RUGBY FOOTBALL

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7020, 7 January 1910, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

NEW ZEALAND UNION. 1 PROPOSED CONFERENCE. The Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union met last evening to consider various matters affecting the interests of the game. Present : Miessrs G. Dixon (chairman), N. Galbraith, R. Isaacs, G. Lusk and H. Kelly. The South Auckland Rugby Union forwarded the names of two natives playing under the Paeroa Union who had visited Australia last season with the Maori professional team.—The alleged' offenders are to be given two weeks to show cause why they should not be expelled for professionalism. The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union wrote placing its financial position before the union, and asking for a temporary respite in order to enable it to mjest its obligations to the New Zealand Rugby Union.—Repayment of sinking fund to stand over, but payment of interest on loan to be insisted on. The Nelson Rugby Union forwarded the names of twenty-six players and officials who had been concerned in a game at Nelson played under Northern Union rules.—lt was" decided to suspend the players who took part in the match during the pleasure of the union, and to remove the suspension already imposed upon the officials who acted in connection with the match. Matters in connection with the proposed conference of the New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand Rugby Unions at Sydney on January 25th were discussed. Mr F. Logan, Napier, wrote regretting his inability to attend the conference as representative of the North Island. Mr G. H. Mason (Christchurch) will represent thle South Island, and Mr G. H. Dixon the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Mr G. C. Fache will intimate to-day whether he will be able to represent the North Island.

Kemp the centre, and Felton the left bank. The limit man, Kemp, went off ot a. great bat, striking 36 to the minute. Feltou began with 32 and the champion was content with 30. Tlio two handicap men were both in mid stream for the first quarter of a mile, and then they commenced to draw in

•towards the left bank, where projecting willows were a source of danger to both, especially to Felton. Kenip was here- just a length in front of Felton, while Arms* was plugging away in I stoni chase of the liandicap men, who had secured a good eight lengths advantage, by thear concessions. As they approached the mile peg Arnst's magnificent powers of propulsion began to appreciably lessen the gap and with half the distance gone and the watch showing 6.40 the champion had got to within, three lengths of Felton and five of Kemp. Arnst continued to give a splendid exhibition, and quickly overhauling Felton went in pursuit of Kemp, who, seeing the big fellow coming, spurted away, and it momentarily looked as if he were going to give Arnst some trouble. Kemp, however, failed to sustain his effort, and at a milo and a quarter Arnst drew level with him and quickly sped away and put a lot of daylight between himself and 1 the little New South Welshman, who had certainly iset a merry pace from the jump. Over the last half-mile ' Arnst had things all his own way, and rowing well within himself ho crossed the line a good eight lengths in advance of Felton, who overtook the fast-tiring Kemp some two hundred yards from the post and beat him home by three lengths. Time. 13min 32soc. Second Hefcit. W. Webb (N.Z.), 3seo 1 "Dick" Green (N.S.W.), 23seo ... 2 J. Mitchell (N.S.W.), 13sec ... 3 The virtual scratch, man drew the same 'course as Arnst, on the town bank, .Green being in the middle and Mitchell nearest the leftoank of the river. Green adopted similar tactics bo Kemp when lie ' got the signal, striking 36 to the minute. Mitchell, on the other band, was slow to begin, doing only 28, whale Webb got in 32. Green, steering with' great accuracy, rowed in mid-stream for nearly a mile and made the fullest use of his handicap. Mitchell, (however, hugged the j hank very closely. Efc was soon plainly evident that the I issue lay between Webb and Green for the. former quickly overhauled Mitchell I who, fouling the overhanging willows : badly, was shortly after practically. placed"(hors de combat. Webb then | went iin pursuit of Green., who passed ■ the mile peg in Gmin 35sec: with Webb i still some five to six lengths astern. Both were doing 28 'at this stage. I Webb then commenced to dig them in j in real earnest, .and as he began to j slowly but surely wear Green down there was, needless to say, tremendous excitement among the ex-ohiaimpion's supporter® and admirers. Both Green and Webb had - drawn in close to the left bank, and half a mile from homo Green only held a little better than a'length's advantage. Webb endeavoured to. pass his opponent on the inside acmid shrill blasts from the steamer's whistle, the signal warning arranged when any of the contestants were getting into .the danger zone. Both men came out again and in mid-stream tho tremend-! ous struggle between the two men continued. Webb's ' prospects looked quite satisfactory. As he tenaoiousdy hung on the bow. of his boat could not have been more than a few feet away from the stern, of Green's. The latter was, not observing the championship rules .under which the .contest was rowed, for ho did not take the nearest way home, and Webb was temporarily frustrated in a not to be: denied effort to : prove his superiority. Webb had to ease\down a bit, ■, but once ho got clear he quickly asserted his supremacy and literally rowed Green to a standstill. A hundrod yards from the post the New South Welshman cried "enough," and amid a great outburst of cheering Webb's stamina and grit won the day after a stragglo which will bo long Temembered by those who witnessed it. Webb, who commenced on the right bank side, finished close into the opposite one, some two lengths in advance of Green, who resumed rowing after missing a stroke or two. Time, 13min 4ssec. Third Heat.'.. ,

