ATHLETICS. AQUATICS. MISCELLANEOUS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 370, 22 May 1889, Page 4

ATHLETICS.

AQUATICS.

MISCELLANEOUS.

(By Aotveon in the " Auckland Star.' s

A. Dr. Dobbs officiating as referee in a match in England lately had his leg broken. Rough on the poor unoffending referee. It has been found that the resting-place of Mr R. J. Seddon at Maitland is not sufficiently large to allow of a memorial stone being erected over the grave. The body is to be exhumed and removed to a larger ground. A letter from England informs me that among the Maori footballers were many " deadheads " who could hardly be played in a game in spite of the disabled state of the others. When they did play they spoiled the others, so it was thought advisable to leave them out in the great majority of matches. Saysa Wellington print :— •' Whatadaisy of a representative team Wellington will be able to put into the field this year with backs like -L. Dixon, A. Thompson, Gage (who will be back in town early in June), Sim, Merlet, Moorehouse, Roberts, and Fairbrother, headed by Wellington forwards. Auckland will "need to keep very quiet," [P'rapp. — Actteon.] A Yorkshire authority attributed the number of the Maori victories to " Keogh and short passes." In other words, this means that the centre half system, much as I detest it, worked well. But this same paoer says that when Bonsor, the English captain and the best half-back in England, got oppo-ite Keogh in the match with All England, the New Zealander had no show, and this line of attack being closed, the visitors had nothing else to win with. A correspondentatßockhampton, Queensland, sends me the following about football there that will be interesting to footballers here: — "The local Union enjoys, I think, the honourable distinction of being the only union in the colonies having a ground ot its own, and last year spent over £500 on improvements to it. Of course it had to go into debt to do that, but with favourable weather thi3 year we expect to set the most of the debt cleared ofl'. There are aboutJsQo members in the clubs affiliated with the Union. It is expected that your celebrated ' Maori team ' and a team from New South Wales will visit the town, and a team from here goes to Brisbane early in June. Two cups for the seniors, one cupfor the juniors and 15medals to the premier club have been presented to the Union. All the clubs are fairly strong. I think the Mount Morgan Rovers, all strong athletic young men, mostly working on the famous gold mine up there will come up at the head of the poll, although our club, the Waratahs, won't be far off. I hear Jimmy Anderson is coming here this year ; if so, he will be arJJ acquisition to the Wanderers, whom he proposes joining. There is great eagerness to get hold ot New Zealanders among the clubs. If a player bays he comes from New Zealand he is literally rushed by all the clubs'. I think vve had about 200 men up here who said they played with the Otago, Auckland or borne other representative team. Curiously enough, after being proposed in about a dozen clubs and, being induced to play with one, they generally turn out duffers, their only merit being talk. There are seven clubs in our union, but any of your players who may hr.ppen to come over this way can rely on a hearty welcome from the Warahahs." Still more alterations to the rules. The annual meeting of the English Rugby Union was to have been held on the 28th March, and the following amendments were to have been then prooosed : — That in Law 7, after the words '' three points," the following be added :—": — " With the exception ot a goal kicked from a kick awarded by way of penalty, which shall equal two points." To Law 37 add : " The ball must be brought out on the side of the ground where it was touched down or went into touch in goal, and if between the goal posts straight trom the place where it was touched down." That in Law 41, after the words, "or the ball has touched the, ground," to add — " But. if any of the opposite side do charge before the player having the ball commences to run, or offers to kick, or the ball has touched the ground, the referee may, provided the kicker has not taken his kick, and then only on a claim by the opposite side, disallow the charge," ere. Law 38 read as follows : — "Kick-out must be a drop-kick, and from not more than twenty-five yards outside the kicker's goal-line ; if the ball when kicked out pitch in touch, the opponent side may claim to have it kicked off again. If the kick be not a drop-kick, or it the kick be from more than twenty- five yards outside the kicker's goal-line, or if the kicker's side be not behind the ball when kicked out, the referee shall, on a claim by the opposite side, either order another kick-out or order the ball to be scrummaged at a spot twenty-five yards from the kicker's goalline and equi-distant trom both touchlines ; and the opposite side may not ob struct such kicker within twenty-five yards of his own goal-line." Addition to the regulations for the guidance of umpires and referees :— "If in the opinion of the referee the ball when dead has been unfaiily brought into play, he shall order a scrummage to be formed."

Hanlan is very much disgusted abTeemer backing out of the match arranged for him with Searle. It appears that the Canadian and some Sydney friends put up the £100 to bind the match on Teemer agreeing to row, but he afterwards backed out of it. Says "Neptune" in the "Town and Country Journal" :: — '• From the cable news received that O Connor'e deposit had been sent to cover the £100 already forwarded to London by the Searle party, something definite may now be expected as to the meeting of the two great scullers. Perhaps never before have two such men met. They are almost equal with respect to age and weight ; and both are known to be wonders in a racing shell. From the news received at various times concerning O'Connor's abilities, hemust really be a terror in a wager boat ; and from what we here know as to Searle's capabilities with the scull, the meeting of these two men &houlddraw an immense gathering towitness therace. As is known to Searle's immediate friends, the Clarence River lad has never yet been stretched in any of his races in the outrigger ; and on private trials, not only once or twice, but frequently, he has shown some marvellous work. With these facts in viow, it is only reasonable to think that the Australians will put down 'O'Connor or any others who may be pitted against him during his stay in the Old Country. On Tuesday evening last the champion was banqueted in Need's rooms by a number of his immediate friends and aquatic supporters, who all expressed confidence that he would be successful, and return with his laurels. Searle and his trainer, Neil Matterson, are passengers in the steamship Orient, now en route to England. They have had a rather hurried preparation for their voyage, as the news of O'Connor having forwarded his deposit only reached them on Saturday last. Being anxious to get away by the first opportunity, they have had to go overland to catch the Orient, which left Sydney on the same day as O'Connor's cablegram was received. They should arrive in England in the

