Rugby Football in Wellington.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7847, 8 July 1911, Page 14

Rugby Football in Wellington.

No. XI. Some Historical Incidents: Humorous and Otherwise—

Mostly Otherwise,

By D. McKENZIE, (All Rights Reserved,)

The Origin of Rugby Football. ONI of the earliest mentions of football referring to a grand Shrovetide scuffle some five hundred years ago. has it on redord that when one Roger of the Hove clung to tho ball and would not be parted from the same, there were lend demands from the spectators that Roger bo “cast over yo hedge.” Whether be was so cast is not known, but the incident is interesting in that it shows that tho Rugby game was not then in voguo. In fact, tho practice of catching and running with the hall is less than a, hundred years old. It dates from 1823, when a Rugby schoolboy, named Ellis, adopted that method of reaching tho goal instead of kicking tho bail. Tho originality of tho idea soon caught on in the school and gradually the now method of play was adopted outside, and became known as the Rugby stylo This facit is commemorated by the interesting memorial tablet depicted oa

this page. An Incident of the First Match Played in Wellington. dimer, one of Wellington’s earliest players, was a staid, gentleman of the old school, and earned himself mth a lot of dignity. During the match be--Ivteen the sailors off the D.M.S. Hoonno ind the Wellington men on the 21st A-Ugnst, 1870, OUivier was bringing the ball oat after it had been kicked over the lino. Without the least hit of warning one of the sailors collared OUivier by the throat, and had it no. been for the intervention of some of his comrades it would have hove gone hard with him. lor he was gasping when the Jack tj».r was pulled away. Shaking himself like a. dog, OUivier remarked. Dash i. all. rou beggar! I’U take it out of you .bolore the game is over. Dash it all. In one of the earlier articles I referred to the pond of water, that was an adjunct in those days of the Basin hciervo where the band rotunda now jtands. At the time of this match it bob fairly full of water and later on In the game this sailor referred to fell into this pond—one informant says as :he result as a straight left delivered by OUivier. Be that as it may, as toe sailor floundered in the water the Wellington player's opportunity for retaliation came. Jumping into the pond he got his knee on to the navy man s back, and grabbed his head with his hands. Each time he ducked his head under ■‘ho rater, calmly and coolly without any show of anger, ha remarked, ‘'Now. you beggar, that serves you right! I said I would have my revenge, and I am having it.” OUivier had to bo pulled aff the sailor before his revenge was complete, or probably a drowning accident to a sailor on land would have been reported. As it was, it took many long draughts of Staples’ Best—or what was equivalent to it in ' those days—before the sailor got the taste of the muddy ■ water out of his .mouth. By the way, this is not a fancy sketch. What would the present-day chroniclers of “The Rugby Rough” have to say if a similar incident happened these days? The papers would be full of it, and yet it -was only looked upon as on© of thf ordinary happenings of the game. "We had good times those days,” is the way on old-time player put it to me. A Chief Justice Attends an Early Game. Fletcher Johnson, who comes to Wellington periodically with an assortment of pictures for sale, which W. H. Turnbull puts under the hammer for him, was one of Wellington’s early-day players. On one occasion he coaxed his father, who was the Chief Justice of New Zealand at the time, to watch him. play in a match on tho Fitzherbept terrace ground. Fletcher was never a robust chap, and during the progress of the game ho got knocked about pretty severely, but came up smiling every time. The game went on merrily, but . Fletchers knocking about was too much for tho Chief Justice, who at last wanted bo rush on to tho field and order his son off. To those round about him he declared that "it was a brutal game, and not fit for any decent man to play. And if he had his way his son would never play again.” The game must have altered, or our present Chief Justice holds a different opinion to. his predecessor, for he acknowledged in the Supreme Court last year that he had played the game in his younger days. Qualification of Players in the Seventies. On the eve of one of the early NelsouWellington matches the local players oould only muster thirteen, for some reason or another two of the original l selection having dropped out at the last moment. Captain Ishorwood consulted some members of his team and finally it was decided to approach a newspaper reporter, who was supposed to have a fair idea of tho qualifications necessary for a decent footballer. They explained their dilemma to him, and he helped them ouit right away. First, he got them into touch with Keith, "a man big enough to play a whole side by himself." He was big all right—about 6ft Sin in height, and built in proportion, but, barring a couple of bear-like hugs ho administered to some of his opponents, he was more in the way than anything else during tho progress of the game. The other men recommended was Hillsden, and his passport to fame was tho fact that "he had killed two men in tho last game he had played in Melbourne.” Hillsden was accepted, but his play was not in keeping with tho reputation that had preceded him. Just as well, probably, for tho Nelson players. Rugby and Association—Then and Now. In this year of grace 1911, there is no donbt at all but that the leaders of Rugby and Association football are at daggers drawn with one another, and tho efforts made by them individually and collectively to capture tho present-day schoolboy do not tend to the harmony which should exist between two sister sports, in my opinion there ought never to bo any idya of antagonism between these two phases of football, for there is plenty of room —provided there are sufficient grounds—for them to play side by side in tho Dominion. But few people, however, hold similar opinions to mine, therefore it is refreshing to look into tho records of the past in this connection. In a review of the 1832 season, published in the Wellington Rugby Union’s Annual of 1893. appears tho following : "The Association game made a decided advance last year, and the fourth season of tho Wellington, Football Association

