FOOTBALL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18757, 14 April 1923, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME TO-DAY’S MATCHES. On Rec. —Pirates v Hawera. At Marton. —Marists v. Marton. At Rata. —Kaicr-au v. RataNOTES AND COMMENTS. A charge of mnepence admission is to be made for the Pirates-Hawera match en the Rec. this afternoon. * • ♦ Al the management committee's Meeting on Tuesday night, there was practically a full muster, fifteen out of the seventeen members being present. • * ♦ With the Primary Schools’ Union given one seat and a junior advisory committee of three also included, the management committee’s strength will go _up to twenty-one. which will make the executive a bit toe unweildy. Three j ears ago the management committee comprised ten onlv. ♦' • * Several friendly inter-club matches were played last Saturday afternoon, but it must be confessed that the attendance of players was not altogether satisfactory. Not a third of the senior players were seen out. and this proper tion seemed to he t lie practice strength right through the various grades.

While the subject —it was quite an intricate one too —of a junior management committee was under discussion at Tuesday night's meeting. Father Mahoney said that in previous years ft was rhe aim and ambition of lower grade players io reach the senior and representative standard, jet nowadays with trips away and ether attractions in the lower grades, there was no incentive for these players to rise to the top. They considered themselves letter off where they are.

Which remarks iat her bear out w hat was written in these columns a few weeks back. Now the junior teams are to ho represented on the management (ommittee by three delegates elected by themselves, but in the writer’s opinion it is doubtful whether any benefit will be derived through the three to be elected being allowed to sit on the ?omriiittee without voting power. However, it now behoves the delegates to see that the right men are appointed, for the trio are to act also as junior selectors and the classification committee.

It was a .wise move on the part of the union to draw up a restricted representative programme for the season. The visit to be paid to Auckland, Rotorua and Hamilton is already overdue, particularly to the first place. The dates of these matches are to be fixed up at the conference prior to t’»e N.Z.R.U. annual meeting. The union might consider challenging early ter the Ranfurlv Shield, unless, as anticipated. the holders. Hawke’s Bay, are coming to Wanganui to play. Wairarapa are to play the first match for the Shield on June 4th.

It is quite probable that a big programme of representative games will be played in Wanganui this season. Among the expected matches are: Taranaki. Otago, Southland. Nelson, South Canterbury, and Hawke’s Bay. The union should make every endeavour to arrange for a visit from the Wellington representatives, who are always 0 good draw. The big bill presented above should cause an earlj- rush on season tickets.

Ladies’ football is now an established fact at Ratana. and the Native belles are reported to play the Rugger game with great gusto, the while the delighted warriors keep the touch lines warm in foollow nig the play up and down and by their shouts aim to spur their sisters, sweethearts and wives on to valiant efforts.

A recent visit paid to Ratana by a local enthusiast was well worth the tup. and he records with enthusiasm a tiy obtained by one of the feminine exponents. who dived over the line to sooic in Moke Bellis’ most approved manlier. Perhaps the Wanganui Union will advise its selection tiio at once that there is no necessity to go to Ratana to see the “form.” e • •

By the way. Ratana Football Club have entered a senior and junior team for the Wanganui championships. Without going too deeply into the matter, one maj' be pardoned for expecting the seniors to le the masculine and the juniors th? feminines. That is. of jourse, taking it on a weight-fo r ?ge basis.

Tlie visit of a Maori team to T?ew South Wales in June ha? been arranged, and prior to this New Zealand Universities will play Sydney University a series of tests In August a representative New South Wale? State team will tour the Dominion. The local Union thou Id not let them pass Wanganui this time.

On August 5. last yeai. New Zealand already had one log in towar d victory in the rubber against N.SW.. and tlie N.S.W. Rugby Union’s assertions of wonderful improvement in standard since the Springbok invasion still remained unproven. The selectors were quite confident however, that the inolufcion of Norman Smith, on the rung, barred almost the only avenue to our goal line which the All Blacks could Traverse. Their faith was justified, for N.S.W. won the second test that day bv 14 points to 8. and on the following; Monday the rubber game for the first tune in history. The bail in play at the fciid of the second test was secured and liefore the visitors had left Sydney had been inscribed with the names of the two participant fifteens. This ball will be presented to R. C. Stanley, the University and N.S.W. centre ‘threequarter, who achieved the unique record of scoring every ong of the 14 points—three penalty goals and a converted t-y. Stanley’s record is all the more remarkable when it is recollected that in this test the State bocks.rose to their greatest heights of combination, and the tactics of Walker, Sheehan and Wogan thoroughly nonplussed the inside men “1 the Dominion. It was during the L.iir in New Zealand the previous veax that voting Stanley commenced to play outside to the veteran Larry Wogan, than whom there is no finer judge of position in attack. Both plavers are ready for the coming season. The foct--4*ll wRI be presented to Stanley at the AUigbj reunion, when the union’s new toystanvf jneuuiership ie to be launched, merely * gath-

ering of players, but a rally of all the ♦orces of the union, past and present. All the previous reps, have been invited, and it is intended permanently to rivet the link with the old days, fractured by the war. and to establish an organisation on a lasting foundation for the future. • • » The following information is for tlie perusal of club fecretaries and others concerned: Championships start- on 28th inst.: entries close next Saturday. . . Meetings of the W.R.U. Management Committee arc held each Tuesday at 7.30 p.m.: correspondence to lie dealt with at each meeting must be in the secretary’s hands hr mid-day. Meetings of referees are to be held each Monday, commencing next week. Players’ passes may now be obtained from tlie secretary. Club secretaries are notified that : .ists of teams for publication in the “Chronicle” must be handed into this office cn Thursday “afternoon or early on Thursday evenings for each Friday’s issue. (Jn no account will club teams be published on Saturdays Will all sports’ bodies please not? ?