middle of June. Ib is fcho wish of all lovers of aquatics in Australia that in this meeting both men should be in perfect condition, as a tremendous amount of money is sure to be placed on the Australian champion, in whom so much confidence is reposed. As the race will not take place till about September, Searle should have plenty of oime for a run round before he goes into training for this great contest ."

The Spring Handicap Meeting of the National Association of Amateur Athletes of America, held at Madison Square Gardens recently, was a very successful affair. At 8 p.m. about 2,500 people were in the Gardens. The event that particularly attracted athletes theie was the Three Miles Scratch Race between A. B. George, of the Spartan Harriers, London, and T. P. Connetf, of the Mauhattan Athletic Club. It promised to be a grand struggle. In the afternoon Connefl' had shown magnificent form at half the distance, and hid friends were confident of his victory. Previous to the event of the evening Fred Westing endeavoured to beat the seventyfive yards record, but the watch showed 8 l-sth sec, and the record was sate. A. F. Copeland attempted to lower the 250 yards time over low hurdles. The track was in such poor shape that no one considered him able to do so, but he astonished the ontire assemblage by making the trip in 32 l-sth sec, beating the indoor and outdoor records both. Now came the great race between Conneffand George. Conneil took the lead at the fir&t lap. Both men wentslowlyatthestait. Thefirstquarterof a mile was made in lmin 16sec, the first half in 2miu 36sec, and the three-quarters in 3min 48sec. George led after the h'rst half, but the men, up to the end of the mile, were never more than six feet apart. George made the first mile in smin 17seo. The men ambled along gently, and started on the second mile. Conneff took the lead in the hrst quarter, reaching the post in 6min. 40sec. The mile and a half was made in Bmin, the mile and three quarters in 9min 21sec, and the second mile in lOmin 42sec. Con netl' &till held the lead at the beginning of the third mi'e. He began to increase his advantage, and George's partisans looked sad. The first quarter was passed in 12min 2sec, Conneti leading 50ft. At the three-quarter post, in 14min 52sec, George made an effort, and gained 25it in the next lap. Connefl put on a spurt in the following circuit, and George lost all he had gained. Conneff won easily, amidst the plaudits of the spectators, in 16min. 2-sth sec. In the Liverpool district the ancient game of rounders, so well known in our child hood's happy day*, and which still lingers round picnic haunts, is played more than cricket in some parts of England. When the American baseballers were there after playing two games at their national game a match was played between a Liverpool team and the Americans at rounders and afterwards at baseball. I clip a chatty account of the whole business from the "Athletic News'': — The Americans paid great attention to the instructions of the locals in the matter of rounders. The Englishmen suffered somewhat in comparison with their opponents so far as physique went, but in the actual game they showed to a decided advantage, the Yankees displaying quite a juvenile knowledge of ye ancient game of rounders. They could not understand being compelled to run when they made one strike, and their faces were a study as the '• catcher " gently touched them with the ball as if he were afraid ot giving offence. Some of them, particularly Pfeffer and Hanlon, resorteu to dodging and sliding movements which the Liverpool men were not acquainted with. However, they retired as gracefully as they could for six runs, in which were included two extras. The locals soon commenced scoring, though their pitcher and captain (Welsh) went for none, Anton spooning the ball on to him as he was approaching the first base. The others fairly enjoyed themselves at the expense of the Americans, though the funny Earl, who was behind the "sticks." disposed of several of them in a style which would have done credit to an accomplished rounder. They ran up sixteen, and in the second innings the Americans did little better, and were evidently di-gusted at the easy manner in which they were " tipped " out. Tener was the top scorer with three, though Earl made a clinking "cut tor two, and was much elated thereat. The innings closed for eight, and Liverpool thus won by an innings and two runs. The home men wanted to have another go, but the Americans showed a disposition to shirk matters, and asked to get at basebail again, ' 'rounders being a fool to it " — some ot the Yankees said. The Englishmen were not expected to make much of a show, and expectations were realised. All the lot cf them seemed a bit afraid of Baldwin, and only Frank Sugg, who was arrayed in spotless white, stood up as if he meant business. One base only was secured, and then the Americans had a bit of fun. Frank Sugg was the pitcher, and Henly attempted to give him instructions ; but Frank did not seem to grasp the intricacies, and though he sent the ball down at a good rate of speed, the curl of a Crane or a Tener was absent, and they were sent along the field and out of the field with great regularity. Only one Yankee was disposed of whilst 1 stayed, and I fancy it was Walter Sugg who caught him ; and as the rain was coming down, and the Americans were scoring jusc as often as they liked, I took my leave, the game having resolved itself into a perfect frost.