VISITING FOOTBALLERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18122, 21 June 1922, Page 9

VISITING FOOTBALLERS.

TEAM FROM AUSTRALIA, f: CIVIC WELCOME TENDERED. P ' P ■. • a MEMBERS 5 AMATEUR STATUS, f *" s ; ' f> The members of the 'Australian! Uni- fi versitiefe'' Rugby League team, who ar- * rived on Monday by the Manuka, were last, evening accorded % civic -welcome at j, the Town HalL There was a large as- t semßlage, including representatives of the t Auckland Rugby Football League and the c New Zealand League Council. j* The Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, in extending a cordial welcome to the visitors t; on Behalf of the citizens, said the people t of the Commonwealth and the Dominion a were bound together by the closest ties, which had been strengthened by the ex- t : periences of the Great War. It could justifiably be said that nothing did more to .strengthen the social bonds between the two countries than the interchange of visits of teams of athletes. He deemed ? it a privilege to welcome a League team from the Universities of Sydney and Bris- 0 bane. In view of the deeds of the famous teams from Australia that had previously j visited Mew Zealand, the present team & had been set a high standard to live up E to and he was sure the high code would c be maintained both on and off the play- j ing field. The Mayor also referred to ] visits of Australian public and professional c men to Mew Zealand, including the mem- a bers of the Medical Congress, who met in s the Dominion in 1914. t Mr. Gunson said the public believed in c good j clean sport and he felt sure the. c visit of the University players would do ( much to assist the game. Just as cricket t was the great national game of the Com- s moil wealth, Rugby football was the na- T tional game of the Dominion. In attack- fc ing Auckland at football the University ] students were undertaking a " strong pro- c position" and if they proved victorious T could conclude that they had achieved something to be proud of. Mr. D. W. McLean, president of the New Zealand 'Rugby Football! Lieague, also welcomed the visitors. He congratu- 1 iated the team in having as coach Mr. i W. Kelly, a New Zealander, who had c assisted the League game in its early c days in the Dominion. i Tlie manager of the visiting team, Mr. ' T. P. McMahon, in replying, said it r seemed to htm that the sending abroad f of bands of athletes nutrked a high stand- I ard in any country. Such teams were < the advance guards of civilisation and 'i the more frequent interchange of 3uch ♦ visits between the countries of the world 1 would make national life better and de- ] mocracy safer. Refeirring to differences c between supporters of rival football codes, i Mr. McMahon snid hi.ii team did not come * to New .Zealand as stormy petrels to take part in any unseemly feud. They wera 1 League players from conviction and had < no feel in j against any other code. When f the University players undertook to play i the* league game it was questioned in t ! some quarters whether they would retain i iheir amateur status. There was now no t question on that point. The players yielded to none in rogard to their amateur status. Of the 21 players. 15 were from the Sydney University and six from the Brisbane University. All the members of the tear.r,, except Dr. Flattery, . who was still eligible to play for his i University, were ander-graduates of either ' Sydney or Brisbane University. They i were travelling under the auspices of the t Australian Universities' Sports Associa- ! tion. which had been recently formed to 1 control all university and inter-university - contests. Mr. P. Conaghan, captain of the visiting team, also responded on behalf of the tenm. Cheerr. were given for the visitors and the Mayor, and the gathering concluded "inging of the National Anthem. The visitors were also formally welcomed at the Auckland Lease's rooms last evening by Mr. J. Carlaw. chairman of the Management. Committee of the Auckland League, and Mr. E. Phelsin, member of the New Zealand Rugby League Council. PEEST MATCH TECS APTEBITOOSr. GOOD CONTEST EXPECTED. The Australian team will play the first match of the tour thiii afternoon at Carlaw 1 Park against the Auckland League representative team. Play commences at 3 p.m. 'Hie visitors will put a strong team in tne fie4d, and as they are reputed to play a fast, open style of game, a good contest should result. The second match will be played against Auckland on Saturday afternoon at the Domain. The final match will be played at Carlaw Park next Wednesday. The following are the teams for to-day's match: — Combined Universities. — Fullback, B;. Courtenay; 'threequarters, Dr. Flattery, W. P. Linskev; W. P. Ccmoghan, F. Cripps: five-eighth, F. Finn; halfback, J. Craif: forwards, L. McKeon, C. Evatt, J. Dnnworth, R. Dun worth, G. Fisher, J. Ward ; emergencies, Cunningham, Videlich (backs). J. Darragh, 'Irvine (forwai'ds). Auckland. — Fullback, W. Davidson; threequarters, B. Davidson, Weatherall, Littlewood; five-eighths, J. Laing, A. McClvmont; halfback, Poison; forwards, Singe, Somers, Stormont, Hawkes, Avery, Bass; emergencies, Woollev, Gray, Delgrosso, Turner, Meadows. Mr. W. Murray will be the referee..