General Gossip.

NZ Truth, Issue 98, 4 May 1907, Page 3

General Gossip.

The unfortunate accident to Wilson, of the Athletics, will rob the fclues of a' serviceable and solid player for some time. They, will miss his services keenly. Poneke 's latest recruit is Patrick, the well-known Canterbury rep. cricketer. The Southerner was a member of the Sydenham club's junior combination, and is said to be a very decent five-eighth. When the cricket season comes round he will likely play for Midland, though Ken Tucker has been hunting him up for Old Boys. "Patty" Newton has left Christchurch for Westport. His inclusion m the "All Blacks" ' caused wonderment m Southern football circles. (On tour, however, hs- put up some aood games. The baby's weakness m a certain direction was accountable for him getting quickly out of toadition. Mr .Duncan, of the firm of Duncan Mclnitosh, has donated a gold medal for the test forward m the Poneke junior team this season. George Deslands has also come to light with a trpphy for the most improved player m the same combination. Over 25,000 people witnessed the contest between Wales and Ireland at Cardiff on March 9th, when the Welshmen walked through the '-'Paddies" by 29 to nil. Harding,, ,who kicked the penalty goal against New Zealand at the Athletic Park was installed as winger, or {< extra back" on the winning side. The English Rugby Union; hasprac-' tically decided that a ground shall he secured as a permanent home for Rughy football m the vicinity of London, on which international and other big matches will be decided. The Sydney^ises are cocksure that Ifoe proposal . to play a match m Melbourne when the New Zea'and team is over their way will he heralded with joy m the New Zealand Rugby world. They think New Zealand has a duty to perform m 1h& missionary \work of Rugtoy Union football m the Southern Hemisphere. So she has, but let her exploit her own fields first before going 12-60 miles to start on the game. There was a great gathering of Poneke Club members at the ( gym. on Tuesday when presentations of servicable articles were niade to "Brassy" White and his good ; la-dy on the eve of their departure for Foxton. That best of good fellows, Andrew Wiren, turned the tap of eloquence on at full cock, and he reminiscenced interesfc'no-lv on the valuable services performed ty "Jtkassy" during his lones association with the club, as a playing member, cantain, secretary, and delegate. "Brassy," m receiving the gifts, m^de a characteristic *nd haripy little speech, which was cheered to the echo. Davy Gao--°, one of the old brigade, fired a .parting shot of farewell, which f~r concisness and sincerity, would be h^"d to l'eat. W. Redgrave, who played • some tames with Poneke a few seasons a.^o. but whose reputation is arrester m the cricketing world, '--s fm-ishefl hi" pnga« i e"" ir nt j>s coach the so-fro 1 kiddies- of Napier. ' The silver-haired F'Pntlemgn is Koinr to ''do "Brassy" While run that pub ?t F-^on. The Wairaratw. Ruarbv Union's insurance fund is m credit to.tn« extent of £20 Bs, t.housrh there arc some out-standing claims chargeable apaintt it. One result of the compulsory closing of factories on .Saturday after- j noon will be to interfere mich with football arrangements m Carter ton. The Rovers anticipated havine two stronp- senior teams m the flflln', but the changed halMiolidav will rob| them nf some pl-avers; Satuwlny uir.for football will, he considerably strenfthen'Pd by ihe change. Tt, is saiui that Ithe ".Ori'es" are terribly "narked" ni. being fooled at the last moment I>y a land and p*Htfi awicy firm m connection with their scheme ; for Mxr erection of a .<rvm.--The site had been selected ond the money, or a, nortion of it. was -ready- for lolankjuY down when the "Orf^s" discovered that % the l^n-rt pgents m miestion had effected a transfer rieht over their he?>ds. Th°t action of the "earth hunter' 1 is all the more surprising; when their connection with the club is remembered. It is the same oM story, money, money, money, grati all you can and damn the sport. Ask "Dixey" and p a l Alec for confirmation of same-

