FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 207, 26 May 1908, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

THE BRITISH TEAM. ; , ■ TO MORROW'S MATCH AGAINST . .•-' WELLINGTON. ' S The British football team returned from Masterton yesterday morning. :'.'.A ; practice was held at the Athletic, Park in the. afternoon, about one hundred spectators-gather-ing to watch the visitors. The forwards were drilled in passing runs up and down 'the field, and the backs were occupied mostly in passing and kicking practice.. . . ' The visitors are to be taken over- to Day's Bay this momine, and will hold a practice on the hockey grounds."j In the afternoon the visitors • and a number of friends and officials of the New. Zealand Union will ba entertained at afternoon tea in the pavilion by , Mrs. G. F. C. Campbell, wife of the President of the New Zealand TJnion.- V • A great;deal of interest is being shownin the match , between the .'Britishers: and the Wellington representatives, which is to ; take, place at the Athletic Park to-morrow afters noon. Over 1100' five-shilling tickets liave boon sold for the, reserved stand, 1 leaving about 100 stiU open fo'r sale. This. bos : plan for the supplementary stands was opened yestorday morning, l when tliere was ,'a .big run on the 3s. tickets..,, . DEPARTMENTAL' MATCHES." ; The Tax, Valuation, and Adyances Departmonts, defeated .the Treasury "and Audit Departments yesterday by 8 to 3V A. Hill and Paul scored for the winners, Dixon converting one of the tries. Joyce kicked a penalty goal for'the, losers.. , The Public Trust .and Government..lnsur-: ance Departments also met.. '.After a,'hard contest, Government Insurance ..won by - 5 to nil., Arnold scored a try, which. Varcoe, casx vcrtedi ' ; r ■'*'.) ■ '; t : COUNTRY MATCHES. (FBOM ODE SPECIAL COEEESEONnENT.) Shannon) May 25. i Shannon Seniors were .defeated on Satuiw day, at Manakau, ;by Hui .Mai by 28 pointa to nil. For Shannon, Tannahijl was-tlie best, i.Rob.inMin; and - ; KelJy. »lso play'ed • woU. Kellyj' unfortunately, had. his arm put out. Amongst,'tho backs Timms, Broughton,. and Roos. showed good form.' For thofwin-'. ners, Ned Bevan, Gobo,' Roputa, and Andorson played, well. . : . The local . Juniors' were'.'SefeitM 6y.'Wai»" kanao, at Shannon, by 17 points' to'nil. 1 Tho losers' forwards made a poor show against' the Waikanae pack,, who secured the ball every time. Y/aikanao'a -back division showed food combination. Linehan' played well for hannou fopwards, • and Stowell showed, good form amongst the backs., Watts, follftwed up well, and showed a; good eiample : to'••'the others.- Some of the Shannon forwarfis were playing witliout.boots; '■•■., ■' :•' Otakl, ,May 25; ; ■ ' The Kia' Toa Junior footballers"playedf. a, Ij-eavy ' team of Hui Mai (Jlanakau) oil' Saturday, and won -by 9 points to nili- 'The latter ."team included - several of last "year's' Seaiiors, but the redoubtable Black, and Whites proved t-oo superior in the finer points of the game: - They»handled the ball in fine style, and kicked with good judgment. Their scrum tactics .were also admired..,, ft ._

• . • • i, • ; • - •- : :• v ... THE MAORI TEAM. - 1 . (ft TEr.Eaß4.rn—puess association.) Auckland, May-25. - Tlio Maori football team leaves for. Sydnej. to-night under the management of Mr. A. Ashen Four chiefs accompany the team, ,r REFEREES' ASSOCIATION. ; 1 ; , ' The weekly meeting of * tho Wellington Referees' Association was ? held in.'Annit's Rooms last evoning, ; Mr. H. Card'r'presid. ill";. ; \ • m The New Zealand Referees' Ask>ciation wrote asking for the names ireferees eligible and available to act" in inter-union matches and game's against the British team. It was resolved to forward tlie list of senior roferejs. • r .. : .. The secretary informed the"meeting that the suggested conference between the Association and the members, of the; British team would in all probability not take place,-the Britishers being unable to attend.- during their present stay in 'Wellington; ( ' . Mr. Peter Mackay, who refereed in Saturday's match againist the visitors, considered that it was rather a pity that the-fcisitors could not find time for the conference).as it : would give them a good idea ofuthc'; way the rules are interpreted by New, ipa}<md referees. With the exception-of one; oritwo points, they had. little to learn ; asi far* as Saturday's play showed, '.but it i.WQidd.{]be as well for them to understand .tbeso/poiitts, at once. , It would certiiiily.be better'for.-a. referee, who liked to feel that the , players, understood the rules he .' was. interpreting.! The principal source of trouble on Saturday he found to be the off-side'rule, which : he" proceeded to : detail. , In passing rushes the visitors considered that when a man receiving tho bal* took it in front of tho,maii paissing it a scrum for a throw forward should be givon in place of a free , kick for off-side. The scrum work would always be a' source of trouble as long as one side packed i two men in the front and the other side three men. . ' ;v . : " ; Undor the circumstances, the secretary was empowered to drop the suggested conference. . • _ Fixtures and appointments for next Saturday will bo tho same as were set down for last Saturday. It was decided to appoint a referee,'for the Wholesale v. Retail • Softsgoods. match on June 3. , . ,' Captain Harding, of tho British team whoso ankle was injured in tho match a ' Masterton on Saturday, expects to bo abk to assist his side against Wellington to-mor-row. The swelling has not quito subsided yot. ; ' ■ -, SOUTH CANTERBURY TEAM. ' (BY TELEGRAPH— HtEBS ASSOCIATION'.). Timaru, May 25. Tho team to represent. South Canterbury against the British footballors; will bo chosen from the ' following :--D. .Scott, O'Dowd, Bradley, O'Leary, Coles, {Grant, Roddick, Rodgcrs, Budd, Jlclkin, Fitzgo'rald, W. Scott, Carlton, Hooper, .Lister* Priest, V. Scott, J. Green, and : A;' Scott. - , .• , ■