PASTIMES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VI, Issue 305, 28 May 1896, Page 2

PASTIMES.

[By

Vigilant.]

FOOTBALL. RUGBY UNIONS CHAMPIONSHIP CALENDAR. NORTH ISLAND. AUCKLAND. Fibst and Second Fifteens, May 30—Ponsonby v. Newton, Parnell v. City, North Shore v. Suburbs. June 6 —Ponsonby v. North Shore, Parnell v. Newton, Grafton v. City. June 13 —Ponsonby v. Suburbs, Parnell v. North Shore, Grafton v. Newton. June 20—Parnell v. Suburbs, Grafton v. North Shore, City v. Newton. OHINEMURI. May 30 —Waitekauri v. Paeroa, at Paeroa. June 6—Waihi v. Karangahake, at Waihi. Junior matches in the snme rotation, one week later. WELLINGTON. Seniob. May 30 —Wellington v. Melrose, Park No. 1; Petone v. Athletic, Park No. 2. June 6 —Petone v. Melrose, Petone No. 1; Wellington y. Poneke, Park No. 1. SOUTH ISLAND. DUNEDIN. May 30—Kaikorai v. Union, on the North Ground ; Dunedin v. Pirates, at Carisbrook; Zingari-Richmond v. University, at Tahuna Park; Alhambra v. Caversham, on the Caledonian Ground. June 6 —Kaikorai v. University, at Bishopscourt; Dunedin v. Zingari-Riehmond, on ground to be arranged; Alhambra, v. Union, at Opoho; Caversham v. Pirates, at St. Clair. June 13—Kaikorai v. Dunedin, at Bishopscourt; Alhambra v. Pirates, at Carisbrook; Zingari-Richmond v. Caversham, at Montecillo ; Union v. University, at Tahuna Park. June 20—Kaikorai v. Zingari-Richmond, on ground to be arranged; Dunedin v. jCaversham, at St. Clair; Alhambra v. University, at Tahuna Park; Union v. Pirates, at Carisbrook. June 27—Kaikorai v. Alhambra, at Carisbrook ; Dunedin v. Union, on the Caledonian Ground; ZingariRichmond v. Pirates, at Montecillo ; Caversham v. University, at St. Clair. The Senior Championships. Fine weather greeted the continuation of the championship fixtures at Potter’s Paddock, Epsom, on Saturday last, and a large number of spectators were present to witness the play, the match in which the bulk of the public interest was centred being that between Parnell and Grafton on i\o. 1 Ground. The results of the contests played by the two clubs had led enthusiasts to believe that a real good game would be witnessed, and many even questioned the ability of Parnell to win, but in this apparently all were entirely at sea, as the maroons came out on top by 24 points to 5. City scored very comfortably over Ponsonby by 38 points to nil, though it must not be forgotten that the latter club only put twelve men in the field; while Newton ran away from Suburbs by 33 to nil, but in this case the outlying district was handicapped by having to play several juniors. The following are the particulars : — PARNELL v. GRAFTON. Mr Parker acted as referee in this match, which was contested on No. 1 Ground. Sterling, for Grafton, set the ball rolling. The maroons settled down to work m a most determined manner, the several fine passing runs initiated by the back division calling for much favourable comment, and, taking the game from end to end, the old cracks were on the aggressive during the major portion of the afternoon, those most prominent in these fine dashes being Jervis, Ronayne, Elliott, Taylor, and Edmonds. If anything, the dashing play of the Grafton vanguard compared favourably with that of the front division, but they were not supported by the backs, who, until well into the second spell, did not manage to get off any passing runs worthy of mention. The old warhorse, F. Jervis, was again to the front, securing no less than three of Parnell’s tries, one of which he converted himself. The others were obtained by Whitley, Ronayne, and Evitt; and Murray converted in two instances. Clayton scored the try for Grafton, and Lusk converted.

PONSONBY v. CITY.

