Rugby Football in Wellington

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7853, 15 July 1911, Page 14

Rugby Football in Wellington

A Dinner The Fitting Conclusion To A Match. D, UIIfNG 1882 Nelson proposed to send a. team to Wellington, but could not definitely promise to do eo_ unless they received some financial assistance. The Nelson secretary wrote;— Instead of giving us a dinner give us the equivalent, say, an allowance of .£lO or .£ls. The Rugby Union tlipso days did not trouble about holding a' meeting on matters of this sort, but the various members of the committee were asked to ?ivo written opinions, and the secretary ramed bis reply from these opinions. One reply to the Nelson request is worth quoting:

“Hang it all! arc football dinners to be qo more? There arc yet a good inany players who consider a match uuhmshed if not concluded with a dinner, and I am ono of those members. I like to talk about a match with an opponent, and so do others, an opportunity for which is not given if a dinner docs not com* off. On second thoughts perhaps our visitors* wish ought to be regarded by us,” Thci Selection Of Early Representative Teams,

This extract from a communication written by one of the ‘Committeemen tj the secretary of the Rugby Union will explain how things were done in the days when we were lads ivt school: "Not being unanimous it was agreed that Campbell. Wright, and Lynch should each write out the team they considered a representative team, and that these lists should bo signed by each (each his own) and sent to Roualdsou and Wivrcleu with request that they should semi in their lists at once". In explanation Messrs Campbell, Wright, Lynch were the city momlwrs of tho Selection Committee, and Messrs Ronaldson and Wardell were th© Greytown and Musterton members respectively. Tho inference is thoU the secretary of the union, with the five lists before him, would then sort out the fifteen whose names appeared on the majority of thorn. An Australasian Team-

Early in the eighties a proposition emanated from Sydney to Bend an Austraiasian team on tour to England, and several players in Now Zealand, were approached with a view to becoming members of the team. Naturally inquiries were made from this end as to the bona fides of the promoters, and a letter from Sydney I in answer to a communication from the secretary of the Wellington Kugby Union, is about the strongest I have over seen written. Some portions of the letter I dare not put into print e\on at this late date. I will make a few extracts, however:

"I have no hesitation in saying that any rumours you may have heard fall far short of the reality. . . . Two years ago ho first came into notice by using language ... that University Club-ron whose ground v: was used—-refused to meet him again.,in the cricket field. ... At last he- found a fitting haven of rest in the • Club, with whom ho played all last season. Ho always’ writes the accounts of the matches for the 'News,' and f-luides to himself as the 'demon half-bao - ./ . . . He gave notice that ho intended to lay his plans for the English campaign before a meeting of the New South wales Union and obtain their patronage and approval, biat he did not appear, as he had unfortunately been apprised of the roasting in store for him. . . . No player from this colony would think of k>iniog the proposed Australasian team." It is hardly necessary for me to state that tho project fell through.

Some Questions That Would Not Bo Understood Now.

C. Bruce Morison, the well-known baraster and solicitor of Featherstou street, ■was the secretary of the Masterton dub in the days when he was a lawyer's clerk. And his aptitude for the legal aspect of things was very noticeable even in those days, and practically all Ms letters to the Rugby Union conveyed a request for an interpretation of a certain rule or another. Here is one by way of example: —"My club intend asking the annual meeting of the Rugby Union for an interpretation of Rule 46. I may mention that Greytown, if they get a wide try, instead of punting out as provided by Rule 46, they invariably have a place-kick, but instead of 'trying at goal’ the ball is kicked across the field into the hands of one of their own side who cither drops, at goal or runs in again and scores! what they ra 11 _ 'another try.' 1 have always been against this mode of procedure, as I considered it clearly in opposition to Rule 46, which says 'shall tty at goal cither by a place-kick or a punt out.' ’’ A Comprehensive By-law.

