FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13307, 13 October 1906, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

The proceeds of the benefit concert, arranged by the Glebe District Rugby Football" Club wore presented to Messrs. Little and '-iddell at the University Hotel, Sydney, last week. About £118 2s was netted, the sum being divided, between the The expenses amounted to £3 16s 3d, leaving £57 2s 10id for each man. The presentation was formally in ado by : Mr. R. S. Nelson. It, is reported that- Rugby football, restarted in Perth last year, has made a substantial advalico this year, and that the visit of a lively team from the oast next year would give great impetus to the gams. Mr. Crombie, a New Zealander, is now hoii. secretary of Iho Perth Rugby Union. It. is understood that tho New South Wales Union is considering the matter of sending a team across to tho west next year. Mr. D. Gallaher, selector of the Auckland Rugby football representatives, and captain of the "All Blaciks," joined tho ranks "of tho benedicts on Wednesday last, when he was married to Miss Francis (Ponsonby), a sister of Mr. A. Francis, a prominent Auckland footballer. Congratulations and long life and prosperity to tho newly-wedded couple. THE SYDNEY UNIVERSITY TEAM'S TOUR. The manager of the Sydney University team (Mr. F. Co-en), which, recently toured the southern portion of New Zealand, interviewed by football scribe of the Sydney Referee, stated that the- team had had a grand time, and were everywhere treated in the best possible manner. Referring to the back play of the Otago team Mr. Coen said: —"Tho combination is remarkable. Each man in possession of tho ball runs right into the tackier and passes tho instant he is tackled. This' is the characteristic of the New. Zcalanders." lii reply to the question, "Has your team learned anything from tho play in Now Zealand?" Mr. Coen replied: "Yes, 110 doubt about it, both back and forward, especially from the point of view of combination. I think this will be noticeable in the play of tho team next year, unless tho. lesions are not put into practice. In New Zealand the conditions for teaching men to play football are more favourable. Tho grounds are soft like a Turkish carpot, and there is 110 such thing as a. knee-guard. You could dive off a man's shoulder and the ground is so soft that the fall wouldn't hurt, you! In the North v. South Island iu;.ich the forward play was a revelation to us, with ho tackling very deadly. The men wore never , hurt, but if they tackled in the same style 011 the Sydney grounds I think the game would never be finished through stoppages. In the inter-island match the forwards played grandly, and joined in the passing like backs, often practically handling the ball from one to another." Mr. Coen added that the Sydney forwards beat every team they met for .possession of the ball, and he attributed it to three men being superior in that respect to two iu the front row; that is, when all five players were specialists in the front. Foi quick heeling, however, he admitted that tho seven pack was better, and lie also believed it to be superior for screwing and wheeling. SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM IN ENGLAND. The special correspondent of the Manchester Athletic News, in the course of an interesting article re the South African team now 011 tour in England, says:lt was no surprise to find that thirteen players of the Western Province had secured inclusion in the team; in fact, tho entiro back division of that famous Rugby centre has been chosen- "en bloc," together with two reserve backs. The famous Stellerbosch Club provides the threequarter line, a line which will certainly gain commendation in England not only for the' excellence of the combination, but the speed of the two wings, Loubser and Stegmann, Iho latter a young-. , ster of twenty, who, as I predicted seven weeks ago, more than confirmed the good opinion formed of his capabilities. Young Steve .Jonbert, tho dimini ' • "re fullback, is only 19 years of age. Yet' his play throughout the South African tournament has been of such a highly-finished order that he has, with a unanimity of purpose which speaks well for his ability, been designated the finest fullback ever turned out by this country. Tho famous old college, Victoria College, Stellerbosch, provides 110 fewer .than eight, of the twenty-eight players selected, and in all thirteen of the full team learnt their » football afc-tho school where such football &tars as- McDonald, of Scotland,' Albertyii and Watson, of Edinburgh, and many others learnt- the rudiments of the game. Tho team is a representative one in every way. Loubser is the player who scored twice against Hammond's team in 1903 in the final game-, when, South Africa won by a goal and a. try to nil. A. Morkel, the -Transvaal wing, also played for South Africa in 1903 against. Hammond's team m Johannesburg, a game which ended in a draw. Krigo, Carolin, Dobbin. Martoze, Raaf, and P. Roos have all played for South Africa in the various representative games against visiting combinations from the Old Country, so that the team not only possess ability, but there is plenty of experience; which may stand in good stead on English fields. The forwards are a splendid lot, Mavteze, of Griqualand West, a 12st brilliant, dribbling player, being tho lightest, while Paul Roos. who will probably skipper the team, tips the beam at 14st" 91b, and is the heaviest man in the team. . Tho average of the fourteen forwards works out at 13st 71b; there are eight of 6ffc in height and over, and four are sft llin and over. Marteze and Neil, each sft 9in in height, are the midgets of the scrunimagers.