NOTES BY FORWARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 31

NOTES BY FORWARD.

The folio whig shows the position of the senior fifteens in inter-club matches so far aa the season has gone :—

* The Alhambra and Taiori played an unfinished match.

Ifc required some nerve to play football in such weather as prevailed last Saturday. To play football ! It ceases to be a game of football whtn the conditions are such as were witnessed on the Carisbrook ground, where a struggle in waterlarking was engaged in by the Alhambra and Pirates Clubs, with results that I hope were satisfactory to both sides.

With a recollection of their defeat by 41 points in the flcat match of the season still fresh in their minds, the University team might have beeu fairly excused if they had declined to meet the Kaikorai on Saturday. They had their reward, however, in gaining the first score which has this season bten recorded against the redoubtable hillmen. The score, it will be seen, was a potted goal, and the only score, it will be remembered, that was made against the Kaikorai last season was a goal from the field. Who will be the first to cross their line ? Will it be done this season ? We may safely depand upon it that Duncan and his men will put forth their very best endeavours to prevent any opponent from securing a try. The Hawko's Bay Rugby Union has instructed its delegate to the New Zealand Union to vote in favour of granting the Canterbury Union permission to play Otago. A player in the Wairarapa the other day kicked eight goals in nine attempts. The Cape Times states that there is an idea of getting an English Rugby football team ti> visit South Africa in 1895 The last one sent out under the auspices of the English Union was in every way a success, and there is every probability of the second tour being equally successful.

The following are samples from half a column of advertisements of a similar kind in the last number of the Athletic News that is to hand :

WANTED, First-class Forwards for Lancashire League Club ; none but nr^t-class men need apply. —Address Box 111, Athletic News.

WANTED, a Good Centre-half, also a Good Par of Left-wing Players.— Apply Secretary, Rossendale Football Club, Newchurch-in- Rossendale.

WANTED, First-class Players, all positions, by Loughborough. Town (the most improved team in the Midlands).— Forward full particulars at once to Walter Cockain, Derby road, Loughborough. WANTED, a First-class Left Back, Amateur and Tradesman preferred.— Particulars, in confidence, to A. Peplow, Parkfield, Stockton-on-Tees.

Each of the advertising clubs is of course an Association club, but unfortunately it is known that in Yorkshire there are Rugby clubs which, if they do not actually advertise for players, make some substantial recompense to the members of their teams for the services rendered, aud I have thoroughly reliable authority for the statement that one leading club in the county of the Tykes paid — secretly, of course— its players during the season that is just over. This danger of professionalism is a real one at this present time. lam uot 6ure that there is not, even now, some veil, d professionalism in the colony, and I am aware that in the past a northern union paid at least one player for his services on a tour into the touth. Long touring increases the daDger of professionalism and true lovers of the game— those who love the game for the sake of the exercise ifc affords — should set their faces determinedly against any scheme that would necessitate the absence of players from their homes for a prolonged period. The ba'ance sheets of some of the leadingfootball clubs in the North of England disclose figures of such dimensions that one may well pause and wonder at them The Halifax Club, fcr instance, which has 1474- ordinary members and 117 " subscriber* "—equivalent, I suppose, to •• honorary members," — from whom the sum of £956 in subscriptions was received, had a total income for the past year of £3448 with an expenditure of £3561. A large portion of the money disbursed was spent upon the club's ground, and there is the astoundingly heavyitem of £161 for printing and stationary. The most noteworthy items — items for money directly laid out upon the playsrs— are, however, these : Dinners, teas, &c, £280 ; travelling expenses, £375; outfitting, £118. It is suggested, too, that all the incidental expenses which are concealed under various heads would , make a very pretty sum. Well may the Athletic News remark : "We don't wish to be too critical, but we are inclined to think that when the coffers of a club are well lined there is a. decided tendency to well line the corporeal coffers of the players."

At last week's meeting of the Executive Com- • mjfctec of the Otago Referees' Association the action of the spectators towards Mr Croxford (the referee) at the match played at Mosgiel ou June 23 was brougLt up, and ifc was decided to inform the Taieri Club that no referee would be appointed by the association for Taieri matches until an assurance was given that he would be protected from imult.

The following paragraph is gleaned from a recent number of the Aus^alasian : — " Football in the country seems to be developing as many ccurfc cases as baseball does in America, where the umpire is said to require to carry a revolver in order to enforce his decisions. At Wangaratta. Samuel Smibb, of Rutherglen, was fined £5, with £6 9s, for assaulting Mr A. L. M. Steele, the umpire ; and at Euroa, Shepherd, a local player, was fined £1, with £2 6s 6d costs, for striking another footballer named Simpson, school teacher, at Shean's creek. Mr Potha, J P., Raid that football was a fine manly game, but at toe present time it was greatly disgraced

by the barrackers. It should be carried on so that ladies and children could witness it."

