Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 94, 19 April 1902, Page 5

Rugby Football.

THK Poneke Footbal Club, which celebrated its twentieth anniveisary on Wednesday night h\ a concert, in the Exchange Hall, has had an eventful career since its incention in 1883. A few particulars of the doings of the club and its members. — moie paiticularh the hist fifteen— have been handed me by one of the club's most enthusiastic supporters and they make very interesting leading. Up to the end of last season, the first fifteen had taken part in 180 matches, of which 111 weie won, 48 lost, and 21 drawn. Calculated on the rate of scoring noir followed, they scored 13 "58 points as against 638 recorded by thenopponents. They ha,ve won the senior championship on seven occasions. Of the total points scored, T. R. Ellison obtained no fewer than 111 himself —24 tries, 18 goals from tries, and 1 penalty goal. W. Wallace follows Ellison with 68 points, scored in every possible way — 4 tries, 13 goals from tries, 1 potted goal, 6 penalty goals, and 2 goals from marks. W T . T. Wynyard runs Wallace very close with 65 points scored similarly — II tries, 3 goals from tries, 4 potted goals, one goal from a mark, and 2 penalty goals. Nicholls 60 points, J. Kelly 51 J. Muir .51 G. B. Lusk .51, W. Roberts 51, J. Pudnev 49, H. Lee 49 A. Merlet 46, H. Mclntvre 4>. C. Slattery 41, R. Sim 35, L. Pixon 27 H Moorhouse 24 all scored over 20 points of the grand total. In two seasons (1887-1888) the first fifteen played 18 matches, winning 16, losing one (by a goal to two tries — old scaring), and drawing one, and scored 145 points to 5 by their opponents. In cup matches, 1886, 1887, 1888, and 1889 their line was not crossed once Their biggest win was against Petone, in 1891, bv 34 points to nil, and their heaviest defeat was, strangely, at the hands of the same suburban team, m 1899 — 28 points 1 to 4. The club has been represented m big football by the following — Gage, Ellison, and Williams, Native team Gage, Wynyard, Ellison, Stuart, and Olmhant in the 1893 New Zealand team W. Roberts, 1897 New Zealand team against Queensland, 1896 Roberts, Gage, and Young North Island teams —1894, Roberts, Gage, Wynyard , 1897, Roberts. Others who have played in other matches in or for New Zealand, and have been at one time or other members of the club are — H. Roberts, 1884 New Zealand team H. Butland, 1893 team , G. Maber, 1894 C Caradus, 1894 North Island team Riley South Island, 1888 Fanning, South Island 1879 and H Lee, Native team. Mesrs. S. Nicholls, R. C. Sim, T R. Ellison, W. T. Wvnvaa-d, W J. White J Pudney, W. J. Wallace, and C. A McAnally have been the captains of the club during its career, the secretarial duties being carried out by Messrs. Jas. Hutchison (now president of the Otago Rugby Union) W. Beck, A F Wiren, J. J. Reich, M. F Marks, W. J. White, C. S. Cording, D. McKenzie and P A. Mcf'oll. * * * The Palmerston North footballers have received an unmerited set-back at the hands of the Rangitikei Sub-Union. That body, at its annual meeting on Saturday night last, declined bv 11 votes to 7, to affiliate either of the clubs from the town of the big smiaie. The reason given by those who spoke against the affiliation were to the effect that the admission of the two Palmeiston clubs would entail too much travelling on the other affiliated clubs, and that coming from a large town, they would be too strong for the clubs from the smaller country towns of the northern division of the union. The Palmerston delegates to the meeting made the first objection of no effect by stating the willingness of their club to meet the northern clubs at some convenient centre. The other argument is paltry, and leflects no credit on those using it. E\en admitting that the Palmerston clubs might be too strong for the other clubs in the Union, suiely that is no valid reason for debarring them from taking part' in the competitions. The delegates at the meeting in question must have a poor conception of Rugby footbaJl as a s-port. The stronger a club is — and the better football it plays — the more chance there is of an improvement of the play in the competition in which it takes part. And, therefore, if the game in the Rangifikei is to go ahead it oan only do so bv the introduction of

