SOLDIER "REPS.”

Western Star, 30 March 1917, Page 2

SOLDIER "REPS.”

WELLINGTON, March 22. Writing to me from “Somewhere in France,” on January 14, a well-known Auckland representative footballer gives interesting details of the way in which the New Zealanders keep up their interest in manly sport, and sustain the Dominion’s reputation as a particularly hard proposition to beat on the Rugby field. There was a New Zealand Rugby team playing in England at the time, but it was not apparently regarded by the soldiers in France as the last word in what could be done by the Expeditionary Force, for a team mostly comprising ex-represen-tative New Zealanders, was being trained behind the lines, in readiness for an English tour. It included four Wellington reps, four Auckland reps., five Taranaki reps., and three from the Otago reps. “They are most anxious,” remarks my correspondent, “to come to grips with the New Zealand team in England. On New Year’s day w r e had a match with an Eng lish divisional team, and put up 45, or some such score, to nothing.” The New Zealand soldier representative team is given as follows:—Wellington reps: C. King and D. Sullivan (Melrose), forwards 5 J. Moffit (Oriental), forward; W. Bell (Athletic), forward; E. Ryan (Petone), three-quarter. Auckland reps: R. Casey, T. French and G. Murray (forwards), F. A. Ross (half-back). Taranaki reps: R. Taylor (wing); Whittington (forward); J. Pin! (forward); C. Brown (half); S. Cameron (five-eighth). Otago reps: G. Scott (full-back); R. Fogarty and Cockroft (forwards).