BRITISH FOOTBALLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13768, 5 June 1908, Page 6

BRITISH FOOTBALLERS.

THE TEST MATCH.

APPOINTMENT OF REFEREES,

[BY TKLKURAI'H. —PRESS ASSOCIATION'.]

Wellin*g to.v, Th ursday. The Management Committee of the NewZealand Rugby Union to-night appointed Mr. J. Duncan referee in Saturday's test, match between the British footballers and New Zealand.

Mr, W. J. Wilson was appointed referee for the South Canterbury 'match, and Mr. P. Mackie for the Canterbury match.

The manager of the British team is to be asked to give the British (earn for the various matches to the press at his earliest convenience.

The selection of Mi. J. Duncan ;us referee in the first test match is a good choice, for there is probably no man in the Dominion more conversant with the rules and usages of the game than the veteran named. Without clipping too deeply into records as to the length of time Mr. Duncan represented the province of Olago, it is safe to say that there are not many players in the Dominion who have battled for then provinces on. more occasions than he. His knowledge of the rules, and his expert exhibitions, earned for him positions in the third and fourth New Zealand teams which toured Australia in 1897 and 1903 ; the latter team be captained. He was also captain of the 1901 New Zealand team which boat the New South Wales reps, in Wellington. In 1897 he captained the South Island team against the North.' He was a wonderful five-eighths, and'many experts consider him to be the very best we have seen in New Zealand. When the 1905 team—the famous "All Blacks" were despatched to England he was taken along as coach, the position being, no doubt, created as an honour to one who had done such good service for New Zealand. His refereeing in the brilliant British-Southland match on Wednesday last brought forth many complimentary references. —Lynx.

THE SOUTHLAND MATCH. [BY Ti:u-:i;iiAi.'ii. — I'BESS association.] Invkucakuill, Thursday. The Rugby Union expects to net £500 from yesterday's match, the attendance having been between 9000 and 10,000. A HOTORUA PROTEST The Rotorua Rugby Union yesterday forwarded a. protest to Mr. Langsford, secretary of the Auckland Union, for conveyance to the New Zealand Rugby Union, against the maUh Vetween the. Dominion Maori team and the British footballers being arranged by a body (the Maori Association) not affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The Rotorua Union considers it is being ignored by the parent body in delegating the. arrangement of a match to an outside body. The protest was forwarded on by telegraph yesterday afternoon to the New Zealand Union.