r wa.s marked by great success, not only at home, but in the tournament matches played at Christchurch, under the auspices of the New Zealand Football Association, for tho challenge trophy. That | Wellington should win the first tourna- . ment’ and gain possession of the shield 1 for the year is highly creditable to all concerned, especially as this is the first ' instance of a travelling team winning I against a home team on a. strange ground.” A full description of all the matches played followed, together with , a short account of the ordinary games of the year. On a later page of the same Annual appears the Laws of the Game of the Wellington Football Association. Tho lato Allan Henderson, one of the finest fellows ever connected with any form of athletic sport, in New Zealand, was the leading spirit in Association football those days, and his death was regretted by every young fellow who had the * pleasure of being brought into contact with him. His influence still pervades Association football, and his memory is kept green by an annual competition for the Henderson Memorial Cup. More men with the spirit of the late Allan Henderson are wanted in the government of football in the Dominion at the present time, both Rugby and Association. Two Incidents Told by Captain King. In the early 'nineties the lino umpires i did not trouble to carry flags with them, ; and indicated where tho ball went into ' touch by holding up their hands. These ( days Captain J. T. King was one of the i managers of the Petone Presbyterian* Church, and in a match between Ponefeij

and Petone he acted as a Una umpire. The game got very exciting, and at the 6pot the ball went out of play Captain King held up his hand. A prominent Poneko forward rushed up to him, and said: “Have you cot your .Bible with you? Could you take’your oath on the Bible the ball went out there?" Turning round to the spectators he said, “You can’t trust these Bible-punchers a yard/* This was said in the heat of the game, and that same Poneke forward was eVer willing to acknowledge the general fairness of the captain of the “Jubilee."

On one occasion a Maori team came down from Te Ore Ore to play against Petone, but they were taking no risks of being defeated, for they brought their own referee with them, During the game one of the Petone backs got a mark in a splendid position, bnt the Maori referee could or would not see it, and neglected to blow hia whistle. Captain King, however, came to Petone’s rescue, and the tootling of # a whistle pulled the players up all right. The -Maori referee was much incensed, and, advancing towards the spectators, he said excitedly: “Where te other lefelee; I'm not going on with another lefelee among the spectators." Nobody enlightened him, and the game went on. To Uco Or© boys being defeated after all. # Captain Isherwood’s Humour.

A Wellington team went to Nelson on one occasion—the fifteen whose photograph appeared In the fourth series of these articles. They were early risers those days, and before breakfast on the day of the match the whole of the party had been out for a walk to encourage their appetites. When the majority; of the team were assembled in the sittingroom of the hotel, awaiting, the call for breakfast, ' Captain Isherwood cam© ia. with his hand over his left eye. “I'U have to go and see a doctor; I've lost an eye," was the * surprising remark he made to his comrades. Before .they could question him as to how the accident had happened he left the room—to.''go and see a doctor, as they supposed. One of them happened to pick up that morning's paper, and in looking over the passengers who had arrived by the steamer thb previous evening they found the name of “Sherwood,"’ The genial captain had lost his “I" ail right I Is Rugby a Rough Game? They say comparisons are odious, but those who complain that Kugby is played roughly these days aro invitea to have’an interview with Mr T. Hoggard, of the Education Department. After one match in which he had taken part his fellow-players had to cut his uniform off, his legs were so knocked about in ’the hacking he had received that his’ clothes could not be taken off in the ordinary* way.

