FOOTBALL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10753, 26 April 1913, Page 6

FOOTBALL NOTES.

ON THE FIELD AND OFF. (By MUDDIED OAF.) The annual general meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union is to be held in "Wellington on May S. I hare received a copy of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union s annual booklet for the current year. It is compiled on the same lines as previous years, but a large amount of matter lias been taken out, chiefly that relative to records and rules of the various sub-unions, end consequently the booklet is not nearly so large as formerly. Possibly on account of tho present state of football iu several of the subunions' districts the action of the compiler was justified. The book should prove useful to players and followers of the game. In reading recent English papers I notice that Turtill is not now in the St Helen's team. 6. W. Smith, too, is apparently a non-player. The fifth "grade competition commenced last Saturday, but I regret to state there are only four teams competing. It will be a great pity if this competition is allowed to fall through. Tho local committee with the assistance of the schoolmasters of the principal schools should confer with a view of bringing the competition up to its former standard. The annual report of the New Zealand Rugby Union states that a New Zealand team will tour Australia next year. The following amounts are now on loan to various affiliated unions:— Auckland £350, Hawke's Bay £845, Otago £SOO, Southland £2450, Taranaki £225, Wanganui £SOO, Wellington £1625; total, £6495. The Australian team is to tour the dominion this year, and I notice that three test games are to be played, at Wellington, Dimcdin and Christchurch respectively. The first game be played at Auckland on August 27, and the last one at Blenheim on September 24. 'The dates of the test games are: At Wellington September t>, Dunedin September 13, Christchurch September 20. In this connection it is to be hoped that the New Zealand Rugby Union Committee will arrange for the interIsland game to be played before the arrival of the Australian team, so that players included in tho New Zealand team will be selected on this year's form and not on the previous season's reputations. it is a great many years since a test game was played in Christchurch. _ I am writing from memory, but I think it was in 1891 when a New Zealand team met a New South Wales team at Lancaster Park. Incidentally the New Zealand team was beaten, this being the only occasion on which a New Zealand team has been defeated in a test game in New Zealand. The New South Wales team was not a strong one and was beaten by most of the provinces, but the New Zealand | team showed a great want of practice together and combination, and was badly defeated. W. Balch, W. Humphreys and the late A. E. Cook were Canterbury's representatives in the New Zealand selection. The back play of the New Zealand team broke completely down, chiefly because Butland, the West Coast back, was unable to take any passes from Cook, who was playing at half-back. Butland had toured Australia with the New Zealand team the previous year and had ; made quite a reputation as a lialf-back, i but he was quite unfitted for the posii tion he occupied in the game in ISP4. i The Lvttelton team, which won tho | President's Cup last year, is again i competing in the same grade, and alj ready indications point to the side beI 111" again successful. I have heard it asserted that the team is a particularly J heavy one and its play in many cases borders on roughness. The following is from tho Sydney " Referee E. K. Booth, the All Black (and Royal Blue), is qualified to represent Eastern Suburbs. He looks as hard as nails, and is as chirpy over the coming of football as an early morning lark in spring. By the way, ' The General' tells me that C. Y. Adamson, the famous goal-kicker of Bedell-Sivright's team, has reached Melbourne and will come on to Sydney.' In reference to the last part of th»» paragraph. I think the well-known Otaeo back is in error in stating that. O. Y. Adamson was tho goal-kicker of Bedell-Sivright's team. Adamson was a member of Mullinux's English team that toured Australia in 1899, and he was a brilliant back and placekicker. , ... R, ,T. Dansey. the well-known (Jtago University and South Island representative, is'living in Wellington and will be playing for the Petone Club this vear. . X. Carnegie, the Mcrivalo winger, and who " representee] Canterbury ao-ainsi ihe West Coast last season, has returned to Dunerlin. and will be playing for his old club, Southern, this year. . hi Tasmania. say* an Australian writer. Rughv football is not known, it is as foreign to the sports of Hobart, and Lannrcston as tohoganning is to Svdnev crowds. And yet Tasmania j has given to Scotland a great Rugby ! Union three-quarter back, in the perj son of the noted amateur sprinter. W. Stewart. Tn this football prodigality hv an Australian Rules State. Tasmania has taken a leaf out of the book of Victoria, who, as far back as gave to Scotland a champion, m 15. Tinnns, who developed into a s+ar, and was able to say that, muco ns he liked the "national" game of Australia, bo actually had a greater liking lor lingby. "Tiie London Scottish such a

victory over tho Harlequins at Twickenham n must, havo made the latter team ponder,'' wo are told by the

