LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1440, 15 May 1912, Page 10

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

WERE RUGBY JIEX APPROACHED? INDIGNANT DENIAL. (By Tciesraph.-Press Association.) Auckland, May 11. A Press Association telegram from Gisborne stated that A. P. Kaipara and G. Ryland, the well-known Poverty. Bar backs, had been invited, on behali of the New Zealand Rugby League, to join the team which will travel to Australia next month. That such an invitation has been extended is emphatically denied by Mr. D. \\\ M'Ltan, president ot the New Zealand League. "No invitation of that kind has been authorised or is likely to be authorised by the Managing Council of the league," said Mr. M'Lean. "I am sure that no member of the council has made an offer of that kind individually. If a member has done so we would like him lo resign. Such methods of eonuring players me not countenanced by us—we get plenty without Hint, and wo are out lor dean sport. We lire rot professionals. 'J'hat'n an old boacy." Another member of !he council who made a similar stateini'iil added that the iciiKiif- had always .set its fan- agaiusl j;ettiiii! recruits by pnmiisi-i of {rips or other induceiißMits of that l;iml. Apart from the unsportsiinuilikc slaiulpoint, such a policy would cause ill-feeling among Hie league's present players. Men who played the Northern Union eame in New Zealand had to rest theif claims to inclusion in representative teams on their merits ns league players alone. This mcinbcr of the council also controverted statements which have been made that tlin payment of sums of money had lioou authorised fo induce prominent ltngby players lo join the league.