FOOTBALL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10415, 30 March 1910, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

IRELAND BEATS FRANCE. |"By EwiCTiuo TELEGiiApn— CoryiucuT.J (Per Press Association.) Received March 29, at 9.50 p.m. Paris, March 2!). ' A Rugby match was played in Paris, in which Ireland scored 8 points and Francs 3. (Kroni Our Own Correspondent.) —The. Colonial Tour. — London, February 18. The long period of suspense and uncertainly is at last at an end. As vou will" no doubt have learnt by cable, a cablegram from Mr Larkin, the secretary of the New South Wales League, conveved the intelligence that Australia would agree to the terms which the Northern Union had submitted. Thus the tour is certain, and the protracted negotiations which commenced at the close of last Australian season have ended satisfactorily. The terms will probably not be divulged until a statement of accounts is issued at the end of the season, but the fact that the Australians have improved on thenoriginal offer twice and finally agreed to all the Northern Union's demands is evidence that they are most anxious to entertain the premier Union. The arrangements of the tour are well advanced. A provisional pro-, gramme is arranged, and if the Australian League's proposals are approved, the first match will be played on Saturday, June 4. The team will leave England on the eve of the Cup final, and arrangements will be made for plavers who have been chosen from the Cup final to travel overland via Brmdisi. On the last Saturday of April the League final will be played and players in this match cannot possibly arrive in Sydney for the opening game. Tljis League final is the only obstacle .which will prevent a full representative team for the opening game of the tour on June 4. No doubt vou will be well aware that New Zealand has given a suitable guarantee for six games. . The complete tour will comprise lb to 22 matches. The first big game, will be played on the Prince of Wales' birthday—a general holiday m the colony — and an optimistic colonial on Saturday •niaranteed a 40,000 gate at Sydney lor the match, weather conditions, of course, being favorable. Two matches per week will be played, and the visit to the Dominion will conclude the tour. The visit will probably terminate in August, the team arriving hack here m September. Australia's intention is to plav the "Kangaroos" and the "f 111 "- bies" against their guests, and these cames, with the possible exception or Combined Australasia, should be the most interesting of the tour.