The three Jims.— McMahon, Henider*. son and McManamey— are selectors 'of the N.S.W.R.U. teams this season. With their knowledge of the winter \ game they should be able to put teams m the field that will render a good account of themselves against J the wearers of the silver fern. Urgent business has called Harry Mclntyre to the Waikato, consequently he will not be on hand at the New j Zealand Rugby Union meeting to plead for his pet proposals m regafld to the Ranfurly Shield conditions. It was Harry's luck to miss last year's colonial conclave and for the very reasons which have sent him out of town on this occasion. Harry was going to poke . his nose into a few matters which interest "Gaily" and the Union's champion acrobat wonder whose stock-in-trade of treacle and soap has diminished rapidly this week by reason of Ms profuse donations of these commodities to visiting delegates- of affiliated Unions. Dixey is understjoad to have retained a string bar for his defence against the un- | warranted attacks of enemies who seek to wrest from him the whitest flower of a blameless rugby life. A member of the "All Blacks" is alleged to have declared that the New. j Zealanders went on the .field against Wales without having hid any consultation as to what sort of game it would be advisable to play. If true, this just a/bout accounts for the fact that they were squelched. It also serves to explode the fallacy of what a heaven-born manager the New Zealanders possessed' m "Soapy" George. Starting with a credit balance of onl^ £1 3s ©d-lafct year, the Wairarapa Rugby 'Unifari! ' wound up the season .with the tidy sum of £;77 7s 6d. The present financial position is attributable to ther fact that greater care was exercised m the arranging and taking: of ?ates\at the /namyio^ ship matches. The sum of £97 was j collected at championship matches. Most people present at the AthleticPark when Ponebe and Melrose were fighting their battles over again doubt,less came aw»ay with the conviction that the Ruglby Union would gather m a tidy share of the boodle. As a matter of fact the Union's share will be something less than £60 which result serves to illustrate how the j Park Company has got the whip hand of the local governing body. The Wairarapa Rugby Union was keeping expenses down to bed-rock when it sent the country representatives on tour last- season. The Wellington trip for seni/ors and juniors, and a subsequent one to Palmerston North and Wan<sanui landed the Union m an expenditure of only £39 4s. Jimmie Smith is not getting any thinner since he threw up the secretarial reins of the. Melrose Club. Report says that Jim . and, treasurer Grant were pulling m opposite ways apd to tbring matters to a crisis Jim handed m his resignation m the belief that the members 1 would refuse to hear of him backing out and thus strengthen ihis influence with the Club. But that is just where Jim and his advisors fell m, as the club accepted his resignation and installed another m his place, whereat Jack Grant crowed loudly. All- the same Melrose has lost s a capital secretary m very many more ways than one and Jim's successor has his work cut out to keep pace with the late secretary's showing during his term of office. South Canterbury is almost certain" to send a team on tour 'this year probably to southern centres, and -to i)he West Coast on this Island next season. A cablegram flashed from Fogland announced that the Mafylebone -C.C. has agreed to send a team to Horsetralia' m September. Good biz for the Cornstalks, but a pity Hingilaud has not a team of toeballers to spare to send 'this way during the coming winter just to keep tfiings buzzing as it were, u«hile the picked Maoriland combination is chasing the elusive leather over the Commonwealth ru^by fields. The season of the South Canterbury Rugby Union last year started with a credit balance of £29 and ended with one of £24. The Union .bad taken charge of school matches. The Karioi Club has a record which is unequalled m the Australasian Colonies. It has only once been beats-n during a period of fifteen jj?ars, a truly remarkable record. ..Out old friend George Stephenson whose prowess on the football fields of the colony what time lie was playing m the Otagon rep. ranks, needs no comment from this scribe— has -been added to the membership of the Eastern District Referee's Association whose headquarters are at Gore, where George now resides after the hurly burly of theatrical life. George should be an expert whistletuner. The Taranaki Rup-by Union is this season enforcing the rule that all club secretaries must forward to the Union a list of all financial members of the club before the end of May. A peculiar and painful accident befell J. Irwin while placing m a practice match at Waihi. By some means he fell and another player came on top of him with disastrous results to the former, t^c ligaments being torn away from his shoulder. It will he a considerable time before