ATHLETIC SPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11950, 26 April 1902, Page 6 (Supplement)

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

FOOTBALL.

THE several clubs interested in, tho forthcoming district cup competitions, under the auspices of the Auckland Rugby Union, will hold practice matches at Alexandra Park today. The City and Newton Clubs have arranged friendly matches in all three grades, and the Suburbs and Grafton Clubs will also try conclusions. I would remind club secretaries that entries 'for the district championship competitions •close with the secretary of the Auckland /Rugby Union (Mr. 0. E. MacCormick) to'day. The draw takes place on Wednesday evening next. ' Junior players under tho Auckland Rugby XTnion are in future to be .admitted to representative matches at Alexandra Park free of charge. * At a special meeting of delegates to the (Auckland Rugby Union, held on Wednesday evening last, ii, was decided to recommend ,the Management Committee of the union to instruct their delegato (Mr. George Dixon) ..to the New Zealand Rugby Union to support . the proposal to send a representative New Zealand Rugby football team to England. At the annual meeting of the Auckland Referees' Association, held on Wednesday ■evening last, four new members were elected subject to passing the examination on the laws of the game before the board, consisting of Messrs. F. J. Ohlson (chairman), A. .Campbell, and P. Mackie. Several of the old members have loft the association, and '.•unless more new men tome forward difficulty will be experienced in placing sufficient referee;; in the field during the incoming •season.

The latest nom -de-plume to be ado peed jby a New' Zealand football writer is ■"Madded Oaf."

i A recent colonial visitor to England witi nessed many of the great Rugby matches, in- ' eluding some of the internationals, and the j three great features of the play that struck I him, and which ho desired to impresu upon ' colonials, were tho quickness of the passing by the backs, the fast rushing of the forwards, and the great use of the touch-line made by the hacks in kicking. It is understood that Mi. De Costa, who for many years has occupied the position of secretary of the New Zealand Rugby Union, is going to England on a visit shortly, and the Canterbury Rugby Union has suggested that advantage should be taken of the opportunity to place the position of Now Zealand players regarding the English rules on •professionalism clearly before tho English Union, with a view to necessary amendment in the English Rugby Union rules to permit a team being sent Home from this colony. The council of tho New South Wales Rugby Union, in its annual report, urges upon all its members the necessity of maintaining Rugby football in its purity oi sport and absolute freedom from professionalism, of raising tho .standard of play, of advancing the popularity of tho game, and the pro- { sperity of the union. The Thames, . Waipa, and Paeroa Rugby Union cup matches commence on Saturday, May 10. -

An effort is to he made by the Thames Rugby Union to arrange with Southern unions sending representative teams on tour to include that centre in the circuit.

" Dick" McGregor is still in the Kaipara district, and- will probably remain there during tho football season. The Canterbury Rugby Union has decided 'to endeavour to arrange junior representative matches with Otago and Wellington this season, This encouragement of junior football is a step in tho right direction, and one that might be commended to the consideration of the Auckland Rugby Union. The Thames Rugby Union has decided to approach the Auckland Rugby Union with a view to arranging for the playing of two inter-union matches annually. Tinder the existing arrangement only one match is played each year, and this season the Thames players have to come to Auckland.

Mr. T. Ellison, who has been appointed sole selector in Wellington, has on 23 occasions played for.the Wellington Union in its representative matches, two years (18911892) ho was captain of its teams, and in the 1898 season he acted as manager of the team that travelled to Auckland. He was a .mem-ber-of tho Native team that visited the Old Country in tho 1888-1889 season, and in 1593 he captained the New Zealand team that toured Australia-

By defeating Ireland by one goal, one "dropped goal, and two tries (15 points) to nil on Saturday, March 8, Wales won the Rugby international championship, known as the triple crown,l for the third time 'ince its inception in 1884, he! previous successes having been achieved in the years 1893 and 1900. Gwynn Nicholls, who toured Australia as a member of the Rev. Mullineaux's English team, dropped Vi goal from the field and also scored a clever try. The game was a. forward fight throughout. Tho English and Irish Rugby Unions recently decided to favour the leintroduction of the penalty kick foi having a foot up when the ball is put into the scrum. The matter had to £omo before the International Board on March 15, when it was thought the proposal would be most certainly passed. A report of tho meeting is not yet to hand, but it is tolerably safe to believe that the old law is re-enacted. The re-introduction of a penalty kick for having a foot up in the scrum will make the scrummage a little more interesting to the public than it has been einco tho law was altered. The change had no beneficial, while it had several bad, influences. It gave scope to pointing ot a most cunning character, made the game tinattractive if the referee did his duty, and made it. exasperating for all parties if that official Vailed to penalise the "clever" half or equally "clever" forward, whose object was not. to allow the ball to get into the scrum, unless it wont where the said half or forward wanted it. THE ASSOCIATION GAME. A friendly match will be played between a team from H.M.s. Ringarooma and the Grafton Club's seniors at the Domain Ground this afternoon. There war, a movement on foot to form a senior team of Scotch players to take part in the Auckland Football Association's cup competitions this season, but 1 hear that it is not likely to be brought to a successful issue. From what I can gather, the Grafton —winners of tho Association championship for the past two seasons— are not likely to be as strong as usual this year, several players having been lost to the club since ast season. Talking of Grafton reminds me that the annual general meeting of the club will bo held on Tuesday evening next at the Amateur Sports Club rooms. Association has recently "caught on" on the West Coast of the South Island. The Blackball team has amongst its players two Edinburgh University men, a Sunderland League player, a Queen's Park (Glasgow) in ternational, and a Wolverhampton Wanderer. Truly, Blackball should be able to put a good team in the field.