An “Off-Side Mao” Incident. ■ During the progress of one New Zea-land-New South Wales match on the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1593, W. McKenzie, the well-known wing-forward, was ordered off the field by it. McCaaslant! (the old-time Wellington representative and a member of the New Zealand Native Team of 13SS), the referee. "Alac” limped to the s.de of the field, as he did not relish the idea of going off in front of a Sydney crowd. The game was drawing to its conclusion at the time, but the ball happened to come along to where McKenzie was standing, and he promptly took a hand in tho play. He was called to order by tho referee. but he promised not to interfere in the game any further if ho was allowed to stay where he was, “Off-side” remained on tho side of the field, limping about in'the most approved fashion.

and not a solitary spectator was aware of what had actually happened. And, as McCausland was a busy man with interests out of Sydney, the matter was not reported to the New South Wales Rugby Union. In this incident “Offside” had more than his usual share of luck.

A Personal Note. Some of the readers of these memoirs are under the impression that "Off-side” and the writer are one and the same person. This paragraph i« to disabuse their minds. Although I played the game for a matter of about sixteen years, and earned my cap as a representative halfback while so doing, I was never in tho same street with the long fellow as a player. As a writer his opinions and criticisms have always been welcome and interesting, but his forte lies more in the descriptive than in the historical mode. "Off-side” would tell you hiinseH that the searching of records and papers to the end that J have done lately would weary him to death, but give him a pen .with fuil license to describe a match between two teams of the finest in the laud and he would interest, amuse, and convince his readers. I3y this it will be seen that 1 have a huge respect for w. McKenzie, although 1 had heard ot him but never met him until Ibthh when i first came to Wellington with a football team from the Forty-Mile Hush.

A Rugby Match and After. Thus Captain Ishorwood: “Re that early match between the Armed Constabulary and the Wellington team. Quo of tho Constabulary team was named Johnston, otherwise the Silvci Pheasant/ After the match he and 1 had a turn with the g.oves in one or the barrack-rooms.” A very ha-nay wav of working off some extra steam, and one that seemed a common one in the early days of the game in Wellington. Opinions Differ, and a Compliment to a Great Player.

Mr W. J. White ("Eraesey”) writes to Mr A. F. Wiren: "Many thanks for paper with the history of the Poncke Club. It is interesting to hark back oyer days that are gone, and what a of memory it brings—good, bad, and indinerent—happily with a greater proportion *)f the first-named. I disagree with the writer in giving our mutual friend the colt (W. J. Wallace) the honour of being tho greatest Poncke of them all. That honour to my mind still rests with our departed friend T. R. Ellison, who was rS it only the greatest Poneko, but to my ■fwhnd the greatest Rugby player tho

world has seen, and to whose prowess and strategy we certainly owe to a great extent the very large improvement in Kugby to-day."

The First New Zealand Representative * Team.

The methods of selection of the 188 i New Zealand team were much different to what exist in these days. The following letter from the late W. V. Millton, who in 1883 was secretary ‘of the Canterbury Rugby Union and eventually captained the team, to A. T, Bate, secretary of the Wellington Kugby Union, throws some light on the early-day methods: “There's nod: a doubt that, having received a visit from a New South Wales team, every effort ought to bci made to return ut; but it is equally certain that many difficulties will arise in coming to any satisfactory arrangement. Taking the result of last year's matches, Auckland and Otago are the places most to be consulted in the matter, as the majority of the team would have to be furnished by the unions of those provinces. If it were found impracticable to hold a tournament the only basis we should have to go on would be the play shown last year, and on that Canterbury would certainly not be entitled .to have more than three iren in the team, but, if required, our union would, in all probability, be able to furnish more (say five). ... It seems to me that if Auckland furnish 6, Otago 6, Wellington 3, and Canter-

1 bury 3, making a total of 18, a strong * team could be got together, consisting of experienced players, who would not lequire much practice to settle them iu their places.” The team as finally selected consisted of J. Taiaroa, H. Braddon, G. S. Robertson, J. Allen, and J. O'Donnell (Otago), G. H. Helmore, W. V. Mrilton, R. J. Wilson, E. B. Million (Canterbury), E. Davy, J. Dumbell, H. Roberts, P. P. Webb. 11. Udy (Wellington). T. ilyan, J. A. Warbrick, T. O'Connor. J. Lccky, and G Carter (Auckland). They played Tight matches in New So»tfi Wales, winning them all, and scoring 167 points against 17 by their opponents.

