RUGBY GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 3085, 30 April 1913, Page 53

RUGBY GOSSIP.

The Canterbury Rugby Union proposes to give a trophy tor a football competition amongst Territorials. The “ gate ” at the Southem-Kaikorai match on Saturday was a record for the first flag match of the season. Mr George Harnett, manager of the last British team in Now Zealand, has decided to retire from the English Rugby Union Committee. At a meeting of the Referees’ Appointment Board on Monday evening. Mr H. Harris, president of the Rugby Union, was unanimously elected chairman. Willie Davis, the suspended Devon and Welsh international Rugby Union threequarter back, has joined a Northern Union Club, having signed on for Deeds. W A. Stewart, the young Tasmanian who earned his international . cap playing for Scotland, is said to be the speediest threeonarter back in Rugby football in Great Britain. The Southland Rugby Union Committee have decided to make a start with the Gal-In-aith Shield competitions on Saturday, May 3. with three senior matches all of which will be played on Rugby Park. Dr Howard Bullock, the Sydney University Rhodes Scholar, after three years in Eng-

land, has returned to Sj'dney, looking verv fit in an athletic sense, and glowing with his three years’ exneHence in England and the P. Jones, the Newport and Welsh international forward, has been presented with a gold watch, suitably inscribed, in recognition of his selection as one of the representatives of Wales. It should be explained that this presentation was made by his admirers in the colliery in which. Jones is employed. INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Points Points for. against. .

At the annual meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union on Friday night the following officers were elected for the ensuing year; Patron, his Excellency the Governor (the Earl of Liverpool); president, Mr A. Devore re-elected); vice-presidents Messrs J. Ameil, D. J. Clayton, and Professor Segar (all re-elected); Management Committee — Messrs M. J. Sheehan, C. P. Stitchbury, T. Buxton, S. W. Somerfield, F. J. Ohlson, and Captain Dawson (all re-elected); auditors, Messrs P. R. Fraser and T. Macky (reelected). “Fred" Roberts, of Wellington, has definitely decided to retire, and so Oriental loses its best player for many a season. He has, however, been appointed club captain. Concerning Roger Dansey in football in Wellington : “ Dansey, the ex-Otago University and representative player, who toured with Parata’s Eative team in Australia in 1910, was only in fair form. He does not look the Reger Dansey of old; he seems to have lost tissue, and does not seem as fit as he might. He was starved very badly on his wing, but he did what was required of him very well, and doubtless he will improve.” When the members of Mr Frank Wild’s party, on the Mawson Antarctic Expedition, found a landing on Shackleton Glacier, where the second base was established, they and Captain Davis, of the Aurora, naturally had to work like Trojans to get the stores landed; and when Captain Davis, dragging hie weary limbs to well-earned rest at the end of so strenuous a day. wondered how the others were faring, he glanced back through his telescope, expecting to find that they also were overcome by the desire for sleep. What was his amazement to discover that they were actually playing: a game of Rugby football on the glacier! Professor David told this story last week with obvious enjoyment at the farewell in Sydney to Mr Wild, who is returning to England. “ Yee. we played football while we were there.” Mr Wild agreed, “ but we did not try it or hockey very often, because of the violence of the wind. The ball used to get down over the glacier on to the floe ice down below, and.” he added naively, “it was a long wav down there to go to fetch it.” .

