OUT DOOR SPORTS

Observer, Volume XXVII, Issue 33, 4 May 1907, Page 10

OUT DOOR SPORTS

By Harbier.

THE Auckland Rugby Union's matches for 1907 will be started gag at Alexandra Park on Saturday next. The season promises to be a fairly busy one for Aucklanders, as besides the usual inter-union matches the representative team will travel as far South as Invercargill.

' The draw for the season made its appearance last week. The four grades includes 26 teams, viz., senior, 6 ; second fifteens, 6 ; third fifteens, 7 ; fourth fifteens, 7. The first round of the senior competition wrll conclude on June Ist.

The senior fixtures for Saturday are Newton v. City, Ponsonbv v. Parnell. and Graf ton v. North. Shore. The two first-named will be plaverl at Alexandra Park, whilst Gmfton will iournev to the North Shore ground. The North Shore Club have bave received permission from the Boron <rh Council to make a charge of sixpence for admission.

The m*>+eh played at Alexandra. Park on SatnrrJav between Cricketers our! Non-Cricketers rlrpw a very fair attendance, arid the Cricketers' Coach fund should benefit to the extent of aV»nnt P 4O. Warm praise is due to Mr D. Hay for ao-nin briurnne: abmit this fixture, and a nnmhor of o+Vier prominent erieketters did useful work in disposing of a lnrie number of tickets. The tpqma were fairly well matched and although half hour spells werp played. many of the players showed themselves short of form. This, bowpver. was only to be expected, in th* 1 first frame of the* season. The Tsr>n -Cricketer s came out on top with a score of 9 points to 3. Brooke-Pn-iitV. is no si on oh at Rncrbv. He filled the position of full-back with much credit, .kicking in erood Rtvle, besides doing some good tackling. George Smith did well, and "Soobie" McKenzie only wants a little more form to be at bis best. Let us hope he will keep to the game now that he has started. "Dick" Wynvard did a lot of clever play, and " Bob " Magee put in some solid work. " Alf " Haddon played wing forward, and although he was looking for chances very few came his way. Francis's play is full of promise. Another forward who is coming on in big strides is Kinder, of Parnell. He shaped very well on Saturday. On the Non-Cricketers' side, Murray stood out easily as the best. He made some clever runs, and kicked with great judgment. He was well backed up by Rowe, Twiname, and W. Wynyard. Of the forwards. G. Tyler, Mackerell and Seeling shaped well. W. Tyler also did good work on the wing.

" Tommy '.' Marshall, the Graf ton back, gave his shoulder a nasty bump on Saturday week, and will be unable to play for a few weeks.

Doyle, a South Canterbury rep., was playing for the Non-Cricketers' team on Saturday. He is a bulky forward, but was a little bit out of form on Saturday. He will play for City when available.

Parnell and Ponsonby will meet on N. 1 ground on Saturday. . A. Mcllhone, the City winger, has returned to town, and will take his place in the senior team for the season. North Shore are strong in juniors this year, and have entered two teams for the third grade competition. There is a doubt whether F. Gladding will bo well enough to take his place in City's team for Saturday next. E. Young will not be playing for City on Saturday. His place will taken by Ladner, an ex-Star (Taranaki) player. In their match against Ireland, Wales played seven forwards, with Harding as a winger. Wales won by 29 points to nil. Cunningham will not be available for Ponsonby on Satruday, as he has not vet acquired the residential qualification. I hear there is some talk of ing Murray full-back for Ponsonby, but on Saturday's game hie place is in the three-quarter line. Swannell, who came out with Bedell-Sivwright's team, is still in Sydney, and is acting as one of the selectors for the Sydney District Club. It was intended to play Smith, an ex-Milton (Otago) footballer, as fullback for City, but as he has left town, a junior will have to be brought up. Hall, the ex-Thames back, was nlaving in "Non-Cricketers' pack on Saturday. I believe it is the intention of Ponsonby to play him forward this season. It is quite probable that "Jimmy " Campbell will come out for Graft-on ibis season. If " Scobie " McKenzie sees fit to play, Grafton's back team will be greatly strengthened. Messrs Nail McLean G. H. Dixon. M. J. Sheahan, and V. Lanssford are representing the Auckland Rugby TTnion at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union, to be held in Wellington this (Thursday) evening. The rumour in circulation that S. Casev had retired from the game proves (says a Dnnedin writer) to be without foinidation. Not only is the _ " All Black " hooker again playing for his club, but in the two practice games played he has proved to be in rare form. Thus the " Weekly Press " writer : " I am told that it is quite on the cards that P. Harvey, the well-known representative half-back, may once more don the jersey for Christchurch. It is to be hoped the report is true, for capable backs are scarce, and Peter should have been good for a lot more fotball when he retired from the game." The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union is to be held this (Thursday) evening. From what I gather, there is (says "Touchline," in the " Lance" )going to ha a warm time for some people at this meeting, and generally an interesting gathering. Many delegates are p r r-iring their speeches even now, so that they can be well rehearsed and themselves in good fighting trim directly the annual report and bal-ance-sheet are placed before the meeting for discussion. The news that Dr. E. T. Morgan has decided to practice at Swansea came as a very pleasant surprise to Welsh football enthusiasts. The likelihood of the great wing three-quar-ter settling down in England was not exactly palatable to Welshman. The . question now arises as to whether he can be persuaded to turn out for the . Swansea Club, and although opinion is dubious on the point, the influence that led him to town might (says L the " Athletic News/") well surmount ( the difficulty.

Victor Trumper scored 212 for , Paddington against Central Cumber- ' land last Saturday week, and closes r the season in Sydney premiership f matches with the highest aggregate 7 (945) and the highest average (85.90 runs per innings).