ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8538, 11 April 1891, Page 6

ATHLETICS.

Perhaps the best news in Rugby circles during the past week has been that , the Auckland and Athletic Clubs had amalgamated, and intend to play as senior during the coming season. This coalition should prove a strong one, and I will earnestly exhort any members of either club who have been considering the advisability of joining any other team, to rally under their old Hag, and give the new club a fair start. _ I mention this particularly, because 1 understand that several prominent players of the Auckland and Athletic Clubs have, I believe, expressed an intention of joining some of the other seniors. Burrows is said to have joined Gordon, Hales Grafton, and Roberts Ponsonby; bat, even if they have actually committed "themselves, I feel sure that these clubs will in the true interests of football release them from any promise so that the Auckland will not be shorn of a measure of its strength just when brighter days appear to be about to down for it. The importance of having at least four senior clubs is greater than may at first appear. In the first place if there are only three teams it means that one will have to stand out each week, while the public interest in one senior match only per week is sure to decline. The additional club also gives a larger choice for the selectors of the inter-provincial teams, and the more frequent exchange of matches provides them with better opportunities for judging of the relative capacity of the aspirants. The various clubs have held their meetings during the week, and all seem to be in a fairly flourishing condition. Last year's Cup winners Ponsonby have had a couple of losses of good and tried men in their back division, but these have to some extent been fairly well made good, while the forwards of last season are nearly all available again. Grafton is likely to be very strong, and will make a bold bid for the premiership. The maroons, in addition to securing a couple of Southern players of some reputation, have added one or two of the best of the defunct Selwyns to their strength, and will be able to put a formidable team in the field. ( Gordon, as usual, have gone quietly to work, but they have succeeded in filling up several of the gaps that have occurred since last season, though'the vacancy left by A. Rees particularly, will be very hard' to fill up. However, lam told that their forward division will be a clever one, and that the club is very hopeful of success. The Thames Wanderers, who have now the burly Joe Otway amongst.their players, have asked the Ponsonby Club to go to Quartzopolis and play a friendly match on May 24, and there is every possibility of the fixture coming off on the date mentioned. Owing to W. Hobson being unable to attend the matches as regularly as he wishes, the Ponsonby team have this season chosen A. Braund as their skipper, a selection which is as judicious as it is well deserved, as there is not a more popular man in the club, and his ability to handle his men has been frequently proved. Playersof four or five seasons back will be glad to see that the well-known Grafton three-quarter, Jack Pearse, is in town again, and I expect many old Graftonians to look him up. Mr. Pearse is passing through by the s.s. Maori, being third officer of that vessel. The Orient Club has a strong following this year, and the members intend to hold a halfmile race before the season starts.

J. Kent, who was one of the English team of footballers who visited the colonies, has gained his international cap. He was one of the English representatives against Wales in the beginning of January. The past season has for the Union been a successful one, and the balance in hand of £312 must be considered a very respectable one. The coming winter will have a good deal of interest outside of the regular Cup fixtures, as there will probably be three interprovincial matches. The first will be the fixture with Taranaki, for which the Auckland team will journey to New Plymouth. The others will be against Hawke's Bay, which has definitely decided to pay us a visit. The Hawke's Bay Union will sent its " rep." team composed partly of whites and partly of Maoris, and the latter will bring up a number of additional natives, so that subsequent to the other match they can as a pure Maori fifteen test their strength against the Aucklauders. I hear on good authority that P. Morrison (of Timaru), D. Wood (of Christchurch), P. J. Ness (of Dunediu), and Musker (of Oamaru) will all be found competing in the halfmile race at the South Canterbury Amateur Athletic Sports in May. If so I anticipate a grand race. The Auckland Rowing Club has suffered by the delay in the holding of the Association regatta, and it is extremely improbable that any of die red and black crews will start, as several of the members have had to leave town on business. MISCELLANEOUS. One of the first football matches of the season will be hold to-day at the North Shore, where the Ponsonby Football Club will proceed by the half-past two boat and play a match between picked fifteens, The combined Auckland and Athletic Clubs have chosen a strong executive composed of the following gentlemen :—President, Mr. J. H. Upton ; vice-presidents, Messrs. Devore, C. Hesketh, Carrollo, Jackson Palmer, M.H.R,, and Captain Fisher; captain, T. B. O'Connor; vice-captain, F. Gaudin ; secretary and treasurer, A. Goldwater; delegates, Messrs. Henderson and Hackett; committee, Messrs. O'Connor, Gaudin, Goldwater, Andrews, and Hackett. It was decided that the colours should be navy blue jersey with white fern. The following team will represent the United C.C. against Parnell C.C. this day: —Yates, Lynch, Mumford, Hawkins, Stemson, Harvie (3), Miller, MacCormick, McKinney. The match between the Auckland C.C. and Alpha C.C, which was fixed to be played today, will not eventuate, as the Alpha have forfeited the match to their opponents. The Rowing Regatta of the Auckland Rowing Association, which has been postponed twice, is fixed to come off this afternoon. The programme comprises gig and whaleboat events for all classes of oarsmen, and though the long delays have somewhat interfered with training, the events are considered likely to be very exciting. In the Champion Gig Race, the North Shore crew, which was held to have a very good show of victory, has had some bad luck, as a bicycling accident has deprived them of the services of their stroke, R. Logan. As he is the chief. steer-oar for the club in the whaleboat events, his absence will also be felt in the contests of this class in which the North Shore is engaged. On Wednesday night an accident occurred to Mr, T. Henderson's well-known yacht Rita, at her moorings in Official Bay. Some craft, presumably a steamer, ran into her as she was anchored, and broke her topmast, carried away her standing rigging, and inflicted other damage. Jason. ~

AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION. There was a large attendance at the annual meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union at the British Hotel last night. Mr. A. E. Devore, president, occupied the chair. After calling upon the new delegates—Messrs. A. H. Cotter and W. H. -George (Ponsonby F.C.), H. Hyams and O. Wells (Grafton), T. Neill and F. Jervis (Gordon), T. Henderson and W. Hackett (Auckland), W. S. Cooper (Orient), A. J. Farquhar (Native Rose), J. Wooller (University), Carlaw (Jervois)— take their seats, the chairman called upon the secretary (Mr. G. H. Dixon) to read the minutes of the last meeting, and these were confirmed. The following report was then read: — The managing committee bee to congratulate the Union on the satisfactory result of the past season. The fact of there being only five senior clubs, two of which were much weaker than the others, was calculated to lessen the interest of the public in the cup matches, but notwithstanding this it will be seen that a gratifying increase is shown in the amount of gate money at the ordinary matches. The committee regret that the practice of inducing players to transfer from their clubs is still continued, and it is feared the effect will be to decrease the number of clubs. The action of players in preferring to stand out rather than play for a club which is unsuccessful is much to be condemned, as showing an absence of the proper spirit which should actuate them, and as tending to reduce the ranks of those from whom recruits may be drawn. With a view to remedying this evil, the committee have! had under consideration the advisability of suggesting a re-formation of the various clubs under districts. Such a scheme would be calculated to distribute the players less unequally, and to increase the number of clubs. During the season one interprovincial match was played, viz., against Taranaki, resulting in a victory for the Auckland reps by eight points to nil. It is anticipated that there will be visits from some of our Southern friends this season, and it is proposed to play a match against Taranaki, which event may now be considered as annual. The cup matches were productive of some good contests', and resulted in Ponsonby securing both senior and junior Caps. The Epsom grounds have been secured . on the same. conditions as in past seasons. Several alterations in the laws of the game, as adopted by the Rugby Union of England', will come into force this season, and your committee recommend that notice be given to the mother union of an alteration in the mode of scoring, the present system .being, in their opinion capable of improvement. The committee suggest that the matter of forming a New Zealand Union which they have previously brought before the Southern unions, be again considered, as in their opinion it is necessary some permanent arrangement should be made for the conduct of interprovincial contests. The balance in hand amounts to £321 the bulk of which is placed on fixed deposit bearing interest. , ■ The suggestion concerning the division of the various clubs according to the districts in which the players live, was explained by Mr. T. Henderson, who stated : that there was a great tendency to concentrate all the good players into one or two clubs, with the effect? that the other: cluba declined

■ - ■ .- . • ' ——J and football generally suffered. The Chairman, Messrs. Chapman, Skeen, Poland, and others spoke upon the subject, and it wag pointed out that the proposed alteration must be made' with caution, and that there would doubtless be a good deal of trouble a bringing it to a practical issue. It was explained that the suggested alteration in scoring to be proposed for the a«. ceptance of the English Rugby Union was that points should be reckoned :—For a try 1; for a goal from penalty kick, 1; for a potted goal, 2; for a placed goal from try, . The report and balance-sheet were then adopted as read. - It was resolved, " That the delegates form a committee to consider the best method of dividing the clubs upon the residential di. tr-'ct basis, and report to the Union within a fortnight.' The following officers were chosen for the ensuing year : —President, Mr. A. E. Devore. (re-elected); vice-presidents, Messrs. J. M. Brigham, J. C. Macky (re-elected), C. Hesketh; managing committee, Messrs. T. Henderson, J. Arneil, A. H. Cotter (re-elected), 0. Wells, R. Weill; secretary, Mr. G. R. Dixon; treasurer, Mr. J. C. Webster; auditors, Messrs. T. Macky, J. Bancroft. Mr. Devore referred to the trophies offered by him hist year for field goal competition, but which had not been completed owing to the interruptions duringthe season. He would again give trophies— prize £3 3s and second prize £2 2s—to the individual who, playing for a senior club, kicked most fieldgoals during the season. Mr. Devore's liberality was acknowledged by a very hearty vote of thanks. The usual grant of £20 to the secretary and treasurer for their services during the past year was passed amid applause. The chairman then presented to the Ponsonby Football Club's first and second fi teens respectively the A.R.U. Senior and Junior Cups for the year 1890, and mentioned that on each cup the name of Ponsonby appeared several times already. He mentioned that it appeared desirable that if the clubs in future competed under the new district basis, new trophies of substantial value should be procured by the Union, for which the new contests should be begun. Suggestions as to procuring a more centra] ground than the Epsom one, possibly in conjunction with other athletic organisations, and in regard to the establisment of a union club-room for the convenience of clubs and players, were given to the managing committee. Votes of thanks to retiring officers and to the chairman, terminated the meeting. jil ±