THE NORTHERN VNION GAME

Taranaki Herald, Volume LV, Issue 13967, 27 July 1909, Page 4

THE NORTHERN UNION GAME.

AUCKLAND, July 2G. L. B. Todd, the well-known footballer, who went Home with the All Black piofessiona.l team, and who for the past two years has been playing in the Old Country for the Wigan Club, returned to Auckland via Sydney by tho Wimmera yesterday. Todd, when asked it be intended to go Home again, stated that he was at present undecided. He had a decidedly good offer from the Wigan Club, and there was a strong probability tlvt he would accept. Todd said tho ' Northern Union game had made great strides in England, and llugby was not now taken as a feorious rival. It seemed to be the general impression that in a few years protessionals and amateurs would be playing together, and that the popular game would be the Northern Union. KlOlll what he could gather, he did not think the English Union would invite another amateur team to visit the Old Country. The Scottish Union had ioned the English Union to an issue on the question of proiessionalism, and it was generally understood that both the oiiginal All IJlack team and the Wallabies were eh.ssed as professionals, and it looked as if there would be nothing tor the colonials to do but to cut the painter. 'I he Northern Union game had made tremendous strides, and in tiie last few years the clubs had more than trebled their membership, and now some of them had two and three thousand members.