FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 281, 19 April 1913, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

SOME AMUSING STORIES OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN TEAM.

In undertaking a Rugln- Football tour .of the importance of that of the South Africans, .the players concerned would jMobably .admit that "play" is only another term for real hard work anil a good deal of anxiety. The skipper of the "Springboks," Mr. J. W. j Millar, when asked by the writer if he ; had any amusing football stories to tell, •replied that modern ".rugger" was alto-' gather too strenuous to provide much in the way .of merriment. Nevertheless, the tour of the South Africans has not Ibe.en 'Without its {humorous -side., There were one or two incidents that j supplied the "comic relief" when the •team were ,011 their way :.to .this country : j ou Board .tie Union (Castile liner Kin- > 1 fauns Castle. At breakfast ione morn- j ding Van Vrorren, the giant forward, or- j | dered sooie Iced fruit aiid cream, and his j | attention : be'mg engaged elsewhere for ' the moment iiis next-door neighbour, .) Dobbin, the clever half-back, seized the opportunity to introduce -a sausage 'into the delectable -dish. Tan Vurren ate the lot without protest, pondering the wlnle, no doulrt, on the queer taste of: the Britisher in the matter of foodstuff r in general and leed fruit, in particular.

SPOOFING THE REPORTER. On'one oeeasfoa, MeHai'dy, the speedy winger, received a wireless message in mid-oeean, purporting (o come from a South African Rugby official, instructing him to stand his companions champagne at the sender's expense. This MeHardy did, onlv to learn, later on, that the wireless message had been a pure fake. As soon its ever the team landed, an enterprising reporter bore down on them and aslced whether, following the lead of the previous South African team they were going' to preface tlieir games by a "war-cry" given on the field. One of the forwards replied that this was so, and thereupon supplied the newspaper man with the following fearsome •call: "Ee gumelliho ghee, Ee gummeli--liho ghee, Ee gummilliho ghee. Wall!" '•Before he took his departure the pressman asked for a translation of the words, and was told that they were the iiative rendering of "Are we downhearted? No!" Another member of the team ohiected, and gave us the true , meaning: "Every man is a lion, not forgetting the hippopotamus," The reporter, ho.vevcr. was quite satisfied with the original version. which was dnlv giveJi out as the "Springboks'" battle-cry •whereas as a matter of fact, they step on to tin' field just like anv ordinarv I'football team without raising their voices in song at all. I PROMISING RECRUITS. There was an -amusing incident when the. team visited Exeter and were going round the town seeing the sights. They turned a corner suddenly and almost knocked over a recruiting serg -.int. "Now, then, sergeant,'" said the joker of the party, "take your pick.'' "Bv gul." was the instant reply. '•[ wish I'■could, sir"'; and a very natural one. too. for the sight-seeing colonials were a fine strapping set, averaging nearly fourteen ston iicr mm

At Edinburgh J. W .Milliar, the South | African captain, was d'sfitssiiitr the i forthcoming match a<;a!r.lreland with a member of the Irish team, Now the wearers of the green win l a line, plucky lot. and willing, but there was certainly some justification for the doubt that, existed as to whether tlicv wouhj be speedy ei)ou!;!i to stand any chance of winning. 'Millar asked what the capabilities of the Irish three-ouarters were, and was informed that "if you took •them outside and raced them with four coffins up Princess Street the coffins would win!"—a reply he received wit ft a good deal of amusement and. perhaps, no 1-tllc *BtW«ctlon.' "NOT KNOWN HERE." While on tour a good deal of the "Springboks'' correspondence has been ■addressed to them care of "The Rngbv Union," England, but it is to be feared that in many cases the expected letters have gone astray, or at least been a good deal delayed, for they have been 'delivered at the Rugbv Workhouse, and from there returned to (lie Post Office endorsed "Not known here!"

' It was pretty generally supposed •that, the match in particular (hat the South Africans were keen on winning was against Scotland, thus to avenge the defeat the previous team experienced up North in 1 !)()<!. A few days before the fateful battle the ''Springboks" were entertained bv Miss Marie Corelli at her house -at Stratford-on-Avoii. This •combination of circumstances was aptly turned to account by one of the sporting papers and prompted the remark. "The South Africans are reported to be training for the Scottish match bv •reading Miss Marie Corelli's "Vendetta." FOOTBALL NOTES.

The Okato (,'luli has received . medals for competition. Messrs. |i. T. Booker and E. Malone have given gold medals for (he most improved player respectivelv back and forward, whilst the (ioldsmilhs and Silversmith's Company, through their aeent, Mr. Bright,, have presented the Club with a gold medal to be awarded to the most consistent plaver in an*- department.

Stratford and Eltham Seniors had a, preliminary match at the latter town on Thursday, the result, being a draw. Several of the southern club's new players showed excellent promise. A meeting was held at Pukelio, near Tarata, last week for the purpose of forming a football club. Mr. TI. Sander presided over an enthusiastic gathering, comprising many old players. It was unanimously decided to form p. club to be known as the Junction Club. Black was chosen as the club's colors and the subscription was (Ixed at 2s <ld. Th? idea is to endeavor to resuscitate the local district scheme of the Inglewood Club, which W' l s so successful a few sensons back. Officers were elected as follows:—President, "Mr. E. Mackie; vicepresidents, Messrs F. .T. Webb, J. fireav '•n-l IT. Sander: captain. Mr. A. 0. Bullock; vice-captain. Mr. Eggleton: comniittee, Messrs. S. Oenrge. A. Tavlor and Black: secretary and treasurer, Mr. Eggleton.