The referee (Mr Smeaton) in the match on Saturday week last between the Union and Alhambra Clubs has decided ag*inst the former's appeal for a goal which, it was alleged, was kicked just prior to the call of time.

The University players, ably generalled as they were by Cran, may fairly be congratulated upon the stand they made against the Kaikorai last Saturday. There is no doubt but that in the second spell they had the premiers tied up in a knot. " Tae best game I have seen this season " is the verdict upon the game passed by one of our most competent judges. In view of the proposed trip north, the South Canterbury Union held a trial match the other day, and the Timaru Herald, which records that the " A team after a brilliant forward game won by 14- points to nil," declares that "the game on the whole was a splendid exposition of Rugby football, being fast, open, and with an occasional dash of passing among the backs, interpersed with fine screw kicking ; the spectators again and again giving vent to rounds of applause." How curiously opinions d ffer ! As it happens, a Tirnara friend, who possesses undoubted qualifications as an authority on the game, in the course of a letter I have received from him, thus refers to the match : " Ib was about the poorest display I have seen. The game started at 410 sharp, and was simply rotten. Unless the northern unions let them down light the trip is one I should not care to do in the company." One player who viaited New South Wales last year as a member of the New Zealand Union's team is described by my correspondent as being "no good, off Bide most of the game, and a regular loafer — about fit, with coaching, for a second fifteen!" „ ,_, . „ A telegram from Palmerston North in the Post says : " The Manawatu Rugby Union has decided to snpport the Otago Union with reference to the playing of the Ofcago-C interbury match. The decision of the union is aiversely criticised by old players in the district." A correspondent asks: "Can a piajer sio? a dribbling rush by falling on the ball, providing he does not lie ou the ball, and immediaiely gets up after stopping the ball ? " There can be no question about it that it ia perfectly legal to stop a rash by falling on tha bill. It is a thing of everyday occurrence. A penally kick is awarded if a player " being on the ground, does not immediately get up." That contemplates a player falling on the bail to stop a rush. _ , The Naseby Prospectors playea Ewebum on Saturday last at Naseby when tin former were victorious by 12 points (4 tries) to mil. Toe game was played on a very sloppy ground and ■was confined to the forwards, as a consequence the play uas .' t times slow and uninteresting from a spectator's point of view. Infringements were numerous, arising no doubt from the facb that moi-t of the Ewebum players had not played for this last season or two. When the players obtain a better knowledge to the game they will be a strong team to play against. Naaeby were weakened by some of the best players being absent Owing to the wet ground good play was oat of the question, and after a po>r exhibition of the Rugby game as now played the game resulted as above. The weekly meeting of the Committee of the Otago Rugby Football Union, held on Monday, was attended by Messrs Montgomery (in the chair), Matheson, Monkman, Torrance, Oran, Chalmer, and Hutchison. A letter was resd from the New South Wales Union stating that as their visit to New Zealand was at the invitation of the New Zealand Uaion, whose guests they would be in the colony, they regretted they were unable to accept the invitation of the O.R.F.U. to visit Otago. Ifc was agreed to commuuicate with the New South Wales Union pointing out that the conditions under which their team was to visit the colony had been altered since their letter was written, and ■uggesting that under the circumstances they might see their way to play Obago. A letter from the Port Chalmers Club was received appealing against a goil from a mark kicked by the Caversham Second in tho match against the Port Chalmers Second on the 23rd June, but in the absence of a report from the referee consideration was deferred.

At Christchurch last Saturday the MerivaloChristchurch match was won by the former by 25 points to 3 points ; Linwood beat East Chrisfcchurch by 4 points to 3 points ; and Sydenham won their first match of the season by defeating Canterbury College by 8 points to 4 points. The clubs now stand in the following relative positions : — Merivalo 7 pointa, Linwood 6 points, Kaiapoi 5 points, Christchurch 4 points. East Christchurch 2 point", Canterbury Cjllege 2 points, Sydenham 1 point.

ITCHES. Points. Club. 4> 4 17 34 45 47 f'4 76 65 •8 I p-i a +5 A I 191 49 17 18 16 30 20 8 Caikorai Jnion Siugari-Richtnond Alhambra ?irates Dunediu Jniversity Taieri 8 5 5 6 4 7 7 4 8 2 1 1 2 1 0 - i 2 2 2 4 5 3 -I 1 3 1 1 1 1