A FOOTBALL REVERSE

Northern Advocate, 18 June 1925, Page 4

A FOOTBALL REVERSE

The defeat of the New Zealand Rugby Union's representatives at Sydney yesterday will, no doubt, be regarded as a grave misfortuno by a great many New Zealanders who take their football very seriously. Last Saturday the All Blacks apparently had no difficulty in beating the New South Wales representative side, and though it was apparently a stronger team which took the field yesterday, "on paper" the success of the New Zealanders in the second match was reasonably well assured. Football, however, is an uncertain game, as most games are, and under conditions which were not favourable to spectacular play the unexpected happened. The result is a blow to the self-esteem of a country which has the wonderful record of last year's All Blacks still very fresh in its memory, but the occasion is scarcely one for a period of national mourning. Rugby football after all is but a game, and if we are to enjoy it in a sporting spirit we must be prepared to accept defeat when it comes and to congratulate those who have the ability and the good fortune to lower our colours. That a team in New South Wales should succeed in doing so is the more gratifying because the Rugby code of football in that ■ country has to compete against strong opposition for public favour. We , are told that only 2500 spectators attended yesterday's match in Sydney: if New South Wales played North Auckland at Whangarei the attendance would I be at least as large. Perhaps the average Sydneyite is not so keen about games . as we are in this country, and perhaps '< we are inclined to be too keen and to devote rather too much time to big football. Already a Sydney University team has visited the principal centres of the Dominion this season; there are 60 or more intorprovincial matches to be played during the next three months, and some one is suggesting that the All Blacks now in Sydney should play four matches against last season's All Blacks. The Football Association and the Rugby League also have big programmes, and with hockey and golf and a few minor pastimes, the winter sports programme of the Dominion attains proportions of surprising magnitude. There is danger of this kind of thing being overdone." If play completely takes the place of work we may find ourselves in difficulties. Even a successful All Black tour, though it may serve a purpose in advertising New Zealand, 'doe£ not produce the wherewithal to"'meet our financial obligations. "'