he is able to resume his ordinary business duties let alone to chase the leather. Up at Taihape where whisky and "two-up" are reported to be much m evidence, they are m deadly earnest m pushing forward, the Victorian game as a setroff to rugby, ami the pronw.iws are very uleased at the success of their efforts to date. Anronos of that yarn about a New Zealand professional rueiby team going next year to play the Clubs under the Northern Union's jurisdiction it is scarcely likely that Edgar Wylie couM have had onv official communication from the Northern Unions on I the subject, so that there was really no npcessitv whatever on his nart to enlighten the public to that effect. As a matter of fact this proposal war, mooted here last year, and a syndicate of six who .between them could easily put up something like £10,000 and not miss it, expressed their readiness to take the matter m hanrl- provided a strong combination could, tc got together to make the journey-. iSeveml of the letuHn-p foot-j'-aIJ-Ts m the Colp'riv were sounded as tn their willingness 1 to form the team find with two exceptions they agreed to d<o so provided the inducements m the shape of wage's; ect., wl'ile away from the colony was made sufficiently, attractive *vml a. substantial sum drpo's'fbrd before t-hev started on their travels. A private communication re- ■ '*"yi by one of the interested part-

ies from a prominent official of a Northern Union made it clear that after the success of the "All Blacks" .at Home a similarly strong cam-bma-tiori from the colony would draw great gates wherever it played, One of the players approached says that he has very little doubt, ! but what the 'team will go Home next year. The promoters have it m black and white that the financial results accruing from the spec would be highly satisfactory <to all concerned. As to their identity the writer prefers to be "mium" at the present stage, nor does he feel disposed to disclose the names of the players who are willing to risk the life disqualification by the New Zealand Union were they to participate m the venture. * A Dunedin writer recounts a good "coaoh" story m which the leading role is filled by a rugby veteran who is known from one end of the colony to the t'other. In 1890 good coaohing ran this "coach's" Union into the premiership, and, as often happens, they conceived the. notion that they had done it themselves. So he left, and next year the Union went to pieces. He was invited up to Kaikorai, who were at that 1 time a team of good individualists, but 'they had no general scheme, and so had usually to play second fiddle to AUvamibjra, who played as . one man. In one seascan, 'the coaoh introduced an idea which got the Kaikorad vrorking together, and blew the 'Bamas' light clean out. That was about 1892 or 1893. This piece of. coaching had more to do with the overthrow of A'lham'bra than any individual m the team— the famous "Jimmy" as anybody else. Some of the players recognised it, and thought it would be right for some member of the team —they nominated "Jimmy" Duncan — to get up at a meettrag and make some acknowledgment. He began ': ' 'Yes, gentlemen and Mr Chairman, I agree something should be "said about Mr Gil*. He's been very valuable. I seen some nights, when we'd no fire m the training shed, he'd go out and get wood." At the end of five minutes Jimmy was still going on about " : the wood for the fire." It seemed to be the only -tiling lw could find worthy of. . mention, and the situation must Have been painful for the coaoh. It was painful for some of the team, too, for .they called out : "Ofh, for goodness sake turn it up and sit down:" And "Jimmy" sat down, unconscious, then, as he probably is to this day, that if it hadn't been for the coach Kaikorai wouldn't have seen the premiership that year, for he and his fellowplayers would most likely have played all at sixes and sevens, as they used to do before. • Dennehy, the West Coast scrummager, who shone out so conspiciously m the match MarHborough-Nelson and West Coast v. Australia at Nelson m 1905, passed -through Wellington en route to Westport ~ this week. This muscular specimen of Coalopolis says > the game is going ahead toy leaps | and bounds m his district, but a visit from Metropolitan combinations would do incalculable good to rugby m that part of the globe.. In view of . clubs failing to play out their fixtures as drawn last, season, "Wairarapa Rugby Union has decided that henoeforth all clhbs forfeiting a match, or failing to fulfil their engagements