OTAGO RUGBY UNION. The weekly meeting of the Otago Rugby Union was held on Monday evening. The president (Mr, H. Harris) occupied the chair. Applications for footballs from the following schools were granted:—-Ratanui, Tawanui, Herbert, Alexandra District High, Waitaki, and Dunrobin. The Mosgiel Club was affiliated to the Union. . Messrs Harris and Wilson were appointed the union’s delegates to attend the annua! meeting of the New Zealand Union in Wellington on May 8. Messrs Macassey, Isaacs, and Burt were appointed the union’s delegates in Wellington. The West Taieri Club applied for permission to play J. Kennedy, late of the Taieri Rovers Club.—To be informed that Kennedy had been graded as one of their players. The West Taieri Club notified that on Saturday the Union second played Thompson, a senior grade player of the Union Club in the season of 1912, against West Taieri. They desired to know if a senior grade player of 1912 could play for a second grade team in 1913. —To be informed that Thompson had this season been graded as a junior player. The Eastern District Union notified that it had played under the Southland Union with unsatisfactory results, and desired to join the Otago Union. It also asked for a team to tour the Eastern Districts, the same as was done in the past with the goldfields.—lt was decided to write to the Southland Union for its opinion on the matter. It was decided to notify those players in the Otago team which toured the goldfields last season, and who had not yet returned their jerseys, that the same must bo returned by May 9, otherwise the committee would consider the advisability of disqualifying them. FIRST GRADE. Southern v. Kaikorai. That Rugby has not lost its hold on the public was demonstrated in a marked manner on Saturday, when over 4000 spectators were present on the Caledonian Ground to witness the opening match of the season between Southern and Kaikorai. The ground was in splendid order, but a strong breeze from the harbour end was disconcerting, and it was decided by the rival captains to play four spells —two of 25 minutes and two of 20 minutes each. Both teams were represented by strong packs of forwards and tolerably useful backs. The game was not essentially spectacular, back play being -minus quality and quantity; but what it lacked in this respect was more than compensated for by the resolute work of the forwards. The Southern forwards were more experienced than those of Kaikorai, while the backs proved superior to the rear division of the hill team. Southern deserved their win, for on the run of the play they were the better team, and in the subtleties of the game showed a better sense of requirements. Southern 11 points KaikoAi 3 points Mr M‘Farlano was referee. Union v. Pirates. There was a fair attendance at the match between Union and Pirates, which was played on C'arisbrook No. 2 Gound under weather conditions which lent themselves to a good display of the game. Scores: team. The game was firmly and impartially controlled by Mr W. Ross, the final scores being— Union 11 points. Pirates 10 points. Dunedin v. Port Chalmers. After the recent spell of beautiful dry weather the Mussel Bay ground was in ex-

