FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12266, 9 May 1903, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

OPENING MATCHES IN THE CUP COMPETITIONS. The season will be opened to-day with the first series of matches in tho district cup competitions, play in all cases commencing at three o'clock sharp. All three first-grade matches will be played at Alexandra Park, the City-Newton match having been allotted the No. 1 ground—in front of the grandstand. For three Years the wearers of the red-and-white uniforms have played the part of rumiers-up for the senior honours, and time and again in the past they have beaten the very best talent pitted against them by other leading districts, mainly, perhaps, through the efforts of their forward division. This year the vanguard is regarded as quite up to those of the past two or three seasonsseme say a shade stronger—and as tho back division "ha% if anything, been slightly strengthened, then Newton should put up a stiff battle against City this afternoon. The meeting of North Shore and Suburbs, on No. 2 ground, will also probably provide onlookers with an interesting game, while the remaining match, Ponsonby v. Parneli, should be won by the firstnamed team. Ap : pended are the particulars of the matches to be played to-day, together with the grounds and referees officiating: — FIRST FIFTEENS. No. 1 ground: City v. Newton, referee Mr. Campbell. No. 2 ground: North Shore v. Suburbs, referee Mr. Katterns. No. 3 ground: Ponsonby v. Parnell, referee Mr. Gittos. SECOND FIFTEENS. No. 4 ground: City 11. v. Newton 11., referee Mr. Blakey. No. 5 ground: North Shore 11. v. Suburbs 11., referee Mr. Greenhough. No. 6 ground: Ponsonby 11. v. Parnell 11., referee Mr. Knox. THIItD FIFTEENS. No. 7 ground: North Shore Av. Suburbs 111., referee Mr. Pelham. No. 8 ground: Newton 111. v. Parnell B, referee Mr. Oram. No. 9 ground: Grafton 111. v. Ponsonby B, referee Mr. Heather. No.-10 ground: Parnell Av. City B, referee Mr. "Pitts. At Northcote: Ponsonby A v. North Shore B, referee Mr. Cossar. HERE AND THERE. Auckland Public Schools' Union championship matches commence next Saturday. The disqualification placed on Trevarthen last year has been removed, and ho will don the jersey in this season's cup matches. The Thames Rugby Union authorities are said to be opposed to the proposed goldfields union. The union has again affiliated directly with Auckland. It appears that I was a little previous last week in stating that R. Handcock would again lead the Parncll first fifteen this season. He has since decided to retire from the game.

The brothers Mclsaac (of Coromandel), who were to have played for Parnell in the event of their applications being granted, failed to get through, as it was shown that they were resident in Grafton district on the first of January last. Should they don the jersey it will therefore be as members of one or other of the Grafton Club's teams.

Tho only matches to be played in Auckland this seamen outside the cup fixtures will be the North v. South Island match and the annual inter-union games against Thames and Northern Wairoa. , The Auckland representative team goes South, touring both islands

The Thames Rugby Union championship matches commence on Saturday next. Chatting with an enthusiast from the goldfi,elds centre during the week I learned that some fairly interesting matches are being looked forward to, but that it is not expected that the representative team will bo particularly strong.

The following team will represent the Auckland Technical School against Victorias: — Kick! (captain), A. Drake, J. Dadley. C. Castle. W. Butler, Randell, A. Such. J. Melton, P. Council, Lorkings, W. Baildon, J. Muir. B. Graham, H. Boyd, J. "Ward. Emergencies : C. Benson, and G. Easdowne.

The Canterbury Union has decided to offer the Taranaki Union the sum of £20 for a Saturday match in the Southern city between a Taranaki and local team. It is, however, hardly likely that the Taranaki Union will send a team South this season, as other unions approached have refused monetary assistance.

England was beaten by Scotland at Rugby towards the end of March. Tho scores were, 10 points to six, the game being turned in favour of the Scotchmen by a goal from a mark. Scotland now 'wears the figurative " triple crown." and regains possession of the Calcutta Cup. England was previously beaten by bcV': Wale- and Ireland.

A Sydney writer referring to th ( » intended visit of a New Zealand Rugby team to Australia this season, says: "It is unfortunate that but one match will be played against Australia, and I am sure when the date comes round there will ho a good deal of disappointment amongst the public. When the New Zealandcrs were here before their matches attracted very large crowds indeed. The climatic conditions of New Zealand render football tin: national game over there, and their best representative team would win the majority of matches against New South "Wales and Queensland combined. Their appearance here will be eagerly looked forward to."

At the meeting of the International Board of Rugby football at Richmond recently, Mr. Hill proposed that the unions should set apart provisional dates upon which to play representative matches with the New Zealand team; Mr. Gail seconded the proposal. Mr. Eyrie moved Lhe following resolution: "That referees in international matches be directed to act strictly in accordance with tht rules governing foul play or misconduct in international matches." Mr. Smith seconded, and both resolutions were carried.

