FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14819, 24 October 1911, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

WITH THE KANGAROOS. ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND. The Australasian Rugby League footballers have arrived in England, have been warmly welcomed everywhere, and keen interest is being displayed ■ in -them, even outside Northern Union centres. They have been shown every courtesy, and the hope is expressed that the tour will be a success, both financially and from the playing point of view. '""■'■- -' ■"'■. '■:■'.:■:■ The officials of the Northern Union who met the players at Plymouth were: Messrs.'' Tavlor (chairman), Piatt (secretary), Cooke (Wakefield), Wood (fields), Houghton (secretary of the Northern League), and Newthwaite; (Sheffield). In London the team and visitors were entertained at Frascatti's restaurant by Mr. J. Joynton Smith (president, at the New South Wales Rugby League), I through his brother (Barton Smith)., He had the support of Mr. T. A. Ooghlan (Agent-General ; for New South Wales), Captain R. Muirhead Collins (representing the High Commissioner), the Rev. Stewart, Bedlam (who has done great work in London towards providing pleasure and sport for poor children), T. M. Burgess (the Channel swimmer). Northern Union officials, and Messrs.. O. T. Smith, A. Smith, end J. A. Porter (relatives of Mr. J. Joynton Smith). Burgess, fresh from his Channel 1 swim, was enthusiastically cheered by the footballers, who chanted the war cry for his benefit. . , INTO THE NORTH. , The team split into two parties on September 22. Those who are to play at Coventry went to that town, while the remainder came on* to Southport, where the headquarters of the team are situated. A fine residence has been selected and furnished, and the boys will be as comfortable as possible. ■ Mr. and Mrs. J. Houghton deserve a lot of praise for the complete fashion in which they put the, house in '.order. .' s The ground of the Southport Central Association Club has been secured for training, and the team will soon have settled down. The team for' Coventry has been hard at work since landing in London." The team to play at Coventry is an excellent one, as follows :—

fullback : Neil. Tbreequarters: Russell, V. Farnsworth, Gilbert, Broomham. •* . j . . Five-eighth : W. Farnsworth. Halfback : McKivot. Forwards: Savoury, Courtney, Craig, McCue, Sullivan, and Francis. Reserves: Backs, Hallett and Holioway; forwards, Cann and Burge. '"..■ '. A NEW ZEALAND NIGHT. Gordon Lodge, the residence of the team, was invaded by a tribe of Maorilanders on September 23. A party came over from Wigan, and included Todd, Seeling, Renwick, and Williams, of Auckland. They spent the evening with Gillett and Woodward discussing their native land and battles of the past in New Zealand. The four colonials looked well and are playing as finely as ever in their career. They think, from the personnel of the team, that the tour will be a successful one, ' though they impressed upon the Australians the fact that everj' game would be keenly contested. The rivalry between these Northern Union clubs is remarkable. They would all like to see the visitors win every match, with the exception of onetheir own. The club matches, the New Zealanders declare, will be more difficult to win than the international fixtures. The men to play for the various counties have been limited to the native-born players—that is to say, only Yorkshiremen will bo in that county's combination, and so on all through the tour. The colonials will, therefore, not appear in any of what are regarded as " big" gates. They are particularly strong in numbers, and it is suggested that "they should send a team to Australia next year. The attraction would be a big one. A "tour of the kind would be financially successful. Such men as Bowleski, Dean, Devereaux, Smith. Todd, Anlezark, Rosenfeld, Seeling. Johnson, Renwick, Williams, and others whose, names do not suggest themselves at the moment, would make up a powerful contingent. The ranks of the foreigners have been swollen within the last few days. Dick Papakura, the Maori fullback, has signed on for Oldham. Dean has not settled his trouble with Oldham up to date, nor does there seem any prospect of his doing so in the immediate future. There is a possibility of Dean being secured as trainer of the team. At present Syd. Melville, who looked after the Wallabies when they toured Britain in 1908, has the. bunch at Coventry in hand, while Dean is at Southport.