F. S. Hagney (N.S.W.), lOsec ... 1 Richard Green (N.S.W.), 15sec ... 2 T. Rewhiti (N.Z.), 25seo, 3

E.'Lareen (N.S.W.), 29aeo

From the town side of the river they took up their positions in the following order —To Rewhiti, Green, I/arsen, Hagney. The New ZeaJander struck 36 to begin with,, but it w*ab soon apparent ho could have done with a greater concession. Ho took a- rather, wide detour into the long straight, vvTiilo the other three were all hugging the left banki .With only half a. mile gone I/aiisen and Green were rowing abreast in front two lengths. clear of Hagney. A quarter of a ntile further on the order was Green, Hagney,. Larson, a. • length between eacih,' with Te Rewhiti fast dropping astern. At" the mile peg, which was reached in s Gmin iOsec,'Hagney had forged to' the front half a lengtih out from Green, and-at this stage it was-plainly evident that the issue lay between Hagney and Green. ,■'■•'■ ' I Over the last three-quarters of a'

mile Hagney held an advantage cf a, length and a. half from Green, who was getting the former's wash. Hagney was tailing a risk in hugging tho bank too closely and a timely warning, from tho steamer's whistle saved him from what appeared certain to lead to his undoing, as he seemed to be making for a projecting obstruction of willows. Pulling out in tho nick of time his blade only cleared the willows by a couple of feet. Green stuck very gamely to it, but ho failed to make any impression upon Hlagney, who eventually won by nearly two lengths. Larsen, when _ hopelessly beaten off, got into the willows, and Te Rewhiti finished in third place well astern of the sfcaaner following tihe race. Time, 13min 3sec.

The officials in connection with the contest were as follow :—Handicappor, Mr J. Blackman, Sydney; starter, Mr Thomas H. James; judge, Mr E.Day; umpire, Mr 0. A. Barton; time-i keepers, Messrs J. 6. Swan and Denis Barnett.'

PROSPECTS FOR THE FINALS. Needless to say, .with Arnst scratch, TiVlaoib 3 seconds, and. Hagney 10 seconds, the final, which will be rowed on Saturday, is ' creating .very great

uteresfc. Indeed, for some time past an oft-heard expression has • been: " Will Arnst and Wchb ever meet again?" and the result of to-day's heats in the handicap contest has answered that question in the affirmative. Although Arnst's heat was some 28 seconds slower than either of the other two, it has to.be remembered that the. world's champion was never called upon to exert himself to "his, full capacity over the last three quarters of a mile. .. Whether Webb's gruelling race to-day will have detrimentally affected him, remains to be seen, and there is some doubt as to how Hagncy won his heat, as some reckon "this promising ex-cyclist bad a good hit up his sleeve over tlie last half mile. After to-day's showing, there is no denying that Arnst is what he has all along been claimed to be, a phenomenally good man, and he is. a strong tip in local aquatic circles for Saturday's contest. In addition to the final, ;a Consola-

tion Handicap will bo rowed for those unsuccessful in to-day's heats. The prize-money will lie £l2, £B, and £o. The following handicaps were, declared to-night for this event:—Fclton scr, Mitchell and Boh Green ;isee, S. Kemp ssec, Dick Green Bsec, Larsen 9sec, Te Rewhiti 15sec