ATHLETIC SPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8354, 6 September 1890, Page 6

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

FIXTURES. I'OOTIUIJ.. Septoniber Ponsonby v. Sclwyn Auckland v. Grafton Ponsonby 11. v. Grafton 11. Orient v. Native Rose Herald v. star AQUATICS. October. v. Stanbui v, sculling, Sydney. March—Kemp v. O'Connor, sculling, America.

FOOTBALL. The Rugby season for 1800 is now fast drawing to a close, and public interest is declining visibly regarding the few contests that are still to be decided. This is mo,inly in view of the fact that according to general opinion there is little likelihood of the possession of the Senior Cup being wrested from the l'onsonby Club, which has a commanding lead from the other competing clubs. The Junior Cup is also very likely to fall to the junior fifteen of the same club, who have but a couple of matches to play, and the result of their contest next week with Grafton 11., which has, I hear, a strong team to meet them, will be eagerly awaited. However, the supporters of the " blue - and - blacks " are sanguine that they will be able to hold their own, and repeat their coup of 1887, when, for the first time in the annals of Auckland football, the Club struck the double by carrying ofF both senior and junior cups. There is, however. " many a slip between the cup and the lip," and Ponsonby, particularly after its disastrous defeat at the hands of Gordon last Saturday, will do well not to rejoice until all the matches are happily over. Owing to a variety of causes, the competitions instituted early this season by Mr. A. E Devore, for promoting excellence in "potting," have fallen through for the present year. The main cause of the paucity of competion was the inability of the players to get to the ground at the early hour appointed for the contests, while bad weather in the early part of the season also had a good deal of effect in militating against the success of the experiment. It is very probable, however, that the valuable trophies promised will be again offered for competition next year, when a special day will be set apart for the contests, with a view to deciding them forthwith. Mr. Devoro's liberality deserves to be appreciated better than it has so far been, while .abundant proof of the great value of the class of play which he desires to foster has been recently given in a striking manner. To day is an off-day so far as regards football, the ground being engaged for the meeting of the Auckland Trotting Club.

The match between Gordon and Ponsonby was a most disappointing one to the spectators, inasmuch as the display of football was one of the. poorest that any of the senior matches has provided this season. Both clubs had not their full strength, and had each played up to form, a close and exciting game would nave eventuated. As it was, however, frequent spells of very straggling work was done by both i ,: des, and in the second term Ponsonby lost what little combination they had been using, and were defeated with ease by their opponents. The blue and blacks were rather unfortunate in being deprived of the services of all their halfbacks, except Conway, on the one day. Cole and Otway were drafted from the forwards to fill the vacancies. The former did pieces of good work, and played for an emergency a very fair game, but the latter was altogether out of his place, and made a poor display in all departments of his work. The forwards seemed to feel that they were backed up, and did not show their usual concerted action or dash. The absence of Breen at his u.ual post of threequarter was a severe loss; and McMinamin, who acted as his substitute, though playing fairly, lacked the quickness and experience of the hero of the Grafton match.

Heffernan's form was below that displayed in the Taranaki fixture, while all the rest were far below the standard to which they reached in the Grafton match. Concerning the play of the Gordon's it is best described as intermittent; some good work was done by both backs n'-d forwards, Hees being the moving spirit m all aggression, while Jervis played a good game. Herrold makes no mistakes, but is better at half than three-quar-ter. Th'e forwards proved themselves superior to their opponents in dribbling, while they worked more smartly throughout In nearly all branches of the play. The Strathfield Club defeated Arfoma in the senior badge competition at Sydney on August 6by 9 points to 8. Lusk obtained a try for the winners, and Crowe, an old Merivale player, scored for Arfoma. Lusk had the misfortune to hurt his ankle during the first tipell, and he was not seen at his best afterwards. On the same day the Zealand ia Club beat the Wallaroos by fl points to 6. This result was mainly owing to the brilliant place kicking of G. Lusk, who converted a try and kicked v goal from a mark. The proposed match between the Southern Rugby Union (Sydney) and the Melbourne Rugby Union will not be played this season, but it has been decided to play the match in Melbourne in May next. ATHLETICS. The annual meeting of the Auckland A. A. Club, held on Thursday night, proved that the club has had a prosperous year. The total amount of money turned oyer during that period was £1010, and the club now has a credit balance of £94, besides £00 worth of assets. £02 had been disbursed in sending representatives to the South and Sydney, and in the latter's championship meeting the club's only competitor carried off his event in good style. There were but slight changes made in the executive, the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Upton, being chosen one of the vice-presidents, instead of Mr. L. Coupland (resigned), while Messrs. J. Arneil, G. H. Powley, and W. M. Service fill the vacancies on the committee caused by the retirement of Messrs. L. Meldrum, R. Lusk, and A. G. Clarke. Mr. C. Waters was elected captain of the bicycle branch, and Mr. A. (J. Buchanan deputycaptain. The date of the spring meeting has not yet been decided, but it will probably take place early in November. It is not often we hear of three men running a dead heat in a foot race, but this happened in the final heat of the Carrington Seventy-five Yards Handicap, decided at Sydney on August If), when M. J. Learniluin (lOfyds), R. Darrell (lO.Jyds), and A. McFarjane (11yds), all finished together. Darrell and Learnihan raced inch for inch for most of the way. Five yards from the worsted Learnihan fell back slightly, but then made two astonishing bounds, and he, McFarlane, and Darrell breasted the tape all equal, amid great excitement. Doyle, the other competitor, was not half-a-vard away. Time, 7 l-oth sec. In the run off" Learnihan won by a foot. Time, 7 l-sth sec. A late Sydney exchange says:—" The friends of Walter L. Kerr, the Sydney cyclist, may well be proud at the record this plucky little rider has established for himself in the past two Saturdays. Fancy a lad 19 years of ago securing the Five Miles Australian Championship against Victoria and South Australia, as well as our own chosen riders, and following it up with winning the One and Five Miles Amateur Championships of the Colony, and a three-mile open handicap, is a performance that, no matter what condition the track may be in, will stand for many a day without an equal. The other competitors, Intercolonial writers tell us, would have considerably changed the result had a hard track been obtainable on which to run the race, but on the appointed course Kerr was too good for them all. Jason.