" Rugby" writes asking in what year the New Zealand Native football team visited England, and whether any other Rugby representatives from New Zealand played in Great Britain?— The Native team toured England in 1883-89, playing 74 matches, of which number they won 49 and lost 20, the remaining five being drawn. They scored 391 points against 183. No other Now Zealand Rugby team has visited the Old Country.

The English Rugby Union is sending a team to South Africa this year, starting from England al>out .Juno 20. To those, members of the proposed team who have never been in South Africa, "Judex," in the Sportsman, vouches that they will have a delightful and interesting tour, for, now that the wai is happily ended, South Africa is a place full of interest. The Rugby Union, he considers, must send out a thoroughly representative side, for Rugby football in South Africa is a national sport, and they can put a thundering good team in the held. The Villagers, near Capetown, and The Wanderers, at Johannesburg, are two clubs who could give a, (rood game to—or even beatour best English clubs. The last English team was beaten by South Africa when they played on the Capetown ground,

George Stephenson, the Otago representative player, who returned to the colony from England recently, arrived in Auckland from the South early in the week and went on to Rotorua on a holiday trip. George's avordupois has increased greatly sine© I last saw him, and he would require to undergo a severe course of training to get back to form. At' the Celtic Park Ground on Saturday, March 21, ihe Scottish " socker" representatives were beaten by the Irish team by two goals to one. The match was the twentieth between Association teams representing the two countries, and the first won by the Irishmen.

According to a local writer there has been quite an influx of Home Association players in Wellington this season, and some " good catches" have already been secured by certain of the. clubs.

A practice match will be played this afternoon between the Y.M.C.A. and Grafton Association football teams, the latter playing the following men: —Goal, Dugmorc; back?, Goldio and Wright; halves, Lees. Glover, Bond; forwards, Kennedy, Lees, Foreshaw, Harris, Holland. The remaining members of the Grafton Club will meet in the Outer Domain for oractioe. The Y.M.C.A. Association Football Club have been fortunate in securing the services of Mr. A. Asbury, the crack English Association football player, to act as captain and coach for the coming season. With such a pivot the Y.M.C.A. should go very near securing the coveted ?up they have for seasons been trying for. Mr. As bury, it may also be mentioned, is in communication with the English Association on the question of taking a New Zealand team Home in the course of a season or two.

I have had handed to me a copy of a recent issue of the Newcastle (New South Wales) Morning Herald, containing a long account of the presentation to Mr. J. A. Forgie, vice-president of the Northern branch of the New South Wales Rugby Football Union, of a handsome gold watch, on tho occasion of his retirement from office. The recipient, an old Auckland boy. who went across to the other side some 10 or 12 years ago, is most eulogistieally referred to by the various speakers at the gathering for the keen interest ho had always taken in the affairs of the branch during a. long term of office, in tho course of which he has been committeeman, selector, and vice-president. The watch handed to Mr. Forgie bears the following inscription :—•" Presented to J. Forgie, of the Northern branch of the New South Wales Rugby Football Union—because he is worthy of it. April, 1903."

THE NEW ZEALAND TEAM'S VISIT TO AUSTRALIA. After dealing with the opening of the season in New South Wales and remarking that the future of the fine old game in that part of Australia is radiant, " The Cynic," in the Sydney Referee, goes on to deal with the approaching visit to Australia of the New Zealand team as follows:"At present we are looking forward to the visit of the far-famed New Zealanders with keener anticipations of delight than New South Wales v. Victoria at cricket stirs within our breasts. Our friends across the sea are not our rivals at cricket; they have scarcely reached the standard of our swimmers; in some other sports they are not yet able to take The Kangaroo down from his little pedestal. But in Rugby football the New Zealander is an adept. There is something in his droughtless climate that encourages him to grow tall and broad and lusty: he has an inborn love of football, and particularly Rugby football. On slushy grounds that seem impossible to the quick-footed Australian ho is a champion. Each of the last two New Zealand teams that came this way was beaten in Sydney, as was also the combination of English, Irish. Scotch, and Welshmen which the Rev. M. Muilineux brought along four years ago. It is well to occasionally dwell on our successes, for, if numerically small, they are bright, and the other side of the record shows some sombre things, to think.of which is not on our programme just at present. The task our footballers have to face is to beat New Zealand. A bit ambitious! Well, there is something to back up the ambition, for Australian Rugby is improving in its scientific side. It is incomparably higher-class in the matter of concentrated attack than it was at the time of any other visit of a team from New Zealand Whether wo have correspondingly improved in defence, oi even maintained solidity in defence, is a question on which men differ, and only to be answered on the field this season.