" Athletic .News." " Many a time it lias been recorded that the pace of the Harlequins lias pulled engagements out: of Iho lire in the closing minutes of iho game; they had the reverse experience recently for the Caledonians, after being momentarily four points to the bad in a match wherein the fortunes changed like the fluctuations of a kaleidoscope, earned a try through tho tremendous speed of W. A. Stewart, and that being converted, gave tho expatriated fifteen a bare but a delectable victory. It was a never-to-bo-forgotten try, the Tasninnian sprinting well-nigh the length of the field, and leaving n single kick to produce a goal. Stewart looks like proving a rare acquisition to Scotland. His pace may win any game, but he is not merely a speed merchant; as a, member of, the Selection Committee of England said to us the other day: 'Stewart knows the game.' "

In view of the past unsuccessful attempts that have been mado by Unions to the Now Zealand Rugby Union for reinstatement of Northern League players, the following paragraph from an English paper is interesting:—The Cumberland Rugby Union, at a meeting at Carlvle recently, Mr D. X. Pape, of Keswick, in tho chair, decided that tho county representative upon the Rugby Union (Mr S. B. Pearson, of Carlisle) should bring before the latter body applications for reinstatement received by tlie Cumberland Lnion from three former Northern Union players—E. Scott and F. Sewell, Coekcrmouth, and E. Rickerby, Silloth. It is stated that all throe players were only sixteen years of age when they too part in games under the Northern I'rtion rules, and that this was, in the cases of Scott and Sewell, fourteen years ago, and in that of Rickerby three years ago. footballers will hear with regret of tlie misfortune that has befallen that splendid ex-New Zealand and Australian representative, Tom Pauling, for years past a most popular Sydney police officer. Mrs Frances Emily Pauling, of Leichardt, died "last week at the Lewisham Hospital, blood poisoning having set in from the prick of a needle. Deceased was the wife of Detective Thomas Pauling, one of the finest Rugby forward players New Zealand ever sent to Australia. She leaves four children.

The New South Wales Rugby Union has decided to ask New Zealand to join in inviting a British team to visit Australasia in 1915, and a South African team in 1916.

The New South Wales Rugby Union adopted the secretary's recommendation regarding an Imperial Rugby Council, comprising representatives of all Rugbv-playing countries. The scheme is the outcome of a conference of the secretary with the South African and New Zealand representatives in England.

The local Referees' Association has | gained a valuable member in Mr Atkinson, who was transferred from Wellington last year. I understand he did a good deal of refereeing last season in tlio Empire City. His control of the game last week was excellent in every way. Whilst quick to detect all breaches, he was not continually stopping the game, and the play was kept fast and interesting. _He was also prompt with his decisions, and kept well up with the game throughout. Old Boys continued their success by defeating Christchurch in a good game in which the plav of the winners was more sound all through. The side showed better combination between the backs and forwards than did the older club, who are not so formidable in the front division as last year. The Christchurch hacks, however, should show to better advantage later in the season. Linwoods forwards showed improvement, and the side found little difficulty in defeating Sydenham. _ The Linwood backs were better than in the opening game, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Canterbury College have evidently realised that they can play football, for tliev simply walked all over Albion, chiefly through the aid of tlie_ forwards, who were quick and clever in action. The College backs, too, did solid work. I was surprised at the, poor showing of the Albion side, because I was of opinion that it would he hard to beat; but there is at present very little combination, and several of the players are " short of a gallop." I was pleased to notice G. D. Grc? again in the team. I was informed that there was nothing to write home about in the Marists-Merivale game. The older club had out a new set of backs, who were an improvement on those tried in the first game, hut the rearguard is not yet satisfactory. Marists have not apparently made much improvement on last year's play. One of my correspondents wants to know whether football is a purely English game or not. Probably not. Anyway, I came across a statement the other day to the effect that modern football is a direct descendant of an ancient Roman game called ' harpastum," in which the object of the ers on each side was to seize the ball and carry it, by some means or other, across a line marked on the ground in the rear of their opponents. The game must be pretty ancient in England, however, for as long ago as 1349 Edward 111. passed a statute ordering the sheriffs to suppress football in England, and thirty-five years previously to that Edward 11. issued a proclamation forbidding the populace 'to hustle over large halls" in the streets of the City of London. Rugby, of course, is of English evolution; as witness the following inscription from a monument to the memory of William W. Ellis:—" Tins stone commemorates the exploit of "William. "Webb Ellis, who with a fine disregard for the rules of football, as played in his time, first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, thus originating the distinctive feature of the Rugby game. A.D., 1823."