NORTHERN UNION GAME.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 62

NORTHER N UNION GAME.

The Soiifchlaoid News 6tates that the rules re payment of players are now being made public by the league, and they are as follow: — "While travelling 7s 6d per day. will be allowed for personal expenses (board, etc.), and 5s per day for loss of wag-es in matches played in the Dominion (103 outside fche Dominion), Caps, jerseys, , footwear; etc.. will all be provided free of coat, and £2 per week wMI be allowed up to 16 weeks if a player be incapacitated, on payment of 6d per week insurance. A by-law is also to be drawn up preventing the buying and selling of players, and also for a six months' residental qualification. The league has 150 members, who have already paid their "subs" in full. Th© Northern Union trial matches at Invercargill on Wednesday (says the Southland Times) were postponed on' account of the weather* A junior game was, however, played, and in it figured several who had been members of the Southern Club. < It might be mentioned that the trials are being held in view of the expected visit oi a team from Wellington. There -is also a probability that a Dunedin N.U. team will play in Invercargill. The Timaru correspondent of the Lyttelton Times reports that a movement in favour of the institution of the Northern Union game is on foot in South Canterbury, the movers being men who have been keenly interested in Rugby. They complain of the policy of the New Zealand Rugby Union, which, they say. is to accumulate money at the expense of affiliated iinions. and they express dissatisfaction with the methods of the South Canterbury Rugby Union. Should the game be started in South Canterbury next year, it is said that fully a dozen of the men comprising tho team which toured the North Island will play under Northern Union rules, while a large proportion of the members of at lefust two, of tHe senior clubs will support it, and it is that there will be no difficulty in forming two clubs, . each playing a senior team, in Timaru, while Temuka is expected to provide a third. Support has also been promised by one or more of the junior clubs. The "gates" are expected to be more" than sufficient to. meet working expenses. In order to put the game on a footing, one enthusiast has promised to furni&h £50, which with other promises will make fully £100. This wijl easily j cover the rent of playing grounds, which \ it is hoped to acquire by obtaining the j us» of the sports ground in the Domain, and perhaps of the Caledonian Grounds by outbidding the Rugby Union. It is the purpose of the Northern Union players to preserve their status as amateurs, with the exception that, when sent on tour, members of representative teams will probably receive 8s per day to compensate them for their loss of time. It is considered unreasonable to expect iunior and lower grade players to spend 4s or 5s every week or two for travelling expenses, and bher« is a proposal to pay half the expenses of these teams. Any other profits will be used to assist the clubs in erecting training sheds and other buildings. Whether or not the game will actually be commenced in the district cannot be stated with any degree of certainty, but the fact remains that there is a larpre section of dissatisfied footballers who are said to be only waiting for a lead to make the change. TIMARU. August 19. There is every likelihood that Northern Union football will be played in South Canterbury next season. Several prominent footballer^ who head the movement state that sufficient support. wjII be forthcoming to start three senior teams. It is proposed to pay teams on tour for loss of time, to assist clubs in erecting training sheds, and i to pay parb of junior teams' travelling ex- i penses. Already £100 has been promised to set the game on a footing.