COLLEGE TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 74, 24 September 1938, Page 26

COLLEGE TOUR

SUCCESS OF BOtS

CONFIDENCE IN FUTURE

iff there,; were any doubts -in. thm minds of Soccer authorities as to ths advisability of sponsoring the tour, of Australia by the New Zealand secondary schools' .team, they must have been set at rest in views'of the splendid performances of the side, says Jhe. "Auckland Herald." Apart from the actual winning, of matches,'; the team has done a tremendous amount towards drawing attention to the fact that the code itself and the standard attained in the secondary schools merit much greater recognition from those responsible for the tqontroLofcsp^iin^-New1 Zealand colleges. :- :=:.-• The visit of. the Australians in 1938 and the English tour last year, revealing as they did the-weaknesses of senior Soccer in -the Dominion, somewhat dashed the hopes of New Zealand enthusiasts, and the prospect of New Zealand sides ever-reaching'in-ternational status seemed more remote than it had done 15 years previously, when local talent was considerably bolstered owing to. the immigration scheme bemg in operation. In view of this, the success of the schoolboys on their Australian tour will do much to restore confidence in tiie future of the code.' ' " ■'"■''■■:. " :- ■■■'•'-.. ■ There is no comparison at present between senior Soccer in Australia and New Zealand, the Commonwealth, players carrying a marked superiority. However, the fact that New Zealand can field a schools' eleven, picked at very short notice, which can show their Australian rivals ,the finer ~ points of the game, indicates that New Zealand, has the requisite talent and what is most needed is a serious attempt to develop it. The New Zealand Council in sponsoring the tour just completed has made a fine start, and the success of the experiment clearly, points out the policy which should be followed in the future. •..' ... ■■■.-'■. r