FOOTBALL.

Evening Star, Issue 10401, 24 August 1897, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

WELLINGTON V. OTAGO. [Special to the Star.] WELLINGTON, August 24. It haa been definitely decided by the local Union to send a team to Dunedin this season. The question of victory or defeat in the contest with Auckland had nothing whatever to do with the matter, as was ungenerously su gg ea ted by a Dunedin correspondent of a local paper. The Southern tour was opposed by many members of the local Union, on the ground' that Wellington was not under any obligation to visit Otago this year, seeing that the Southern Union had only visited Wellington once in nine years, and had taken five years to return tho viaib of ths Northern Uniou, and had not accepted the suggestion of the Wellington Union to make the match an annual one. On these grounds alone a majority of the Committae was against the tour. However, as Wellington was bound to visit Canterbury, it was decided to continue the journey South. The strength of the team was not thought of. As a matter of fact Wellington has not been so weak before, either in the forward or the back division, and the loss of Pauling, Calnan, and Roberts, all members of the New Zealand team, has still further weakened their combination. The. tour will Open at Invercargill on the Bth. Otago will be played on the 11th, and Canterbury on the 18th.

AUCKLAND v, WANGANUI. _ . WANGANUI, August 24. This match, played here to-day, resulted in favor of the visitors by 3 points to nil. Absolum scored at the corner flag within ten minutes of the call of time. Wanganui played a surprisingly brilliant game.- '

The ‘Taranaki Herald,’ in Pa report of the Auokland-Taranaki match, attributes the downfall of tho local team to the suspension of senior cup matches while the New Zealand team were on tour in Australia, and also to the fact that the team were only picked a couple of days before the contest, in consequence of which the players were not given an opportunity to practise. At thejast meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union mention was made of the fact that the Wellington Union had suggested that the New Zealand Union should give a trophy to members of the New Zealand team, and that the local Union were willing to pay a proportion of the expense in so far as providing their own members with trophies. It was decided that the affiliated unions be communicated with as to whether they would be willing to pay the cost of providing mementoes for their representatives, . .

. Priest, M‘Ara, and Macdonald left for Clinton this afternoon, and will arrive at Invercargill to-morrow morning. September 11, the date fixed for the-Otago-Wellington match, is also the day on which the Hunt Club meeting will be held.

The five-a-side tournament, to be held on the Caledonian Ground on Saturday, - gives every indication of being a success, a large number of tickets having already been disposed of. The tournamenthas been promoted by the Otago Football Association for the purpose of liquidating the debt incurred over the interprovincial tournamentheldherelastyear. As the object is a worthy one, it is to be ■hoped that footballers and the' public generally will accord the movement the support it fdeserves. The O.F.A. have decided to present the winners with trophies, and this, no doubt, will have the effect of Influencing every individual player to do his best, with the result that hard and fast games will be the order of the day. Scoretaries of clubs are reminded that entries close to-morrow evening at,six o’clock. It is probable that a team of “ old buffers ” will compete, and as they are all ex-interpros they should give the team they happen to be drawn against a lively time of it.