Football Notes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1589, 6 May 1882, Page 21

Football Notes.

By Plaoe-kiok.

[In order to make this column as reliable as possible, Secretaries of Clubs will oblige by sending in as soon as possible a list of their fixtures for the season, addressed to " Forward," care of Editor of Witness ]

Rugby football is in a very flourishing condition,in Dunedin at present. Last Saturday, no less than six adult clubs, besides the various'school clubs, had matches. I am glad to notice that the Balclutha and the Pirates Clubs have joined the O. R. F. U. All country clubs should follow the good example of Balclutha. How is it our Palmerston friends' have not yet managed to start a club? •The season in Dunedin this year promises to be very attractive. The Canterbury match takes place here ; and it is quite certain that both the -Balclutha and Milton Clubs will visit one or other of the Dunedin Clubs. The Oamaru men seem very shy of leaving their 4 native heath.' They certainly owe Dunedin a visit, no less than five Dunedin Clubs having visited Oamaru last year. I understand that Timaru intends to return the visit of the Dunedin Club in 1880. Otago footballers are very anxious to see a Wellington team here. If the negotiations with the New South Wales Union are successful,. Otago players will have their hands full. One thing is quite certain, the ' Cornstalks ' will meet with a very hearty roception'should they cross the water. The Dunedin Football Club is very unfortunate in being unable to get a suitable practice ground.' I notice the Wellington footballers are in a similar fix. The Oamaru Club opened its season last Saturday ; some very good play was shown on both sides. Forbes r name is missed from the list of players. 1 saw Waite working very hard on the Union ground a couple of Saturdays ago. Oamaru should produce a good team this year. . . The Home sporting papers contain full accounts of the great events in football circles. Ireland got a tremendous licking in the Association match with England; 13 goals to- none looks very one-sided. The match, under Rugby rules, between the same countries was drawn. All previous matches have been won by England. Ireland's success on this occasion seems to have been owing to the excellence of ker backs. Scotland beat Ireland by two goals to nil.

Otago KugDy Union

The annual meeting of the Otago Rugby Union was held at Wain's Hotel on Saturday evenirigi Mr James Allen (vice-president) m the chair. There were also present Messrs Murray, Rose, and Hamerton (members of committee), and the following delegates :—• Dixon, Robertson, and Milne (Dunedin), Wyinks, Crawshaw, and Haskell, (Union), Hainer (Zingari), Fox and Leith (Montecillo), A. Y. Smith (High School), Milne (Orokanui College). The Secrktaky (Mr J. H. Chapman) read the following annual report, which was adopted :—

When the Ota?o Rugby Football Union was formed last year, Its prom iiers expected that many a>lvantttgoi wo>iM be mined by the \arioua clubs in (Kayo playing lAufjby rules. These expectations have been fully realised duriny thu p.ist ucason. 0m; moro pronf hsw beeu -riven of the t.ruili of tho proverb, " Union h strength." The public have taken a \ery j;roas lnteicst iv the varioin matches; pUyeiM have made it their business to study the rules of the «am« more than wns formerly done ; much improvement Has taken place in the play of the various clubs, each club striving to produce intcrptoviucial representatives; and - well worthy of noticu in these days of the "ologics"— the cchool*, secondary and cliimeiitnry, have,thoir respective dubs. IVn elubj. repribu"iu'i<; over 600 members, were cli uted to lh» Union in May last, and it is onh reasonable to expect that tin's number will bo swelled during the ensuing season It in a matter (or congratulation that, so f .«•, every cl\ib has loyally supported thr Union. DuiingtheßtaHnn.wvhral matches woie pla.\cd under the au*j.\i'i«>/,f i n r. Union These niatuh.es v-erp arnuiml to enable flip Mi 1 eh Committee to fairly j hlk« thu merits (if th- varm..ployers, with a \ie\\ to t,> c »clteu»n v>f ilmb-M )«..- Bible infcerprovinu.il t-am. Tim imulu, «bi ß wry satisfactory, Otago having wou the jnteiprovincjal

match with Canterbury 1 by 1 goal and 1 try to nil. It is to be regretted that the Wellington footballers have not yet returned the visits of Otago in 1877 and in 1879. The Annual Issued in connection with the Union has done much good; some 300 copies were distributed amongst tho various clubs. Tho balancesheet shows the financial affairs to be in a satisfactory condition. All footballers in Otago will regrot that a return' to England in January last necessitated tho esignation of the hon. secretary of the Union, Mr SE. Sloigh. Mr Sloijrh's untiring exertions in tho cause of Rugby football in Ofcago are well known, and ho may fairly bo entitled tho founder of tho O.R.F.U. The Committeo received his resignation with great regret, and appointed Mr Chapman as interim hon. sec. The Committee hope that their successors will be able to enrol every club in Otago playing Rugby rules as members of the Union. The followiug office-bearers were elected :— President, J. P. Maitland, Esq. ; vice-presi-dents, Jas. Allen, Esq., Dr Batchelor, H. Jaggers, Esq., and Dr DeLautour ; hon. sec. and treasurer, Mr John H. Chapman ; committee, Messrs H. Rose, G. S. Robertson, W. Crawshaw, A. Hamer, J. Leith, and W. Allan.

The Balclutha Club and the Pirates Club wore unanimously elected members of the Union.

The following resolution was unanimously carried— ' That the Secretary communicate with the Southern Rugby Union (N.S.W.), with a view of getting a team to visit Otago.