THE AMERICAN FOOTBALLERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 12200, 16 July 1910, Page 5

THE AMERICAN FOOTBALLERS.

A CHAT WITH THE MANAGER

(Special to Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day. The, American Universities football team arrived fiom Sydney by the Warrimoo yesterday. Nobody seeing the visitors on the streets could mistake them for anything but Americans with their wide, loose, long garments, broad shoulders, keen clean-shaved faces and easy confident, manner. They might have stepped right oft the illustrations of. the latest American novel. The manager of the team, Which comprises twenty-five players, is Mr D. Burbank, a graduate of the Lelland Stanford University, who m a conversation with a representative of the Post spoke highly of the- kindness and hospitality, shown the American team by the people of New South Wales. They had' spent a most enjoyable time there, and if they had not been very successful m their matches against the local teams they had at least learned 'a- great deal about the finer points of Rugby football. The team was really only getting into form when it left. The last match with the Metropolitan had been much the best for them. ''Too much hospitality?" suggested the interviewer. "Well it might be so," said Mr Burbank, with a smile, "I -was sort of social secretary for a time- and, I really had to refuse , a lot of invitations., , Our fellows are not used to that kind of thing when they are out to play football. Even m California, yon vmderstand, they keep m the strictest training for the three months of the football season, go to bed I every night not later than eleven, don't I you know. They have to keep fit. for the competition is so keen." Mr Burbank explained that the football season m California only extended over S«ptember, October and November, the fall of the year. They would play their first match on or about September 18 and their last on November 10. "The fellows must hay« a little time for study, yon. understand," he added, explanatory of the fact that there was no football through the rest of the winter. "And what do yoh' think will he the effect of your tour?" Mr Burbank was asked. "Well, I should say it would be the greatest possible advertisement for Australia and New. Zealand m the States. -Of course we knew of you, you understand, from the visit of th'e American fleet. Your reception of our fellows m Auckland and Sydney did i your countries a lot of good, and New Zealand is held up as a model of progressiveness' m labor Jegislation, do you know, but we shall know you better now. The fellows m our team represent two of the. largest universities m the West, and they will have a lot of influence when they go 'back. I should not be surprised at all if you don't see some of them back here within a short time. Indeed if I let them they would probably stay now. You know some of them' are studying mining .and they don't see why they should not get experience here. You ran erivo them certificates for work done I believe. I must say we were impress, ed with Australia- and we like the looks of this busy little city. Wo should like to see Rotorua before we go m and we are sorry' we can't , stay longer m New Zealand.., ■ ,: v i : . ' '■; ■<