FOOTBALL

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume VIII, Issue 402, 7 April 1898, Page 7

FOOTBALL

[By

Vigilant.]

E. Fookes, late of New Plymouth, played for Yorkshire against Cumberland on January 29th, and dropped a goal and secured a try, his side winning by a dropped goal and three tries to a goal and try. On the following Saturday Fookes played for England against Ireland.

The Auckland Rugby Union hold their annual meeting on Thursday, the 14th.‘ The good old Rugby game is already being freely discussed in local athletic circles, and before many weeks have passed over our heads we shall hear the cheery cry of “ This way, sir, to the football, all aboard for Potter’s Paddock.” Judging by present indications we are going to have a lively season all round, and already we hear of new men having settled in our various districts. Parnell will, it is said, have the services of Thompson (Canterbury rep), Lawes (Hawke’s Bay), and Sampson (Waikato), while Ponsonby expect to enroll that promising threequarter back, Harrison, of Wairoa. The interprovincial fixtures to be decided at Auckland this year will be against Wellington, Taranaki, and Canterbury. The Wellington and Otago Unions are moving in the direction of the removal of the disqualification of the three members of the late N.Z. team for misconduct while at Auckland.

The Wellington Rugby Union’s annual report shows that last season was a satisfactory one. Out of the nine matches played, only those against Auckland and Wairarapa were lost. The next annual contests with Canterbury and Wairarapa will be played in Wellington. So far as is known, these will be the only borne fixtures. It is Wellington’s turn to visit Auckland, Taranaki, and Hawke’s Bay. Should the Otago Union make the fixture with Wellington an annual one, the Wellington Union will have to seriously consider the question of abandoning matches with some of the smaller unions, as financially it is not strong enough to play all and sundry. ±he receipts were £572, and the expenditure amounting to £567.

North Shore Association footballers were the first in the field with a practice match on the other side last Saturday.

On March 30 (writes our Napier correspondent) the Pirates Football Club held their annual meeting, which was largely attended. Mr J. H. Swan was voted to the chair. A balance-sheet, showing a substantial credit balance, was read and adopted. The election of officers with the following result took place President, Mr C. M. Whittington; vice-presidents, Messrs A. E. Eagleton, S. Crowther, M. Ryan. E. Schwabe, J. Sinclair, C. Siddells, F. Moeller, A. Cohen, and W. S. Taylor; club captain, Mr J. H. Swan; field captain, Mr F. Tankard; deputy captain, Mr B. Williams ; secretary, Mr W. McCarthy ; committee, Messrs Brophy, Maicon, Firth, Strickland, and Connell; delegates to Rugby Union, Messrs J. H. Swan and W. McCarthy ; delegate to Sports Protection Society, Mr W. McCarthy. Ten new members were elected. It was decided that the club co-operate with the Te Ante Club, and endeavor to get the Rugby Union to open the season earlier than upon preceding years. The first practice of the season wes fixed for Saturday, the 16th of April, at Farndon Park.

The New Zealand Rugby Union’s annual report, referring to the proposed visit of an English team to the colonies, states that the terms sketched out by the New South Wales Union were not such as the committee considered it advisable to accept. The matter, however, had not yet assumed a sufficiently definite shape to enable the committee to speak authoritatively on chances of an English team visiting New Zealand. Apropos of the punishment of certain members of the New Zealand team for a flagrant breach of good conduct while in Auckland, the committee urges that the Rugby game is dependent for its welfare on the interest taken in it by the public and press. It impresses on the affiliated unions the necessity for assisting the New Zealand Union in every way possible so as 10 prevent the occurrence of such an incident as that alluded to, and thus preserve the great interest displayed by the public in the game. The season’s operations show a profit of £59.