FOOTBALL. ATHLETIC SPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18089, 13 May 1922, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

THE RUGBY GAME. CHANGES IN SENIOR FIXTURES. The club championship matches under tho auspices of the Auckland Busby Union will be continued to-day. when, with fir.e weather and dry grounds, the game* should be fast and interesting- Owing to tho postponement of the Grafton Club's engagements for to-day, occasioned by the death of Mr. E. T. Nixon, one of the most popular members o£ the Grafton senior team, the Emergency Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union has re-arranged the senior fixtures for today's oompotitons. In the senior grade tho matches arranged for June 10, on which Grafton has the bye, will be played to-day. while the matches originally arranged for to-day will be played on Juno 10. The draw for to-day is as follows:—University v. Ponsonby, No. 1 ground, Eden Park; Grammar Old Boys v. Newton, No. '2 ground. Eden Park; Marist Bros. Old Boys v. Eden, Xo. 3 ground, Edea Park; College Rifles v. North Shore, No. 5 ground, North Shoro._ Tho appointment of referees for the grounds at IS p.m. remains alteredTho principal contest to-day will be the' meeting of University and Ponsonby at Eden Park. Both teams are well represented, and have been showing good form this season- Ponsonby is playing right (J, the top of its form, and tho match against Grafton last week-end proved it to bo a fine combination. University hag a strong forward team and a good back division, which with its pace and dash may test tho Ponsonby defence. Both teams play tho open game, and a fast, interesting exhibition of Rugby should result. Tho match Ivetween Grammar Old Boys and Newton should produce a good game. Grammar has not yet secured its beat team, but tho fifteen winch will line out to-day is of good repute, and should not ba found wanting against Newton, which is a greatly improved team ou this season's form- Ihc match between Marist Bros. Old Boys and Eden, although not likely to provo a difficult proposition for Marisl.s, should furnish a, good game, with the Marist forwards dominating tho play. College Rifles and North Shore should provide one of the most closely contested matches of to-day's competitions. With an improvement in combination, College Rifles backs should show to advantage, while tho North Shore forwards may be expected to keep the College pack busy. In the junior grades no re-draw has been made, but the. matches in which Grafton teams were engaged have been postponed. The following alterations in grounds have bivfn made: — , First Juniors.— -Ponsonby v. Parnell, Eden | Park, No. 1. 1.-io. Referee. Mr- H Moore. ; Third Grade—Marist Bros. v. Newton, Eden Park. No. 2, 145. Referee, Mr. A. Paull St. David's v. Y.M-C.A. B. Domain, No' i 2 p.m.; Mr A. Coltman. Grey Lynn v. Grammar A, Showground, No. 1, 3 Mr. M. Kronfeld. j