impiined styles ot pl<i> , and bet tea players. It must, not be toi gotten that eountiy dubs would profit bj their encounter with the town team*., and if the fifteen 1 epresenting Palmerston weie supenoi to the country fifteens, there is no eaithlv reason why this should continue foi any length of tune. The men from the country towns all have an. outdoor occupation, and thus w ould be in better condition" than the lepre&entatives of the town, and by playing against the ton n teams would soon acquire all their tucks and skill (if they have an\ ) Suio.lv, no better chance of becoming piohcient in the finer points of the game was over offered to a country team than the one the Northern Division of the lectine: tihe application for affiliation of Rangitikei Union has just lost bv ipthe two Palmerston Clubs There aae three courses open to the Palmeaston Club — (1) To revive the old Manawatu Union, (2) to affiliate with «ome other union , or (3) to join the Feil ding Club as individual members. Thei first is impossible, the second is impracticable, and the. third should be the course followed, an endeavour being made bv the Feil ding Club to enter two teams for the one competition. I offoi this suggestion to the Palmerston p]avers for what it is worth. * * * In my notes dealing with the annual meeting of the Bugbv Union, I oveilooked the appointment of Mr C. Bud a sole selector of the junior repiesentative teams. Mr. Bird is the. secretary or the Wellington Club, and w a<s le-el-ected to a, seat on the Management Committee', a position he had held for the gi eater portion of last season. It is his intention to follow the juniors m their pla.v, and he should give satisfaction in the position to w Inch, lie lias been appointed. He has had a lot of expenence as a player, and is a. good judge of ■what constitutes a representative and he will, when the time comes along, select teams representative of our lumor football. *■ * * I hear tha,t the Canterbun Rugby Union ha\e instiuctcd their delegate, to vote for the re-election of the secretaiy and treasurer of the New Zealand Union at the annual meeting neixt. week. The Wellington correspondent of the Dunedm 'Star," says, in writing on this .subject — One thing is piett\ certain — viz , a change in the secretaryship. It l^. not going too fax to say that a majont\ at least, of the "metropolitan unions will cast their votets foi Mr. Norns as against Mr. De Costa,, and most of the smaller unions will be ranged against tihe present, occupant." The writer of this paragraph may know how the Unions are going to vote — I don't. But there are many of us who take a keen interest in Rugby football affairs in Wellington who are thoroughh convinced that if the New Zealand Rugby Union is to fulfil its true purposes a change is wanted urgently m it, administrative officcers The present officers have held their positions for some considerable time now and can a solitary instance be cited wheie they have initiated a movement that has been for the betterment of the game ? I doubt, it— the New Zealand Union has simply followed the lead of the affiliated Unions instead of taking the lead itself ' It may be said that they brought about the visit of a New South Wales team to New Zealand last year. Of that there is no doubt, but did the present, secretary help forw ard the proposed visit the previous season by holding a, letter from the secretary of the New South Wales Union for six weeks befme calling a meeting of the Management Committee to consider it, because he thought a letter addressed to him m his official capacity was a private one p And, again, was it not a bad stroke of pohev that allowed the Rev. Mullineaux's team of English footballers to return to England without visiting this colony ? Another thing that hurts us heie is the treatment accorded the New Zealand teaan in Wellington last season by the executive officers of the Union. The men weie housed in a second-class hotel, when the best in the city should have been placed at their disposal They w ere allo^ ed to go in and out with no manager to supervise their movements, and. taking it all in all, they received scant attention from the Union they had tiavelled to Wellington to represent. Coming nearer home there is a subject that was referred to m these columns a few weeks back — the delegate to the Conference m Sydney Mr Kvams was "pitchforked" into that position, and a splendid opportunity of a reading on the rules applicable to the Commonwealth of Australia and this colony was allowed to slip. Why s Bocause the executive officers of the New Zealand Union were not far-seeing enough to perceive the benefits that would be derived from such a Conferonce.

i Continued on pnt/e 6.)