They had concise methods in tho olden days as far as tho by-laws of the clubs were concerned at any rate. Hero is one by way of example;—“That the committee have power to eloot now momnors; to eject any member proving himself obnoxious; to make any call should circumstances require; choose all teams, arrange all matches, and generally to manage the club." It seems to practically cover everything necessary, and cannot bo misunderstood even by the youngest member. Probably similar methods these days would not bo out of the v,-ay. An Interesting Document. Mr T. S. M. Cowie signs the following statement, written in August. 15)79: "At a meeting of footballers and others interested in a proposal to send a Wellington Provincial Rugby Union football team to Christchurch to play Canterbury and Otago, held at the Star Hotel on Monday, the 21st ultimo (Mr F, M. Ollivior in the chair), it was agreed that, if practicable, a team should be sent in August, and in pursuance of this resolve the following resolutions were carried; "Mr Cowie proposed, and Mr Davy seconded, 'That a committee of five bo appointed to choose fifteen Wellington players to practise for tho proposed matches with Canterbury and Otago, and to make all arrangements for carrying the wishes of the meeting into effect.’ “The following committee was elected bv ballot:— Messrs Worry, Cowie, Berry, G. Campbell, and Bate. "(2) Mf A. Campbell proposed, and Mr Worry seconded, 'That tho necessary funds should be raised by public subscription, and that subscription lists bo made out. and handed to each member of the clubs.’ "(3) Mr Werry proposed and Dr Gillon

No. XI. Some Historical Incidents: Humorous and Otherwise —Mostly Otherwise. C Continued.) By D. McKENZIE. [All Rights Reserved.)

seconded. That this meeting stand adjourned uniHl Monday, the 4th August, when the subscription lists bo laid before the meeting.' . "A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the meeting.” An Angry Father.

Tho following is the copy of a letter received by ono of tho early secretaries of tho Wellington Football Club: "Wellington, April 10, 1879. "Sir, —In answer to your letter dated 7 March and Ist April with regard to tho axceptanco of an offer made by the Football Clubs. 1 can only say that the offer is such a. Liberal one that I am inriroly in the dark ns to what to axcept it seems to mo what Pady shot at A big nothing Namely by paying the Doctor Dill Loss Costs. I cannot perceive what there is to nxeept in this or what there is in such Liberality on behalf of the Clubs if tho Clubs feel

W. C. MARTEB, Many years Hon. Sec. of the Wellington Rugby Union. disposed to pay the Doctor's Bill by all means they have my. permission to do so which X would be very thankful for, but if it becomes a matter of half payments or a pretence I should say it would be more creditable to leave it alone. I may state for your information as also that of the Football Clubs that Dr suid me in the R.M. Court on the 7th instant for the abovenamed account namely ,£lO 10s Od Together, with solicitor's and like the Previous Justice I received he obtained judgment against me with costs, it is quite right that the Doctor should be paid for his service but to say that I should have to put up with my Boys Legg being broken have to care him during his Ilniss and then have to r pay the Doc-* tor's Bill for another mans Doings as I mention the name man he is not a man nor yet the principal of one such is the justice I have received from such an unfeeling Patch who has caused me such trouble and expence and not to cost him one single penny in my opinion ho deserves to be treated with contempt and scorn with Pegard to the judgment Dr obtained against me for the said account I have fully made up my mind to take it out in prison as often as that gentleman may think propper to put me there. I never entend to pay one single penny for the doings of therefore I will become an innocent sufferer through as well as my poor boy. Regretting for delaying your communication so long. ‘T remain Respectively, “Youre, etc., etc.

When Heeling-out Was Illegal? In the early eighties Mr A. T. Bate, the sharebroker of Grey street, was the secretary of the Wellington Rugby Union, and by virtue of that office was asked all sorts and manners of ouestions relating to the laws of the game.

G. A. WILLIAMS, Poneke and Wellington Representative Forward, and member of the New Zealand Native Team that visited England, 1888-89.

Here are a set sent down to him from Palmerston North in 1832: "A scrummage being in course of play a player pushes or kicks the ball out behind him to his quarter-backs—-1, Is it legal for the ball to be kicked backwards in this way or does the player by putting one foot in front of the ball to kick it behind him put himself offside? "2. If the ball may bo taken ont of a scrummage in the manner described, do the players on the side of the person so taking the hall, and who are taking part in tho scrummage (being by such kick put in front of the ball) become off-sid c ? "3. If they are off-side should tho umpircs insist on - their allowing their op-

