ASSOCIATION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 18 May 1912, Page 9

ASSOCIATION.

We are in receipt of a copy of the report and balance-sheet to Be submitted to the New Zealand Association at its annual meeting. There has been an advance ir, the number of teams in New

Zealand of GO over the previous season. Wellington holds pride of place for number, 39, and is closely followed by 3tago, 86. It is rather surprising to learn that Canterbury has only eight. A. special feature of the game is the increase in the number of boy players, a fact that speaks well for its future. Boys and schools competitions have been instituted in Auckland and "Wellington. It is hoped that the suggested visit of an English team will, in the early future, take place. As a result of the Australasian conference recently held, the question of inter-State matches has been heartily taken up, and the first, a Queensland tour of New South Wales, will shortly take place. New South Wales are ready as soon arrangements can be made t° send a team to New Zealand. In Taranaki the game is gaining ground, and commands a fair amount of public support. Tho marvellous hold on the people of the Old Country is shown by the fact that tho big Association games draw much larger gates than any other winter game. The official returns of ike attendance and takings at Hampden Park, Glasgow, on March 23, when England and Scotland played a drawn game, disclose the fact that a new record has been established. In 1908 approximately 121,----400 people were within the confines of the Queen's Park ground, and now these figures are exceeded by, roughly, 6 000, the exact total being 127,307.