ccllcnt condition for the match between Dunedin and Port Chalmers. The Sutton mounted camp caused a good deal of disorganisation in the ranks of the Dunedin players. Three vacancies in the senior team had to be filled from the second grade, which had already supplied four of its players for military training. The places of Jeffs, Gossage, and O’Keefe were taken by Kerr, Binnie. and C'ouper, late of the Taieri Rovers Club. T'no Port Chalmers team played a very sound and vigorous game, and though the opposition was decidedly weak, their opening performance promised well for the coming season. In Woods, M‘Ta.ggart, and Skinner among the forwards, and Fortune among the backs, lathe main strength of the Dunedin to the line. Scores: Port Chalmers ‘ 18 points Dunedin 5 points. Alhambra v. Zingari-Richmond. This fixture was pla3 - cd at Carisbrook No. 1 Ground, which was in good order. As was only to be expected from the first match of the season, there was not a groat deal of combination shown on either side, and t'he game was chiefly confined to the forwards. What little passing was indulged in came mostly from the Zingari backs, though its method will have to be considerably improved to be thoroughly effective. Taken all round, flue Zingari backs are a promising lot, the two wing three-quarters—Baird and Bond—especially showing up on Saturda.y. Whitaker fielded the ball well in the open, but his passing from the scrum was faulty. The forwards wore without the services of Patterson. T'hc backs on the Alhambra side arc light and young. They 7 were keen on the game on Saturday, their scrum half, Young, standing out from the rest. Some of them, however, have yet to learn the advantage of good tackling. F. Williams has played bettor games. A noteworthy feature of the match was tire amount of punting indulged in. both in the open and to the lino. Scores ; Zingari-Richmond ... 11 points. Alhambra 3 points. Mr Adamson was referee. SECOND GRADE. Zingari-Richmond defeated Port Chalmers by 6 points to 3. Union defeated West Taieri, at Outram, by 12 points to 3. For the Mills and Wilson scored. Valentine converted one try, and also potted a goal. THIRD GRADE. Zingari-Richmond defeated Pirates by 11 points to nil. Union defeated Alhambra by nine points to six. For the winners, \V ells scored a try, which Gallon converted, and N. Williams potted a goal. MATCHES IN OTHER CENTRES. , WELLINGTON. April 27. The senior Rugby championship was continued on Saturday in fine but dull weather. At Athletic Park two good games were witnessed, Oriental and Melrose fighting out such a keen contest as is rarely seen more than once or twice in a season. Petone’s win over Poneke was not such a runaway one as the scores might seem to indicate, though they had the game well in hand all through. Oriental beat Melrose by throe points to nil, Pctono beat Poneko by 27 points to nil, Wellington beat St. James by 15 points to three, and Athletic beat Victoria College by 14 points to nil. CHRISTCHURCH, April 27 Beautiful weather was experienced for the continuation of the Rugby Union competitions yesterday, and the grounds were in first-class order. The most interesting of tlie games played was that between Old Boys and Linwood, at Lancaster Park, which after a .good contest ended in a win for Linwood by a potted goal to a try. Linwood (4 points) beat Old Boys (3 points). Sydenham (15 points) boat Merivalo (9 points). Albion (16 points) beat Christchurch (3 points), Canterbury* College (20 points) boat Marist Bros. (3 points). NEW ZEALAND RUGBY LEAGUE. AUCKLAND, April 24. The report of the New Zealand Rugby League, to bo presented at the annual meeting, states that the past season was the busiest in trie history of the league. The receipts of the Australian tour amounted to £1250, giving a profit of £217. The progress of the game in the dominion had been steady, the most notable move being the formation fo a league in Canterbury. Another hail been formed in Marlborough. The league b“ga.n the year with a credit balance of £557, and finished with a balance of £393. The receipts from the leading matches wore:—Auckland v. New Zealand £99, profit £63; Auckland v. New South Wales £449. profit £117; Now South Wales v. New Zealand £671, prolir £B7. The expenditure includes £lO5 in grants- to the various leagues. The liabilities arc nil. MAORI TEAM FOR AUSTRALIA. WELLINGTON, April 23. At a meeting of the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union to-night, a letter was received from the New South Wales Union with regard to the tour of the Maori team, and forwarding the proposed itinerary and the terms. The Maoris would . leave Auckland on June 2, and would play matches in New South Wales and Queensland. It was decided to forward the letter to Mr W. Parata, and inform the Now South Wales Union that any profit accruing must be handed to the New Zealand Union, to bo disposed of at its discretion. The Californian University wrote, asking for a New Zealand team to visit California this year. —Mr C. F. Cameron, of California, interviewed the union with regard to the same matter, but eventually it was decided to inform the university that the Now Zealand Union could only deal with the Californian Union. Mr Cameron, who is leaving here Friday, hits agreed to see the members of the Californian Union on his return, and get an official offer made to the New Zealand Union. TEAMS FOR AUSTRALASIA. SYDNEY, April 22. The New South Wales Rugby Union has decided to ask New Zealand to join in inviting a British team to visit Australasia in 1915 and a South African team in 1916. The union adopted the recommendation of its secretary (Mr Hill) regarding an Imperial Rugby Council comprising representatives of all Rugby-playing countries. The scheme is the outcome of a conference by the secretary with the South African

and New Zealand (Mr Wray Palliser) representatives in England. . ENGLISH CHAMPIONSHIP. LONDON, April 27. Sunderland, with 52 points,' and Sheffield Wednesday, with 49, head the Association Football League championship. Notts County and Woolwich Arsenal are relegated to the second division, arid will be replaced in 1913 by Preston North End, 55 points, and Burnley, 50. Plymouth Argyle, 50 points, and Swindon, 48, head the Southern League. INTERPROVINCIAL CUP. CHALLENGE BY CANTERBURY. AUCKLAND, April 23. At the annual meeting of the Auckland Rugby League to-night, a challenge was received from the Canterbury League for the Interprovincial Cup, at present held by the former. The challenge was accepted, and May 24 was allotted as the date for the fixture.

~ . P. W. D. L. G. T. P. G. T. P. England . 3 3 0 0 3* + 6 30 1* 0 4 Wales .. 3 2 0 1 4t 2 24 5*t 1 25 Scotland . 3 10 2 4 3 29 4* 2 26 Ireland . 3 0 0 8 7**t0 31 8tt 8 60 * Dropped goal. I Penalty goal.