I ponents to run towards the ball without interference until they are again put on-sido ?” A Great Forward. There was only one way of_ getting tho ball nut of the scrummage in those days, and that was by boring it right through the opposition forwards. Tuny tell a tale about “Sammy” Cockroft, in bis day a Wellington, Manawatu. and Queensland representative forward. Twice did Cockroft come through tho scrummage without tho ball, but on the third occasion he had it at his toe, and started off down tho field with it; on each successive occasion ho entered the scrummage from tho back and travelled right through it looking for the ball. So successful was Cockroft at these tactics that two celebrated Poneko forwards set out to stop him on one occasion, and the only way they could devise of successfully coning with him was to cress their l"gs in tho front of their own side of the scrum mage. But he got right through all the same, and with the ball 100. There was no room for the piano player_ in the scrummage of tho eighties, but it was a weird thing with a lot of effort in it for a very little result.

A Match At Sea. Thus a report of a match in 1894: “The popular impression that football is a game to bo played on dry land lias been exploded. The game as played last Saturday between the Pouoke and Athletic teams proved that it is an aquatic carnival. . . . The referee wanted to postpone the match, hut, as the respective captains could not agree, it was decided that the voyage should be made.’ And the description of the game winch follows shows that reporters’ strictures were well merited, for the Show Grounds at the Lower Hutt, where the game was played, ivas that afternoon practically a sheet of water. A correct of it probably would have been a swimming match. The report was written in “Arawa’s” best stylo—although the Sydney writer was not known by that name when he was the football reporter of the “New Zealand Times”—and ranks with those readable effusions ho was wont to give the Wellington public anent “Army and Navy” matches, “Furniture v. Tyne,” etc., and the excursions of the Wairarapa bravos across the Eimutaka Ranges after the scalps of their Ponekc brethren. “Arawa” had a happy way with him in his writings oven when ho was working his way up the journalistic ladder in Wellington. The Pleasures Of Captaining A Representative Team. Thus the captain of the 18S0 Wellington representative team: —‘‘You will remember that I told you that I was T's out of pocket in Auckland last year, on account of association business. I never debited my club with any portion of it, as I considered it part of the privilege of a captain to stand incidental expenses.” Those were the days when it was esteemed an honour to get a dace in the Wellington representative team—what a man was out of pocket thereby was a secondary consideration. Fancy a captain—or even a manager—these days, footing the bill for incidental expenses without a murmur. Why, I have even known the Rugby Union paying for the tips handed rent on a tour. The Maoris And The Boot. Mr T. R. Ronaldeon. the present Deputy Public Trustee at ■Wellington, was

the father of the Rugby game in the Wairarapa, and incidentally he tolls some good stories of the play in the early days across the Rimutakas. Hero is a reminiscence of a football match he took part in on a certain Christmas Day against a team of Maoris, "There were no made-to-order boots in those days,” says "Barney" Ronaldson—to give him the name he was known by in the Rugby world—"a man put on the oldest pair he owned, and was always prepared to kick them to the verge of nothingness." In the match referred to Mr Ronaldson found that his left foot boot hurt him, so he removed the whole of the front from it, and then went on to the ground to play. This new procedure took the eye of one native footballer, and he queried:

"Why you maker to cut boot? Ton maker he good play that peller way?" “Oh, yes,” Mr Roualdson answered, in Maori English, “That the Kapai way; plenty the good run ami kick.’’ The Maori said, "Uhl” "Wo played a return game on New Year’s Day," Mr Ronnldson added, "and 'the whole fifteen Maoris came along with a boot and a half each!’’

One Of The Best. In a certain Wellington-Hawke’s Bay match W. Fraser, accountant these days with Stafford and Treadwell, the lawyers of Panama street, was amongst the nlayers.. Fraser had a reputation for pottting goals, and during this game ho made one fine shot, the ball going over the top of the post. An argument ensued amongst the contesting players whether it was a goal or not, and some little time elapsed before the referee wae asked_ for his decision. When the official disallowed the goal tho Hawke’s Bay players started looking for the Ball, and their chagrin can bo imagined when they found Eman Smith, Wellington’s wingforward. calmly sitting on it over tho goal line, waiting for the dispute to end. The present Resident Commissioner of Rarotonga had made sure of the try if the goal was disallowed. (To be Continued.)

Johhny Condon and Young Snowball, tha best feather-weights hero outside of Jim. Driscoll, have been matched to fight the same night as Sullivan and Papke. They have never met and much interest is being taken in tho outcome.