after the first round has been played, without giving due notice, be : fined £1 foe v each offence ; and oiot complying with this the members of said. clubs to be disqualified. A salutary but proper pun'ishjmeii't. . Mr A. L. Webster is the new secretary of the Wairarapa Rugby Union. Mr Obas. Beard will , guard the shekels. The Union's championship matches are to commence on May llth. D. McKay, the President of the West Coast Rugby s Union, who is m Wellington this weelt 'on businessl connected with "the New Zealand Rugby Union, is an old Otago High School boy and rubbed rugby -shoulders with George Fache. '" Barney" Campbell and others. His brother, ' Dr McKay also chased the leather at the same scholastic institution. Fox, a Taranaki, player, has joined the Newton (Auckland^ Club. He will strengthen its back division. The presence of Bob Olipbant m town reminds old-timers of the prowess of this fast and dashing wingforward m local matches m the, seasons, 1892-93. During ,that period whether in 1 a club or inter-union match, Bab had the luck to be always on the winning side. He was one of the fsur, "Rab" MoKenzie (Auckland) "Rhody" Gray and Bill Watson (Wairarapa) were tire 1 others —who wa,s sent over to Sydney to reinforce the New Zealand team after its defeat m the se'eond match of the 1893 tour. The tigrish play of the quartette assisted to scfuelch the Sv^neyites m unmistakeable manner. Bob subsequent! v left for Auckland where he skippered the Gratfton Club m 1854-95 and also assisted the Northern reps, m their several eng'a^emen'ts during those years. Bob retired m 1897 but en takinc un'bis residence-, m - Napier m 1899 throw himself once more into the rugby breath and led i)he Hawke's Bay reps, to victory and defeat until 1902 when he broke his collarbone m a drawn match against Canterbury and ibis misfortune led him to chuck the game for all time. When m his prime, Bob was, one of the finest wmx-forwaitls who ever donned • the jersey. The Athletic team must feel pleased at the way they were treated by the onlookers at the Park. Any outstanding play was applauded, and when the bU'?*s scored they were greeted on each occasion with an ovation. , The Athletics have made a frood start this season. To date they have played thirteen matches, winning eleven and drawing two. A local writer says that the tour ; of the AucMard represent atjives So'ilh will be. arranged as late a. date rs possible. Iv I^o3, when 1h? last New Zealand team - went to | Australia the Auckland members had immediately after returning-' from Sydney to undertake an arduous tour as far south as Invercargill. Some of the represent aU Yes were ma } nretty parlous condition after plav-in-r on the hard fielis of Australia, .and the l.s> of the; first thre-3 matches of the trip may m some ( measure be c signed to this cause. This year it wi 5 l be possible to gjve ] the men chosen to represent New Zeilnml from this city a spell lie- ' fore the Auc v 1 mder.s ir-ave for the South. } Munro Fraser, of l:st year's Auckjlanrl rep. team, left for Sydney on Monday. He intends to go on to 'Melbourne.

"Brassy" White, who leaves lor Foxton shortly to take over Whyte's Hotel m that town, removes a figure well known to Rugby Football m Wellington- For the past quarter of a century he has -followed the fortunes of Rugby (1881 to the present). He first' started his playing career m the old Stars, a Newtown ooro.'bina'tion, afterwards being one of the founders rtf the present Melrose Club, of which he was r^retary from 18t86 to 1890, and fioui that time he threw m his lot with the Poneke Club, of which he is still a member. "Brassy" is the veteran ot the Rugby Union, having sat as delegate from 1886 to 1907, with one break of a year due to transfer from the Melrose to Poneke Clubs.. Probably no man has played a more important part m the game or helped to do more to assist the game, or ever ready to assist any young players than "Brassy." He has occupied the position of coach to St Patrick's College since 1895, and during that time has given to the Rugby world many sterling players of inter, national amd Intercolonial fame. Brassy's record m the Rugby world is as follows .—Represented Wellington from 1890 to 1898, then letired'; represented Buller R.U. on tin N.Z.R.U. ■; . represented .Melrose Club on the W.R.U., 18&6 to 1890 ; represented Poneke on W.R.U., 1891 to 1907 ; coached St. Patrick's College, IS9'5 to 1907 ; and was captain and secretary of the Melrose Club, 1886 "to 1890; and secretary of the Poneke Club 1891 to 1898.