PROGRESS OF SPORT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 615, 18 September 1909, Page 13

PROGRESS OF SPORT.

. —. o —_ INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL. i NEW ZEALAND'S NEW RIVALS ACTIVE. j (Bv H. T. B.'diiewO i New Zealand is likely in the not very . ■ distant future to have more Rugby battles ! to fight than thdso in prospect with Great > Britain, if sho desires to uphold tiro supro--1 macy of the football world. The progress of ' sport in European countries is really remark- . ablo. Even tbo inhabitants of these countries i themselves cannot refrain from' calling : pointed attention to it. A few years ago , it was quito different, sport and games— ! except, perhaps, horse-racing—being regarded as outside the prerogatives of a serious citizen. The '"recent action of the German 1 Emperor was only the re-sult of the movement towards the adoption of-British ga'mes, not only by his own subject's, but by the people 'of France, Italy, Switzerland, and Holland. Now,.as you travel about tho Continent, everywhere you see "flamors" announcing some kind or other of sporting engagement. The papers alio.give space for sporting columns. Tho windows of shops ■■ which sell sporting requisites generally ho'd the attention of congregations •of people, and boys kick little balls about the city streets. . Boxing is 0110 of tho exercises becoming most, popular, nnd frequently I havo noticed tho names of English instructors figuring In announcements. To-day, entering the Y.M.C.A. at Home, one of the first sights witnessed was an encounter- between a couple . of follows with . gloves. . Until recently tho ' , thought of hitting a' man' with' the fist has been repugnant on the Continent, and such behaviour has been hold to bo tho special right, in the ordinary common cense, of tho Britisher. This, is a right that is also recognised by the Eastern tribes, as men who travel amongst them .will re-late. It has proved an excellent, form of- argument whero tho terms of a contract wero concerned, especially with Arabs. , ■' mien travelling' to England on a German boat it was ludicrous to see , the display made by some German navals with .'ho gloves, men, however, who were all export at other gymnastic games. A little Welshman, quito a bantam-weight (who owned the gloves) could,, whip the lot of them, and did. Yet they were extremely anxious to learn tho "noblo aft." ' . But to return to football. Tho game most generally played oh the Continent, at present is Association, and so far as I could see during tho course of ah international contest, ill which teams from Holland, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy wore engaged,',the' players . woro all of comparatively poor physique. Porhaps this accounted for tho adoption of Soccer. But there is also the additional' factor that British Association teams havo frequently given displays at Continental centres, and created enthusiasm. Especially has this been so in France, though some French sports despair, of their country ever producing a crack football team. I ■fancy it , only requires a good rousing Rugby cnisado in the countries mentioned to pivo that game even greater popularity ; than Soccer. In Italy this should bo especially so, where tho men are of finer physiquo, and tho desiro for individual fame burns strongly. Rugby is played pretty well wherever Soccer is played, but* - among generally a select few, principally Englishmen, or young follows-who have'studied in ' England: Tho public have not been educated up te it.,, It would give ■an extraordinary fillip to. the gamo if a New Zealand team, en route to' England, were/to take tho alternate route from Naples—overlanU—arid.- pass through Switzerland, and stop ■ at, Geneva, cay, to meet certain teams. Geneva has an enthusiastic Rugby .body, and an excellent ground, and can produce a good healtygate out of its 60,000 or 70,000 city inhabitants. It was hare, this year, that.the Soccer Con- ';■ tincntal internationals woro played, and tho ' increased popularity of the sport was shown by Uio largo attendances. Five year's ago, I wos informed; not lialf-a-dozwi people'would, ' havo stood oh' the side-lines; • ■ .' '■''* r In time, ns the Rugby game progressed, ; return visits cpuld, perhaps,, be obtained : from Continental clubs te New Zealand. It . would .add greatly to tho distinction of our oountry if we- could say we wero, champions by right of separate conquest, not