The New South Wales Football Team.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5050, 12 September 1894, Page 2

The New South Wales Football Team.

TO THB EDITOR. Sir,— Ab a Sydneyite on a visit to Chrietchurch, I cannot allow your remarks in Monday's issue to pass unnoticed. The statement that it is "little short of an insult to ask a New Zealand team to play our men " is a greater inßulfc than at the first blush appears. If the actions of the New Zealand Union were to be controlled by the Star there is no doubt there would be no more intercolonial teams. Happily for football on both sides of the water snch is not likely to be the case. [Amen!— Ed.] Tour remarks about "scragging" I will leave for the members themselves or the manager to deal with, but I must take exception to what you say about the New South Wales Union •• playing it very low down " on New Zealand. If, by acting in an honourable manner by keeping faith with the New Zealand Union, and sending a team over here in face of many difficulties (no matter of what calibre that team may be) our Union have "played it very low down" in the opinion of the Star, be it S3; but of whatever value that opinion may be, the fact ehonld not be loet eight of that the Bugy Union of New South Wales sent the best team it could possibly get together. The remarks and the extract you quote from the Haw&e's Bay Herald are in tqually bad taste, besides being absolutely untrue. The forwards are as fine a lot as ever left New South Waleß, and are up to any New Zealand team; it is only the backs that sre week. There is only one better forward in New South Waleß, viz., Bowman, of the Wallarco Club, and h* could not undertake the trip, while there are several of the best back men who could not oome over. The University Club bad a Queensland trip arranged to take place at the same time as the New Zealand tour, and, consequently, only one of that team, Sawyer, could come over. These men were never expected to represent New South Wales, bo that our Union have not been guilty of any I reach of faith. I should also like to Bay that it is not perfectly well known in the neighbouring colony that the best men are University players. The University Club was o«ly third in the premiership contests this season, and there are only three men, besides Sawyer, who would have been picked, via., Abbott, Moses and J. Wood, but for the reason before mentioned they were unable to oome. There are no less than sir players from the premier club over there, the Randwick.— l am, &c, ALFRED G. DAT.