I toulcl go on and deal with the hubbub that, was laised agaanst the WelJington and Otago Unions foi the hospitalrU shown to the New South Wales team but that would bo too long a ston. Thine is a lot of othei little things, too, that, could be written about but I have no doubt they will be tJioioughh \emtilated at the annual meeting next week. The cad o\ the matter is tins A change is w anted and that badh r lhe New Zealand Union ought to gne a load on all matters of pohev to the affiliated unions, and in lecominenchng Mi. A C N orris foi the office of secietary I ha\e no hesitation in saving that the duties piei taming to that position will bt well and fa.ithfulh cairied out b^ him if elected He has a fine conception of what the New Zealand I mon should be, he know- the laws of the game- a,s well if not bottoi , than am one who could be named and is m clo«-e contact with the plaMiig aiena because ot the mam inteipi o\ mcial matches in which ho has acted a^ lefeiee On the othei hand, Mi De Costa would not be known iv football cucles it it did not happen that he. was secietaiv of the New Zealand Union Ho lias not of recent \ears, been known amount plaveis. and I doubt if many ot the officials even know lum b\ sight and ho has never set up to be an authority on the lules of the game Mr De Costa has earned out the duties of the office conscientiously enough according to his lights, but I am of the opinion that under his g™da»cP the New- Zealand Union has not fulfilled the objects for which it was instituted. If ho decides to retire, I would be one ot the first to advocate a pieeentation to him for his services, but. truth to tell I don't like the idea of his re-election and them being eiven leave of absence to o-o to Ensrland to talk rules with Mr Rowland Hill who has been desciibed as the conservative head of the English Union It has taken us a lot of time and trouble to pet even small concessions from the body that gentleman controls and it strikes me very forcibly tii at if Mr De Costa is allowed to meet him in conference all that we hnve striven for and gained may be taken ba'k with the result that the qamo would be thrown back a few years * * * Auckland papeis leport the retirement of Fut" Brady and Dug" Ha^ this season. I lemember the formei as eighties— w hen as five-eighths for the a junior player away back in the late Natne Rose Club, one of the best of its day — he used to bump up against the best of them. Walh " Rhodes, now a Wellington resident. was a iunior those times, too and he has many recollections of (% Fut's" prowess ' Actseon" says of Brady — ' He has been tor many years one of the mainstays of the Grafton and representative packs, and Ins well-known face and form will be greatly missed at Potter's " Of Ha\ , the same sciibe wntos — "Though he just missed greatness as a footballer, he has generally played fin eh a.t centre-halt five-eighths and tin ooquaiters. He represented Auckland in 1900 and 1901 " * * ♦ The Canterbuiv Rugby Union championships begin on Saturday The Southerners have a week's stint of us. Muddied Oaf" is the name the w nter of football notes in the Raneitikei "Advocate" has appiopriated to himself. McTigue, laist year Athletic Club and Wellington representative plavei is playing for the Merivale Club, in Christchurch, this reason The Auckland Rugby Union have leelected Messrs. C. E MacCormick and Y Langsford secreita,ry and tioasurer for the ensuing season Armstrong the Otago representatn c half-back, is now in Chustchuich and if he can obtain employment he will iomaiin thoie and play foi one of the local olubs. Tom Costello who captained New South Wales m New Zealand last season, is on the Management Committee of North S\dne\ Football Club foi the peas on The opening matches for the senior championship on Satin da^ next the 2(>th instant, are — Wellington v the tone Oriental v Athletic Poneke \ Old Boys Melro«e the bye The. Ne.w South Wales Rusrb\ Union have decided to invite the English Rugby Union to send a team to Australia in 1904 Could not the New Zealand Union '•end a similar invitation 3 The following clipping should be of special interest to the Referees' Association m its relation to the Rugln Union It is from a Dunedin pan or and is from an appeal to retired plaver'. to join the Referees' Association in that city — ' The Association provide iprsev<! a ,nd a whistle and if a member is to refeiee in a match out of town or where it is necessary to take a conveyance of any description his oxpen ses are paid "

Butt" Caiadus, well-know n in Wellington and Auckland tootball was a, jnemboi ot the Tenth Contingent winch lett Wellington on Monda\ last Mi J R. Hondei son has ai ranged to include in the Rugb\ Union Annual, which Mi W A Ra,nd compiles, an account ot the New South Wales team's toui in New Zealand " This should be mtei eating residing The Canterbury Rugb\ Union aie a&knm the Wellington Union to inaugurate with it junioi lepiesentatiive matches The Wellington Union have decided to endea\ oui to inaugurate such r match this season. At the annual meeting ot the Referees' Association Messi* A C. Noms and W. Beck weie le-elected chaiiman and <*ccietaiy lespeetneh Both aie good officers, and the Association is fortunate m having then <-<h vices placed at its disposal Keating, who hah pla\ed in both the Mailboiough ,md Wanaia.pa repiesontati\e teams" So leads an exchange Can an\ ot m\ Wanaiai>a friends, tell nid when a p!a\ei ot that name represented their union 9 I can't remember i^ in m\ connection with Wellington footba.ll The following is a motion, of which notice w ais gn en at the annual meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union — "That all jumoi playeis under the union be in future gi anted free passes to the ground a"-, Alexandra Park on the occasion of lopiesentative matches " What would happen to a delegate of the Wellington Ruebv Union if he sugo-ested such a motion heie, even to apply to senior players? Methinks there would be trouble Tho local clubs aie all indulging in pood practices Satuidav aftei Saturday at Miramar The results of the games played between the different clubs each week may not be an index of how the matches aie likely to go, but these in-ter-club practices lia^e much to commend them and I tender my eonerratulfitions to the vaiiou<- clubs foi the manner in which they aie trvme their available matenal tins \par Tt ie a much better wav tha,n the old method of practisuio; solely each club b\ itself anioncst it% own membei <-