FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18459, 24 July 1923, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

——— (THE RUGBY GAME. notes AND comments. • " The Charity Cup match between Mar--1! k Ist Old Boys, - the champion team, lund Grafton, the runners-up, will be played at Edon Park on Saturday. This contest, in view of the close and tense game on Saturday last, will be of special interest. i U may bo possible that, Grafion, with a stronger side than that which did ench sound service on Satur- ■ day, will turn the tables on Mans, Old ■ Boys and win the Charity Cup for 19^3Th« Ronfnrlv Shield match between Hawke's Bay (holders) and j Wellington ' (challengers) will be played at J Sell on Saturday. Both : teams will be I weu represented, Hawke a Bay by a fifteen inforcee by the inclusion of severd membora ft f the Maori touring team, " otaDl > Bivrclav and Mill. Wellington will plaj its bit fifteen in the shield contest. The inter-islairi match. North versus South Island will be playad at WeUington on Saturday, August 4. ..special terest is attached to this season _ inter island contest,, owing to the fac- la •on the form shown by the P]^ cl ® th ~ • New Zealand team to meet Now South Wales in the three test matches will b selected. The South Island team is a strong side, including the best players of the southern -provinces, but surprise 3 created by tho non-inclusion of W. fcea, the New Zealand Army five-eighths and captain of last seasons South Island team ■who has been playing fine football _ for ■ Otago University and the CHago province this season. The absence of Fea s name from the South Island team may possibly he explained by the fact that he Is unable to secure the necessary leave owing to examinations and will require leave to tour with the Otago team later in the season.

Spirit el Play Improved. The spirit of play in the final *cup championship between Marxst Old Boys and Grafton at Eden Park, on Saturday, showed marked improvement on the lamentable laps* of sportsmanship in the contest on the same ground the previous week-end. The final of the cup championship held the elements of keenly-con-tested. strenuous play, in whicn all the sporting instincts were tested to a degree. It is creditable to the plovers, m this gruelling game, that when ihey sottied downthey betrayed no lapses of : sportsmanship, but caught tho correct epirit of play and carried it off to the -exciting and thrilling finish. The play, however, was not altogether blameless, ? for in the second quarter certain players so y far forgot themselves ;as to create a breach of sportsmanship. A severe , reprimand and caution by Use referee (Mr. J. W. Meredith), who had complete control of the game, • steadied the offenders, who, thereafter, played clean football. Ife is regrettable* for the; sake of the game, and the many good sportsmen and players associated with it, that there has been any occasion daring . the season to caution playera for . lapses of Had some of the refereos the sound convictions of Mr. Meredith, and some of the ( other good referees, there would have been no occasion to refer to lapses in good sports- ' manship in senior football.'. A reprimand and a caution for the first offence, and a straight-out " ordering . off " the field for the second, would immediately remedy any weakness in sportsmanship. ;, • fee present epidemic of influenza is rife among Rugby footballers, several matches halving to be cancelled owing to layers "being laid aside with sickness, unior matches on Saturday were seriously interfered with, consequent on the iii-roads 'of the r epidemic, and no fewer than three senior matches, university and College Rifles, North Shore and .Suburbs, and Eden and Newton had to be cancelled on this account.. ■

Included in the long list suffering from influenza last weak were several members of the Auckland Rugby Union, among others, Mr. Harry Frost, chairman of the Management Committee,. who has Ibeen . indisposed for several days. So seriously i has the epidemic affected members of the Rugby Union that the meeting of the Management Committee lapsed last week - owing, to their being no quorum. _ ' ' • Big Hates at Eden Park. ' The races at Eden Park on Saturday wore reminiscent of a wet day at Epsom 1 on Derby Day.. Hundreds of umbrella- covered spectators crowded the hillside while passing .showers fell and raindrops dripped flown the necks of the enthusiasts, who/ unmindful of the wintry . conditions and cheerless circumstances, 'cheered the' players in the gruelling game on 1 No. 1 ground : at; Eden Park. These incidents' are only some of many which have been created this season when Rugby football is booming and public ' attendances are large. What the "gates" at Eden Park - would = have been had the weather been line can well be : imagined, as the attendances this season, - under extremely unfavourable conditions, have been wonderful, and only surpassed by the record * crowds which used to assemble on Potter's Paddock some seasons ago when Auckland held. the Ranfarly Shield for so long against all contestants for Rugby supremacy. Charges for International Matches. Regarding the matter of gates. Rugby football, like all other branches of amateur sport, must bo dependent on public support. The New Zealand Rugby Union has offered a sound defence for the • charge of admission to the New South ■ Wales matches of 2s to the ground. The cost of the ! New Zealand tour of the New South Wales team is only a trifle less than that of the Springboks tour of 1921, " Almost the same number oil players, 27 and a ' manager, with possibly, a New South Wales referee, as has been suggested, will make the tour, playing fourteen matches, travelling first- : class rates over railways and saloon passages on steamers accommodated at the same hotels as the Springboks and :! at similar tariff. The only difference in the cost of - the South : Africans' tour of I ' New Zealand : and the . approaching New : South Wales' ' tour ;is • that of <:;■ steamer fares from Capetown and Sydney, which is a matter of two or three hundred pounds in a tour running info, approximately over £6000. When affiliated unions : realise this, they will be only too ready to fall in line with the recommendation of the controlling body, which is solely responsible for the tour of the visitors, that the charge for admission to the ground be 23. - The public, which gets its amateur sport cheaper in New Zealand than in any other Dominion or State, will not question the validity or sanity of the recommendation of the admission charge to such Rugby attractions sis the contests against the New South Wales touring team promise to be. Maoris , versus N>w South Wales. While cn the subject of the New South Wales tour, it is interesting to note that there Is a proposal to play a match be tween the Maori team and the New South Wales team, at Wellington. The Maori touring team was defeated In the test matches in Sydney this season, but with all due regard to the high standard oi New South Walts Rugby it must not be forgotten that the Maori touring team was not at full strength for the test matches in Sydney. Moreover, what is of, equally vital importance, is that the visiting Maori team suffered severely from the strange rulings of the Sydney referees, who, regard less of Rugby requirements, interpreted the rules more in tins strict matter and manner of the laws ox the game than in the spirit, Some of the Sydney referees' rulings were foreijpa to the Maoris, who were afraid to " play the game," fearing a, breach which would create a penalty. This will be remembered in New Zealand and remedied when the Now South Wales team tours next month. The Maoris and New Zealand sides will be under no such handicap as strange rulings, but will " play the game " under the code which should, in view of the international status and importance, be controlled under complete : Hufonnity.i