only, of . the best combinations of-Britain, but of the nations of the world 1 And since there is this rovival of sport in Europe, why should it not beP Many-foreigners, who kiiow absolutely' nothing about New Zealand mutton, or New Zealand butter and politics, know- that we aro tho country of the "All Blacks."' This is no idlp statement, indeed. Cycling between Hyc-rs and Cannes, I stopped nt the top of 'a:, fatiguing rido at a cafe, nnd, hearing my bad-French,, a couple of fine,- big.foreigners, who ■ had wccittly: arrived in , a motor-car, kindly asked if they could bo of assistance. From that we drifted into conversation, "and thoy, as usual, becamo enthusiastic - over sport, and its connection with tho English. I confessed I knew less than they did about sport in England, but added that I oariie , from a British colony—-New Zealand. They discussed, in their.own tongue, where New. -. Zealand was, and' then ono of them burst out: "Why, that, is ze countrco of zo 'All Blacks,' of)? So, so, just fnncee zat!" It was quite a. distinction.-and tho French gentlemen were, extremely desirous of learning all about the gnnio in New Zealand. A' word about , thu Soccer play. That witnessed in the international games _■ at Geneva was of ivory ordinary description, ' not a whit superior te the displays frequently' seen in inter-club matches,in New Zealand oities. , Holland aud Switzerland seemed to . produce tho better, teams. Italy, as already stated,.is essentially'., a "Rugby .country; Soccer is too gentle for: her. The Germans woro a physically poor lot, though they drew their gamo with Italy., The Swiss, perhaps, made the best showing as "sports." T-he spectators, on tho whole, ,were very cold, not knowing sufficient about tho finer points of tho game to beepmo demonstratively enHolland ultimately won! But ono of tho most picturesque games of football one could ever witness was at Jerusalem. It was played'on a hard clay ground at the back,of the English College, not many' yards from the placo known as the Groen Hill, held by some to be Calvary, but now the site of a Mohammedan cemetery. _ Tho scenic background was tho Mount of Olives, and on the right wero the walls of the ancient city. The combatants were Arabs and Assyrians, against British residents. Tho imastors of the English College werb responsible for'the instruction of the Arabs, and excellent instruction ; it had been/ I might as, well state that ultimately the English won,.but the natives raado a,great fijeht. Bough play was prohibited. !.'}t wouldn't liavo been safe "to have started a racial quarrel, I was Arab spectators bocame so excited. It was a most curious collection of spectators. Tliey stood eagerly round the touch-lines. Most woro the red fez cap, and the loose coloured pantaloons of Turkey. Here and there a dirty Bedouin Arab stood keenly interested, his brown and black robe pulled tightly round his tall figure; nnd by his side a stooping Jew, with . little distinguishing side curls, his two hands , clasping an umbrella and a book, which he would use at the wailing placo—his obvious distinction.' Fancy 1 A Jew off to tho wailing place, held spcH-bouhd , by. a football match 1 Whenever the Arabs brought off a pretty piece of wprk,' or overturned an English parson playor, tlieir small fry on tho line would fire oil numerous guns and old rifles in tho qir; and raiso their'.. peculiar Arab cries. Once a stately Mohammedan and his wife camo across the outskirts of the ground nnd the jovial ballflew straight'at'the woman and hit her in tho face; which was hidden by a coloured cloth, after tho manner of Mohammedan women. : Mohammedan husbands don't often'take their wives' ■ parts, but this old fellow flow into a great passion, nnd for n time it looked as if no would have tho blood of one nt least of tho 22 players. But, finally, ho and the incident passed off. From the barred window' of 4 neighbouring convent one could also observe curious heads poked outwards. One or two monks came down to witness tho fun. ' It was :strangc goings on that thoso old .olivo trees surrounding tho grounds ;bore testimony to. stranger than they had seen during tho odd hundreds of years of their Jives. And that the came was "tnking-on" in tho Holy City could be judged from the fafct that ask an ■ Arab boy whore 'any place was, and ho would not be nblo to understand you, but mention "football" and ho .would iiniaediately point ■ jcflit the j^rnnrfii^