Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 84, 8 February 1902, Page 19

Rugby Football.

Mi T H\amv leave*, for Sydney on Satuidav to attend a conference with lepiesentatives of the New South Wales and Queensland Unions Mr Hvams will be the New Zealand Union's ropiesentative at the Conference At the tune of writing I am given to understand that j letter has been leceived from the New South Wales Unon detailing the older papei ot the Conference and the business to be dealt with comes as a surprise When Mr Hyams was appointed it was fulh understood that the mteichange ot \isits between New Zealand and New South WaJes and Queensland individually or as a Commonwealth, and the financing of such tours was to be the main business of the Conference and for these matters no abler man could be obtained than the gentleman appointed Now . I am told that interpretation of the laws of the game, and the better conduct of Rugby football generally are to be themes of discussion at the Conference, and. to my knowledge, Mr Hyams will not give unmixed satisfaction to the New Zealand footballing public if he is allowed a fiee hand on these subjects The thought runs thiough my head just here — and I can't help it — in the opinion of the New South Wales Rugby Union the abolition of the wing-forward w ould tend to the better conduct of the game Manager Hendei son's remarks at the reception, and his writings to the Sydney Referee," all give body to the thought. Now, some of us dearly love the wing forward, and we would not like to see Mr Hvams exposed to the whole force of New South Wales and Queens■and argument on this subject and then come back and tell us he had agreed with the Conference in abolishing the w mg-torw ard Main points come before the mind's eve m this connection and, after all is said that can be said it lesolves itself into this that the interpretation of the laws of the game and its better conduct had better be left alone at this Conference — the ai ranging of these intercolonial visits is quite enough business just now I wish Mr Hyams a oleasant tup He is bound to have the best of "good times " for the Conference has been arranged to fit iv with the fourth test cricket match between England and Australia, and he is to ba the guest of the New South Wales Union while in Sydney * * * Edcar Wyhe writes from Palmerston North that great interest is being taken there in the resuscitated Palmerston

North Football Club Already I have seen a letter asking the Poneke Club for a match, presumably at Easter time, and I believe the Oriental Club have been approached as well When one remembers the famous players that the Manawatu Union used to possess, and the big fights they made with the best of Wellington's teams, the promised revival of the game in that distnet is highly satisfactor\ and I trust unciualified success may attend the efforts of the revivalists. It lias always been a favourite notion ot mine that the Manawatu Union ought to embrace within itself the Horowlienua Union the two associated bodies acting a.s the northern and southern branches of the- one union, each having its separate competitions and management At the end of each season the winning team in each branch ought to play off for the championship of the whole union for the season Moreover, from the two branches could be chosen the Manawatu representative team, and this extended field of selection w ould tend to make the team a really strong one when finally selected Of course, the idea would involve the extinction of the Horowhenua Union in name, though not in reality, but the good that would be done the game, and the players under the two unions, would more than compensate for this slight disadvantage. The suggestion, at any rate is thrown out for the consideration of the management of the country union«