Conditions For a Representative Match. Wellington proposed visiting Wanganui in 1879. and the challenge was accepted on the following conditions: Fifteen aside. Rules: Rugby Union. Play four half-hours or two half-hours and two twenty-minutes. Game to be decided by goals and tries, 6 points for goal, 3 for try. Umpires lor each side. From this it is evident that the fourspeli idea is a very old one, and not a new one at ail.

Obstacles to Scoring Tries. In the early ’eighties there was a platform erected on the Basin Reserve tor Highland dancing, and this platform used to bo left standing fiom one gathering to anotner. Its presence behind one of tho goal-posts led to an amusing incident m a Nelson-Weliing/on match. The ball was kicked over the ■Wellington line and the lookers-on hugeiy enjoyed the -spectacle of two players crawling on their hands and knees under this platform after the ball, the Nels-uiu man for a try and the Wellington man to touch do.vn. My informant cannot remember whether tho Nelson umu gut his try or not.

I took part myself in another incident of an almost similar nature at the Newtown Park. Those days a plantation of piuo trees was just on the borders of the ground, with a four-wire fence round it. The match was between the first fifteen of the union and Wellington clubs, J. Ewan Smith, the present resident ComiUissioner of Rarotonga and myself being win/r-fonvards for Wellington and union respectively. The union team were attacking on one occasion, and the ball was kicked into the plantation. Smith and I hurdled the wire fence together, but he was faster on the flat than I was, and the score did not com© my way that time.

A Compliment From Boniface. In 1882 a Masterton hotelkeeper charged the Wellington Rugby Union - ,£ls for luncheon, etc., provided the visiting representative players. Incidentally in the letter stating that h© intended to insist on full payment of his account, be wrote: “1 had no opportunity of making any profit by the bar, as you are perfectly aware, the party being very abstemious/*

An Historic Document. The selection of the Wellington team to play against Now South Wales* in 1882 gave rise to a lot of comment. The following document speaks for itself: “Wellington, 13*th September, 1882. To the Selection Committee Wellington Rugby "Union Association. Gentlemen, —We, the undersigned football players, in view of the coming match between New South Wales and our local team selected to play, and whose names appear in this morning's “Times/* would respectfully suggest the advisability of substituting Messrs Brown and Dumbell in place of two of the present team. Trusting this wiT receive your most favourable consideration, “We remain, yours etc,, “B, Davy, Athletic; “S. Purvis Webb, Wellington; , m W: R. Holmes, Wellington; “J. T, E. Harrap, Athletic; “A, W. Eames, Wellington; ,f R. Stansfield, Wellington; “Jas. Young, Athletic; “Chas. Bolton, Athletic; “Jno. M. King. Athletic; “Ewan Smith, Wellington; “ J. A. Thomson, Athletic/* The First Trophy. On the 2nd September, Messrs Kohu and Co., jewellers, Wellington, wrote to the secretary of the Rugby Union: “Taking a groat interest in football, ,wo beg to offer your committee a cup to be kept in the club as a memento oi victories gained by your team in the South island/* (To\be Continued.)

Simple to ascertain the nature of an accident in drilling a well which has occurred half a mile below the surface, in a hole perhaps only sis inches in diameter, requires some skill. Many devices have been, perfected for capturing lost tools, and the necessity for first learning the shape of the upper end of the tool and the position in which it lies in order to proceed to recover it has even led to the invention of a small camera which can be lowered to the bottom of the hole to take a photograph showing the conditions. Electricity is, of course, the agent employed in operating this device.

WELLINGTON REPRESENTATIVE TOURING TEAM, I9CA Back Row—T. Cross, H. Wright, E. Watkins, F. Roberts, J. S. Wilson, H. Driscoll. G. Spencer, D. Gilchrist. Middle Row—W Hardham. E. Best, J. P. Blacklock, E. Dodd, W. Wallace (captain), A. AY. Stevens (manager), J. Barber, J. Calnan, Front Row—A. Griffiths, D. S. Gray, A. C. Mclntyre, J. Sweeney, D. McGregor,