FOOTBALL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11445, 30 December 1904, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

• The final selection of ; the Ne\* Zealand ' «team->-SEoE England is, expected to be made': Tliat famous Welsh Chib Swansea,which an irate British footballer warned, the New Zealanders to beware of lest they be annihilated, w^re^npotQ thej time of the departure 6$ the mail, the - ' Undisputed champions pf: Wales, 3?hey had played seven matches. and won thejn: all, scoring 123 points and having only 14 points - (- scored against them. ... : Mr G. H. Dixon has been nominated by" the Wellington Rugby Union for the position of .manager , of the New Zealand teamr to tour Gjreat Britain.-^ , , '. It is not generally known that the . players 'selected to makV the trip to England next year will have 'to undergo a< strict medical examination before being , • finally-included in the team. . s AptQpQS, a medical gentleman in Dunedin has written the N.Z.R-.U. offering fco : examine any- player in .Ms district for the New ' Zealand team free "of charge. Messrs W. J, Stead and E. Hughes, of i Invercargill, have intimated to the NewZealand Rilgby Union that they will 'be? able to accompany the N.Z. team to Eng-' land in 1905, if chosen. The Canterbury backs, Harper and,Deans, have advised the New Zealand TJnfen that they can make the.trip to Eng-'' land ft; finally selected. 1 "" ; v. A*' Dxinedin, writer 'say^-^lf footballers^ in Wellington 'aie^po^mucßi perturbed over u,the n'on-iflclusion .of Calnan^rn the 53 men. J selected as\thl| basis" r of ''the' Ngw, Zealand j team to visit England next year, wSy not. we over the non-inclusion of Bennet? The" Englishmen gave Bfirnet the palm as be^ &{*• tM finesi/'aftacking centre three-quarv terthey nad met in "the^colony. Apart from , the testimony of Bedell-Sivright and Co.v" we know what the Otago man ia capable, of doing. Yet; we rais^ no storm of pro- ( test and no indignation nieetings. O£' Course, we in the 1 south do not take our-, selves bo seriously over football as do ou»' brethren in the north; but it appears to- 1 me that in the case of Bennet's non-inclu-V -^ottj^ght'^i^^y^^]^^^^^? $ reason. Certainit id that the Otafo"player • is deserving io£av^)lace •Jttitb^^r,Zi > gfeainc«^. a footballer and a man. ~" ""