FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12853, 29 April 1905, Page 5 (Supplement)

FOOTBALL.

The whole of the district clubs hold practice watches this afternoon, the majority at Alexandra Park. The Auckland representative toam will visit Wellington and Taranaki during the incoming season. During the -visit- to Sydney in -Tulv the Otago University team will be without the services of Gilray, the crack threequarter back of the 'varsity. Gilray does not feel inclined to sacrifice bis university lectures for football. The district cup competitions under the auspices of the Auckland Rugby Union commence on Saturday next- (May 6), at. Alexandra Park. The teams entered in the various grades are quite as numerous as in past years, and as practically the whole of last year's players will again don the jersey in the senior competition, there should be no deterioration in the standard of the play. The senior matches for the opening day will be Grafton v. Newton. North Shore v. City, and Parnell v. Suburbs. Mr. Angus Campbell has been appointed to succeed Mr. F. .T. Oh Is en as chairman of the Auckland Referees' Association. Following 0:10 who has done so much for the association as has Mr. Ohlsen, the new chairman will find the office no sinecure, but if any member is lively to fill the position with credit that member is Mr. Campbell. The selection made by the association is undoubtedly a wise one. The Ponsonby Club will be without the of Ron wick this season, ho having decided, owing to sickness in the family, to give the game best for a time. Several local enthusiasts, who acted as members of the Auckland Referees' Association last season, will not. be available, this vear, some having left Auckland, while others find that business calls will not allow of their acting. The secretary (Mr. W. Knox) will therefore be triad to receive the names of old players and others who may feel disposed to join the association. The first annual meeting of delegates to the Auckland Secondary Schools' Rugby Union will bo held this evening. During last season the Auckland Referees' Association supplied referees for no less than 295 matches. The Ponsonby district club's junior, players will meet 111 the club's training hall 011 Tuesday evening next. Waddell, a well-known New South Wales "soccer" player, intends taking up his residence in one of the principal centres of New Zealand. Players of the Australian game open the Season this afternoon on the Eden Cricket. Club's ground at Kiugsland. A match will be arranged, play commencing at a-quarter to three p.m., and kicking competitions will also bo held. The Welsh team lias again won the Rugby thampionship of Groat Britain and Ireland. The last team beaten by th« holders of the Rugby triple crown was that representing Ireland. The Now Zealand "soccer" team to visit New South Wales this season is due in Sydney on June 14, and will play its first match three days later aganst a metropolitan team. The programme arranged for the' New Zealanders embraces ton matches, including three " tests," against New South Walo3. The tour closes on duly 22 with the third match against the representatives of the Commonwealth State. CI. Gillott, who a few seasons back played fullback for the Auckland representative team 011 tour, has evidently decided to settle down in Christ church, as Southern papers to hand refer to the ox-Aucklander as a derided acquisition to the Merivale team. Writing to the secretary of the Auckland Rugby Union (Mr. C. E. MacCormick) from .IWth. Mr. R- De La Ilnnty. formerly of ibis city, states that a strong Rugby union lias been formed in Western Australia. Quite a number of New Zealanders, (several of them Ali.-klnmlors, are members of the teams playing' under the union, and everything points to tho game taking a strong "4id." Riley, who has been in Auckland for several weeks, intends returning to vilney shortly. Had he remained here Riley would have played in the threequarter hack line for l'onsonby in the district cup competition. , , . . , , Phillip®, who played for' Newton last sect--1011. made application to the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union last Wednesday evening for permission to play for the Ponsonby .Club, .lie application was declined, the committee finding that under the qualification clauses 1 iiillips could only play for the Newton Cub. I ha; e to thank the hon. secretary of tin Canterbury Rugby Union (Mr. \\ G. Garrard) for a copy of the union s annual lor 1905. In addition to the records or affiliated clubs, rewort* and statistics, the publication contains a wealth of information on matters of interest to players and followers of the Rugby EJ Tl'.o following, arc the players from which ie final selection will be made for the exhibition match under Australian rules at Kiugsland this afternoon No. 1 team . Brcese. Webb. Good fellow, Spence Oumbeiland, Sandford. McKeon, Birch. Bates, lorder. Long. Fisher, Dell Fox, Davies. Ilyne Skinner, Stevenson, llintoul, Walsh. No. 2 team: Hobday Blau, I latt, Tongue, Yule, Strange A .M" I "- n ! ? j» Wd ' • Callinan. Ash. Moss, Monteith Buttle: 2), Welsh, Pybus. Orpwood, lcnhall, Can n(2). and Wadsworth. The English representative team finished St the bottom of the list in the Rug >y Internationals-England, Ireland Scotland, fluid Wales—concluded a few weeks ago. I

At a recent sitting of the International Boar., (Lngland) the revision of the mode of seouiifc in the Rugby same was considered. They had before them the followins; proposals:—"A try equals 3 points, a goal from a try (in which. case the try shall not. count) equals 5 points: a dropped goal, a mark goal, and a penalty goal 3 points each; a field goal to be abolished." With the important exception that a dropped goal is ti count 4 points, as now, the alterations were approved. It will therefore be underStood that, next season the goal from a fair catch and a penalty goal will each count three points, while a dropped goal will count four. a= now. The field goal—that is, a goal kicked from a rolling ball—is abolished, but inasmuch as such ,a point is sol dom or novel seen nowadays, no one will miss it. The Welsh Union had a suggestion on the agenda that the field goal should count one point, less than at present, but the other unions were in a more radical mood, and abolished the Held goal altogether. ales also proposed to delete the law under which a goal is vitiated when the ball strike.' a player of either side, but this and other suggestions were deferred after being informally discussed.