he goes on to remark, "is possibly that the New Zcalanclcrs are not a success financially, but if. one considers how small their travelling expenses arc compared to the 'All Blacks' und 'Bokken,' and also that they are fjetting very good 'gates. 1 it would bo absurd to write f hat professionalism cannot be mad© to pay in Rugby. It is fairly certain, therefore, that if Mio 'Pro. Blacks' return to their homes with a substantial cash balance, those iv Maoiiland may get hold of a falsa impression as to ths status of amateurism in England. Those in 2Ccv/ Zealand should be inada to reiiliso (hat the visit of a professional team }fts not caused a single amateur player or spectator's pulse to rise ahoyp. normal. 'I his would make our cousins abroad understand that there aro some cherished traditions still existing in our football. "Perhaps it would bo as well for tho Rugby Union to adviso the New Zealand amateur body to this effect, unlosu the indefatigable ilr. V/ray Palliscr, who looks after New Zealand's inifircstK over here, has already done so. Even then there is novci* any harm in ibminding the colonies, for an oflicial letter or two— about nothing in particular — keeps the ball lolling und the 'ganiti alive. When New South Wales offered to send it team to England this season the English Uuion deferted talking very seriously of such a thing until later. Of course, they were not to foresee that proiessionaliMn was suddenly to spring up 'down under.' But such contingencies fchould be anticipated, and it is safe to say that thero would have been no split in Australian Rugby had an amateur Australian team ueeu at present touring in f England. Although it would be obviously unjust to blame Kncjland, onfe will be justified in doing so if the authorities fail to keep tlr.s kind of international amateur rivalry booming in the future. VISIT O.P AN ENGLISTI TEAM. "The visit 'ot an 'English' team (one d.iro not hope that it will bo really representative oi •British' Rugby, although it is understood that several well-known players other than English are willing to go) to New Zealand next year, is a great thing to look forward to," continues "C.A.L." "From all accounts it would appear that we have never had <i finer chance of thowing otii" prov ess than at present. At the liino the New Zealanders visited England in 1900 they had put together a remarkable Jot of backs, such men behind the scrum as are rarely found in a country during a season. Since then tho?u oil tho othor side have lost some of those 'giants,' -tr.d word reachesone from time to time thut new men have not been found to fill tho vacancies and keep up the prestige of their predecessors. Surely, this is not very remarkable. "If we are to believe that such is the case — and the New Zealand forwards were not wonderful during their I ant season — we have reason to bo hopeful, provided the right team leaves England. Social status must be sacrificed for playing ability. Nobody would suggest that invitations arc being sent to 'men with beautiful clothes' — as a theatrical manager once said — but Ihero is i'hvays a tendency to cast the 'glad' eyo on men of good tocial standing whenever v tour abroad is to be arranged. The New Zealanders were certainly not woiricd by such 'trifles.' Naturally, it is not nearly time yet to fix upon Iho definite composition of the side, as this season is sure to bring some new 'live' men — tho type lequirod for a lengthy com — into prominence. Wo are fortunate in having tsuch a keen worker as Mr. Harnott looking after things ;, at all events we can rely upon him getting an early 'Yes' or 'No' from a man invited, and thus obviate the I muddle which occurred shortly befoic our . ciicl'et tiMm !eft for Australia. .Meanwhile, it is more than suflii'ient for the aveiage Rugby enthusiast to think of how the pri-sent (■.eusou is getting nlon^. This is a quality — or a fault — which in typical of Jluyby men. The fact that in the two previous seasons the New Zealanders and Africans! wore oreaMni* i\ boom in Rugby over heio has not been seriously taken as a standard to keep jp. Many hoped that tlio Rugby county championship would bo paraded as a 'dazzling' event in order to be billed in tho same large type a<? the roloni.il \ki'ors wore. Inslc'ul of v. h!ch the ujuniy competition, far from ri--ii]f>. lias become less intciesting in tin: mctiopolis."