FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15604, 9 May 1914, Page 5

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME. , SEVEN-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT. . NOTES AND COMMENTS. The seven-a-side tournament In-day will mark the opening of the Auckland Rugby j Union's 1914 season. Eleven teams have '• entered for the tournament, which, given fine weather, should prove a pronounced success. Incidentally, the Auckland Union will make its debut on the Eden ground, which is fast being got ready for the j season. In fact, arrangements are now almost cnmnße for the oponing of the grade competitions next Saturday. Play will commence at 2.30 p.m. and the Newton West and Bayfield schools will play a cutain raider at two o'clock The coming season promises to be the , most successful in the history of Auckland i football. No less than 43 teams have entered for the various competitions, which is easily a record, and an increase of nine teams on last year. Besides these teams, there are between 20 and 30 from the public schools, also an increase on last year, so that there seems little chance of del monition in the Rugby game. Cup competitions will commence next Saturday. Grounds should not be wanting during the coming season. Three matches will bo played each Saturday at Eden Park, and I another nine or ten grounds are available at the Agricultural Ground, while on Woods's Paddock there is room for at least three others, and North Shore also has accommodation for a match. It will thus be seen that the union is well rid of the trotting ground, for which such an. exhorbitant price was paid, and which was j undoubtedly too far out of town.i j The drawing of matches tor the season ! is always an arduous task, and on Wednesday evening the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union spent a very considerable time in arranging the sea-son's programme. After everything had been decided, the Newton Club entered four teams on the following day owing to an oversight, and most of the good work was undone, as the second, fourth, and, fifth grades had to be re-drawn. The recent move by old boys of the Grammar School to form ah old boys' club has borne fruit, and the club is now in existence. Teams have been entered in the second and third grades. The club, which has affiliated with College Rifles, has a fairly strong membership list, and before many seasons are past it should rank with the best of Auckland's senior clubs. Another club which will make its first appearance in Rugby football this year is the Tramway Club, which has entered a strong team in the second grade. Quite a number of the tramway employees have in past years been playing with more or less success with other clubs, and a large number of these have applied tor translers to the new combination. With plenty of material at its command, tramway should play an important part in the competitions. Vet another club which will take the field for the first time this season is Takapuna, which will figure in the fourth grade. With so much new blood Rugby football cannot but have a successful season. The Ponsonby Club is holding a smoke concert in its up-to-date training-shed tonight. During the evening medals will be presented to last year's junior team, which ( annexed the second-grade championship. I Amongst the certain representative fixtures to be played here this year are those against Wellington and Taranaki, both of which teams are due to visit Auckland. ' The match against Taranaki will not involve the Ranfurly Shield, but the Auckland fifteen is practically certain to visit New Plymouth in quest of that trophy. ' It is pleasing to note that the recent' report that Mr. Harry Frost had decided to give up refereeing was unfounded. Mr •■ Frost did not resign from the association, but only from office. He was elected a | life member, and will continue to control matches during the coming season. > PAR-NELL CLUB. The following team will represent the Parnell Club in the seven-a-side tournament this afternoon Wallace, Bovard, Nelson, Hickey, Hensrh, G. Cameron, Ibbott'on ; emergency. C. Cameron. All players not taking part in the tournament will practice at the Agricultural Ground. REFEREES' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL MEETING IN WELLINGTON. [by TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington. Friday. The annual meetincr of the New Zealand Rugby Referees' Association was held tonight" Mr. Isaacs (chairman), in moving the adoption of the annual report, said < that the association was doing well,, de-1 spite the fact that it had no subsidy from' the Ruabv Union. The executive desired | to lay stress on the point that the choice , of referees for club contests should be left ] in the hands of the local referees' associa- j tion,' and urged the associations to make in effort to jet a by-law to this effect in, • the local Rugby Union club contest rules, i The suggestion was approved, and a sub- J committee was set up to wait on the New j Zealand Rugbv Union at the annual meet-1 ing next week, to urge its adoption, so as to' secure uniformity of method. j The application of the East Coast j (North Island) Referees' Association for! affiliation with the New Zealand Associa-1 tion was granted. The following office-bearers were elected :—President, Mr. R. M. Isaacs; vice-presidents, Messrs. C. Speight (South Auckland), G. Katterns (Auckland), F. T. Bcllringer (New Plymouth), L. Simpson (Wellington), A. E. Booth (Wajrarapa), A. E. Neilson (Hawke's Bay), H. E. Hiddlestone (Canterbury), A. Valentine (South Canterbury),- and the R«v. W. B. Scott (Wanganui); hon secretary, Mr. L. Sievers; hon. auditor, Mr. C. H. Mason; executive, Messrs. McKenzie, Francis, Laws, Howe, Eyre, and O'Suliivan.