FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 788, 11 April 1910, Page 5

FOOTBALL.

SEVEN-A-SEDE RUGBY. PETONE WINS THE TOURNAMENT. The seven-a-side' tournament which may bq termed tho official opening o-f the Rugby season in Wellington, took place at the Athletio .Park on Saturday afternoon. Although a trifle warm at first, the weather improved for football as the afternoon ivoro on, a obilly northerly springing up. Over 2000 people assembled to watch the 22 games, and tho gate receipts were £45, which sum goes to the credit of the players' accident fund. The contests were commenced in good time, and credit is due to the officials and the players for allowing no delays. The matches comprised 'two spells of seven minutes each, with one minute interval. Only one minute >vas allowed between matches, so that fresh players hod to be ready to go on to the field as soon as the whistle had sounded at tho close of the preceding game. Condition, that essential in seveh-a-side play, was not wanting on the whole, and tho matches were found, to be, as tho advertisements had predicted, "fast and exciting." Although the tournament was like a series of minor skirmishes among outposts, it served the good purpose of introducing a large number of players to ithe public, who will therefore be better able to appreciate the battles of the larger forces, which begin next Saturday. The fifth-class tournament was played first, comprising seven ; games. ' The •team representing Wellington College, a . sturdy lot-of boys, defeated Melrose, Athletic, and Petone in turn, and in the . match with the last-named team which decided the competition, they scored 22 points, forcing down once, which gave Petone their only point. The' senior competition was sternly fought, and fifteen keen exhibitions of skeleton Rugby were watched with interest. In the. semi-final between Old Boys and Poneke, neither side had scored when time was called, and tfhe match was continued for five minutes until Elliott scrambled over the Poneke line, and put Poneke into the final. It was remarkable that the two teams which had to play off were Poneke and Petone, the same teams having led in tlie championship last season. In the final, Poneke did not score, and Petone obtained 11 points. Price scored twice, and Strickland, a fast man, also got a try,"while M'Farlane converted once. The results of the matches are given below:— SENIOR.

FIRST ROUND. Wellington v. Melrose A (referee, Mr. C. Bell). —Wellington (Durie, a' try), 3 points; Melrose (a force do-wn), I point. t Old Boys v. Athletic B (Mr. Meredith). —Old Boys' (tries by Avery and Dawson, and goals by Avery and Marshall), 10 points,; Athletic, 0. • Oriental A v. St. James (Mr. F. (tries by Sullivan-and Akers, goal and penalty goal by Kinvig), ll points; St. James, 0. Poneke v. Southern (Mr. Roberts).— Poneke (try by Mowat, and goal by Neilson),s points; Southern, 0. Hutt v.. Oriental B (Mr: Spencer).— Oriental B (two tries by Reed and a try by Newton), 9 points; Hutt, 0. • Athletic A. v. Petone B (Mr. Moran). —Athletic A (tries by Osborne and Cunningham), 6 points ; Petone B, 0. St.', Patrick's. College v. Wellington College (Mr. Sievers). —Wellington College (two. tries by Stewart, a try by R-obertson, and goal by Stewart), 1 11 points; St. Patrick's College, 0.• Petone A v. Melrose B (Mr. Thomson). —Petone (three tries by Strickland, two goals by M'Farlane,' and a force down), 14 points; Melrose B, 0. SECOND ROUND. : ' Wellington v. Old Boys (Mr. Meredith). —Old Boys (tries by Avery. Alexander, and Dawson, and goal by Avery) , II points; Wellington, .0. Oriental A v. Poneße (Mr. F. Martin).—Poneke (try by Chapman)/ 3 points'; Oriental A, 0. , Oriental B v. Athletic A (Mr. Bell).— Athletic A (two tries by, Osborne,\ tries by Murray and Evenson, and goals, by Murray and Cunningham), 16 points; Oriental, B, 0. Petone A v. Wellington College (Mr. Moran). —Petone A (two tries each by Strickland and Dent, and two goals by M'Farlane), 16 points; Wellington College (try by Martin)', 3 points. SEMI-FINAL. Poneke v. Old Boys (Mr. Simpson).— Poneke (try by Elliott), 3 points; Old Boys, 0. Petone v. Athletio (Mr. Standen).— Petone (tries by M'Kenzie and Corson, and a goal by M'Farlane), 8 points; Athletio (try by Osborne),. 3 points. FINAL. Petone v. Poneke (Mr. Roberts). — Petone (two • tries "by Price, a try by' Strickland, and a goal by M'Farlane), 11 points; Poneke, 0. FIFTH CLASS. FIRST ROUND. Wellington College v. Melrose (Mr. Conder). —Wellington College (Harris, a try), 3 points; Melrose, 0. Athletic y. St. James (Mr. Church). —Athletic (two tries by Pool, a try by H. Adams, and a force down), 10 points; St. James (Bedingfield, a try), 3 points. Petone v. St. Patrick's College (Mr. Simpson).—Petone (Price, a tryj M'llvride, a try and two goals, and a force down), 11 points; St. Patrick's College, 0 Southern v. Poneke (Mr. Thomson). —Southern (tries by Hansen and Standen, and a force down), 7 points; Poneke, 0. SEMI-FINAL. Wellington Collego v. Athletic (Mr.' Martin). —Wellington College (try by Harris and a force down), 4 points; Athletic, 0. . Petone v. Southern (Mr. Standen). — Petone (tries by Bale and Hickey and goal by M'llvride), 8 points; Southern (a force down), 1 point'. FINAL. Wellington College v. Petone (Mr. Church). —Wellington College (two tries by Pearman, tries by Carr, Armstrong tcrtius, Salmon, and Baillie, and goals by Harris and Armstrong primus), 22 points; Petone (a force down), 1 point.