This contest was fought out on No. 2 Ground, with Mr Katterns as referee, and in this all-important role he gave every satisfaction. The Ponsonbyites, evidently disgusted with the previous Saturday’s play, couldn’t put a full team in the field, only a dozen of their men turning up, which resulted in their forward team being completely over-run by the City vanguard. The fine passing runs brought off by the City threequarters (Absolum, Surman, and Smith) were the best seen on the football field this season, and the opposing backs were unable to withstand the onslaught; in fact, the City men galloped over the line so repeatedly that the western represen-

tatives got tired of stopping them. Two half hours were played without an interval, and when the whistle sounded to cease, the Cityites were victors by 38 points to nil. Smith and Absolum scored three tries each, Surman a couple, and Creagh and Oliphant one each, four of which were converted. SUBURBS v. NEWTON. In this match the Newton fifteen were almost as success ful as their City brethren, they running over Suburbs to the tune of 33 points to nil. The outlying district managed to place a team in the field, the bulk of which, however, were juniors, who of course found it impossible to make a stand against the superior allround play and fine combination of a team of Newton’s calibre. From the jump the Suburbs men were penned in their own twenty-five, and were kept there nearly the whole of the afternoon, a result that gives little interest to spectators, who were, however, treated to one or two instances of individual merit on the part of the Suburbanites, more particularly in. the case of McPike, who played a sterling game. The winning team crossed the line on no less than nine occasions, the scores being—Siddle 3, A. H. Freeman 2, C. Freeman, Murray, Roberts, and Hobson one each. Three of the tries were converted.

Ponsonby 11. beat City 11. by six points to nil on Saturday, two tries obtained by E Wilson. In the Napier v. Caledonian senior football match, played on the Recreation Ground last Saturday, the former won by 16 to 8. ’ On Saturday next another afternoon’s good sport should be witnessed. As the season proceeds enthusiasts are beginning to get somewhere near the form of the various teams; this infuses excitement into the club “ barracker,” and then the fun begins. The games to be decided are Ponsonby v. Newton, Parnell v. City, North Shore v. Suburbs. Through tram fare to Potter’s Paddock and admission to ground, one shilling. An Association football club has been formed at Coromandel. At Parawai (Thames) on Saturday last, the Rover and Nelson teams met, and the game resulted in a win for the Rovers by three points to nil, after a close contest. The Paeroa and Karangahake teams met at Paeroa on Saturday last, and after a well-contested game Karangahake won bv six to four. D. Gage is not looked upon as the “ Davey” of old by Wellington football writers. Perhaps Gage has seen his best day, but he can still play football with most of ’em.

F. J. Cowlishaw, one of the most prominent of Canterbury Rugbyites, and an oarsman of the first water, is giving up the good old winter game, in fact, retiring from the athletic arena. The Devon Rugby Committee (says an English paper) has tried a new method of putting a stop to “ referee baiting” by punishing the spectators direct instead of through the club. It is impossible for clubs to control the tongues of excited spectators; in fact, any measures in this direction can only be attempted after the mischief is done. The custom of partially ruining a club by shutting up its ground, and disarranging its fixtures and those of three or four other clubs, is, in many quarters, held to be scarcely fair, and’ it may be that the Devon Union has solved a difficult problem. The new method is, briefly, a tax on the spectator’s purse, the club being compelled to double the admission fee to their next match, which will have the effect of keeping out the roughest element, whilst orderly spectators, for the sake of their own pockets, will be induced in future to assist in subduing any hostile demonstration against the referee. The case which has given occasion for this decision occurred at Barnstaple, a portion of the crowd hooting the decisions of the referee and making insulting observations to him. The County Committee recognised that the club officials had taken the best means possible to quell the disturbance, and therefore adopted this novel punishment, which, however, would better fit the crime if the tax had been enforced for a month instead of for one match only. Of course, the severity of the penalty could be increased by enforcing a treble or even quadruple admission fee. The Star Club, of Inve rcargill, intend touring the colony with a team.