FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1461, 8 June 1912, Page 12

FOOTBALL.

CBi Aristobtjiiu'S.] . ..Affairs,in Hawke's Bay—An Indignant i Correspondent. ' A Napier correspondent writes: Tho /attitude of the management of tho, .Hawko's Bay Union is, very peculiar this ■■season,-(is to < League players participat..ing. in Rugby football at Napier. Tho position that is allowed is as follows:— Northern' Union players can play Rugby one Saturday, and League tho next, by •permission of the Rugby Union, and also they receive permission without asking the New Zealand Rugby Council. 'Last Saturday two Lengus players who represented Hawke's Bay Northern Union j League against Auckland at Napier two, seasons back, also played all last season, at the League game, and part of this season, was granted permission by tho Rugby authorities to play. The outcome is ' a protest from the club that they played against. This, I contend, should bo" enough to disqualify tho leading officials of Rugby iit Napior. This matter is to be kept quiet by the Rugby officials, but tho club intends to refer the point on to tho Now Zealand Rugby Union, v An official of tho Hawko's Bay Rugby Union approached some junior players to play Rugby after they have played the League game. His remark was: "Make a personal application to me, and all is well.-Ton liavo no need to refer tho mutter to Wellington." Tho clubs at Napier who havo played League plnyors, are as follow:—Marist Brothers' senior team and Pirates; I will also includo the Marist Brothers' junior and.third teams, who have each played a Northern Union player.' But air this: is allowed, as tho official of the Rugby Union lias weight. The attitude taken up by the Hastings SubUnion in barring a League player from Rugby is the correct position, according to the English . Rugby Union rules. I think tho New .Zealand Rugby Union 'should stop in, as in Napier they will have all their players disqualified if this ■ situation is allowed to continue.—l am, etc., .RUGBY. l\ Back Named Nuku. Only thing remaining to bo remarked about the representative match against Rotqrua Natives is that Nuku played in it. Ho is a rather interesting aud picturesque sort of football eel; and can slip through a lot of tackling. In 1906-7 ha figured as outside five-eighths in the Otago University fifteen, which (.trained by Dr. J. W. W. Hunter, of Dunedin) went very close to reviving .the glory of ancient football. Njiku was then one of a very fine lot of swift backs, and by no means'the best. The team has now long, been scattered, but cjna (Colin .Gilray) is now located somewhere 'along the banks of : , "old Father Thames." As he was a Rhodes scholar, his preciso locality at present will probably be Oxford. Athletic Club Leaguers. '■

Athletic have a bye this week, and are .. not worried therefore at the moment ~ about seceders to the League. They havo . lost Irvine and Kelly already, and the :. League people promise- the club men somo • surprises when tho next batch of secessions , aro announced. . ; '- Irvino will bo a rather serious loss in ' the Black and Blue.scrum. His place will .'/probably be taken by Smith, a Blenheim ■ player of some repute in his own town. '. Kelly's loss will not be so seriously felt, ; for the club has in reserve three useful .'. backs in H. Roberts, M'Donald, and S. ", Wilson. It is stated definitely that League '' agents approached three other prominent .' Athletic players, who, however, turned down tho proposal that they, should play tho professional game. Asi a matter of fact, there does not seem to be much in the golden offers being mado to the local .amateurs. One of fjhe most alluring prospects which the recruiting agents of tho new gamo are making tho most of is that of a trip to England. But first of all a New Zealand team would have to show value as a drawing card at Home before the offer of a visit from them could be entertained by tho Northern Union. New Zealand would be required to beat Australia, ' for instance, and they havo no earthly chance of doing that just yet. The English League needs money, and therefore needs gates; they do not run their showto encourage young men out here to play football. An Enthusiast for Petone. Mr. J. Hooper, a very old supporter of tho Petone Club, has journeyed all the ' -way from Waikato to see the PetoneOriental match to-day. There's enthusiasm if you like! Mr. Hooper has made several trips of a like nature before, but, unfortunately, on each occasion the I'etone men have gone down. On the general law of averages, he may have better fortune today.