RUGBY GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 60

RUGBY GOSSIP.

W. Morgan, one of the half becks in the Anglo-Welsh team, has gone to- Queensland, where he expects to play this year. Edgar- Wrigley, the one-time New Zealand footballer, was reported to bo sufferings from appendicitis when the last mail left England. A. C. Wilson, who for the last. few .years ha-s been "lock" man for the Wellington representative team, will assist his old 1 club, Christchuroh. 8 Reported that a relative of the late "Barney" Armit, and who, it is stated, played in the three-quarter line for Yorkshire, England;, has. joined tha Merivala Cbtb, Christehurc'h. There is no likelihood of either Dr M"Evedy or A. R. Harding, vice-captain and captain respectively of the Anglo-Welsh team which visited New Zaabwid in 1908, taking -part in Wellington football, despite reports_ to the contrary. land iiugby Union to revert to the club system of football is a wise one, says the Star, and one that should eventually put fresh life into the game in Auckland. The local agitators for the di*triot scheme in. Dune-din last season may hear this with reason. According to the Arrow, the N.B.W. Rugby Union has not yet received word from England sanctioning the five' yards' throw-out. However, the amended rule, which provides ih*t the ball shall belong to the opposite side when carried' - out, should meet the case. It is now in operation. Another Rugby Union has aurung into existence, to be known as " The Belorus Rugby Union," whoso districts are at present controlled by the Mferiborough Rugby Unicoj. The- new union is for affiliation to ths New Zealand Rugby Union. Mr J. Campbell, a. .one-time aotive m»infeer of the. Southern Football. Club, Wellington, is the chief promoter of the union. .. It is stated that negotiations are now proceeding between two wail-knewm Lancashire dubs and three well-known New Zealatid players with a view to their coming' to England :i_xt Angus*. It if ttie desire of the JJforthern Union colonial players sheuid rittnain at home, but the ins-migra-tiajt '.Ajciimual- stoj> the pragmas of tfhe, g&u&f; ajfo&uj will continue nftil a law -is 1 naiado forbidding it absolutely.

The executive of the Canterbury Union should endeavour to have the North v. South Island game played here this year, remarks a Christchurch critic. The contest should be an extra good one, :as it will be practically a trial-game for candidates for the New Zealand team for Australia. {Sorrely my confrere has overlooked the fact that the North v. South Island match will not take place until late m the season. — Full Back.] ■ . Over £IOO has been collect-ad by the Taraaaki Rugby Union for the Bayly memorial fund, which it is proposed shall be devoted to a scholarship for competition amongst boy residents of Taranaki. Points are to be awarded as follows: —Junior National Scholarship, 800; character, 200; athletics, 600; and the candidate securing the highest aggregate shall be chosen as the Bayly scholar, the scholarship being tenable for two years at any high school or district high "school in the province of Taranaki. An .appreciation of the New Zealander and Scottish International half back (A. B. Lindsay) in the miatdh against Ireland: Prom the toes of the Irishmen Lindsay took the ball clewerly, and though the praises of the Oxford captain have been more loudly sung, I prefer to think just as highly of the New Zealander. He had to- go through the mill; and that means something against Irish forwards. Still, he got the ball away finely There is no need on the part of the Scots committee to look further for two Although May is'not far off, nothing has been heard of the projected tour of a British team in South Africa. If the tour is to Be successful, the selection of the players cannot bs made too early. Already it is said that, though Scotland and Wales are in full sympathy with the tour, there aire few or none of the players of these countries who are both able and willing to take part in it. The English Rugby Union has now gone as far as to issue a circular to its clubs inviting them to nominate players for approval. . Definite information was received in Sydney on April 8 by cable from the United States to the effect that the Califomian Rugby team would visit the. colonies this season, and engage in a series of games in New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand. It will be remembered', that Messrs Lanigan and Presley, of Stanford University, and Mr Schaeffer, of California, were in Australia and New Zealand within short intervals of each other, studying the game and the local methods, and know exactly what their men will be expected to face. In the annual report op the Sydney University Club it is mentioned that a team had visited Melbourne, and had won the match against the local university by 15 "points to 3. • It was the first Rugby contest with Melbourne University, and with . the object of making it a permanent, fixture conferences were held in New Zealand - with representatives of the New Zealand universities as to the advisability, of admitting Melbourne University to participation in a triangular series of contests. It is to be hoped that before long such a programme would be arranged. The 'decision of the delegates to the AuckWanganui Rugby Union bias followed in the wake of Auckland, and deputed oiie man to undertake the task of choosing its representative team, Mr H. Tilley being the gentleman upon whonr the burden is to fall. There is some talk of the Wellington Rugby Union reverting to the " sole selector" system in force some years asro, when the late-T. R. Ellison carried out the duties. The experiment, however.. proved a failure, and delegates again elected to have three 'selectors at command. Whatever virtues the solo selector system may have had in other places, in Wellington it proved quite unworkable • . ■ Sporting Life understands on high •authority that there is' every prospect of the International Board passing a rule with regard to the wearing of studs, and making illegal the use of these conical studa which are habitually worn in Wales, and doubtless by certain- players out of the Principality. The studs in question are long and coneshaped. They have a central basis of metalpractically a ■ nail—and are covered with leather. When perfectly new they are not specially safe, but- when the leather is worn and the metal centre or nail is laid bare they are not merely dangerous,. but are literally lethal weapons. Tennent's serious injury at Cardiff en February 5 last was due to one of these studs, while very few of the Scots escaped slight injuries from the same cause. Schulze's stockings, pants, and jersey snowed strange, yet striking, evidence of the danger of the studs. His stockings were torn, there were long cuts in- his knickers, and his jersey was also cut in The garments of nearly all the Scottish players bore similar cuts and tears. This makes it cleaa that considerable carelessness as to the safe or dangerous condition of the studs prevails in Wales.