"TEDDY" ROBERTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1824, 9 August 1913, Page 12

"TEDDY" ROBERTS.

SHORT SKETCH OF HIS CAREER,

Few footballers have climbed to the top. of -th'a Rugby ladder as rapidly as E. Roberts, the Athletic half-back., As .recently as 1908 he was eligible fov fifthclasS football, yet to-day he has reached international standard, and is shortly to proceed with the New Zealand team to California. Roberts is a native of Wellington, and is a son of Mr. Harry Roberts, of the Government Printing: Office, -'Whcr, in his dayi^wns'bnieW'tho soundest Rugby players known. ■ -Naturally, footbail! came easy to the son,' and he firstdoained ,the jersey for Brooklyn School, where he was educated under Mr, Hopkirk. ■■ ' 'V '' It was in 1906 that the littlo-half-back first played in tho Wellington Union's oantets. He was then a member of the Brooklyn Football Club, which had a team in the fifth-class chanipionship. Nrat season he and liis brother Harry threw dn their lot with the St. James Club. ■ -Teddy was in the thirdi fifteen that year, but 'his-play appears li> nave attracted favourable, attention, for on one . occasion during.' the season ho.' was -called upon to fill a gap, in the senior ranks. Irish' promotion seems to have beeii given to him the following year, for the recordis show;.thatrhe was a: member of the 'fifth-class team.' .' But merit told', and half-way through' tile season he was permanently transferred to : the senior ■fiftcOTi. Right through tho 1909 season, Mo-berts was the St. James half; but he did not gain representative honours until tlite following winter/when it was generally recognised that his sterling all-round play, was mainly responsible for the position. St. James reached in the inter-elub matches. His first representative venture .was against the Marlborough B team, and then, after playing'for the A team on tour, he returned to Wellington, l and handed tho ball out to the backs on tho memorable occasion when Wellington registered 60 points against Southland. Before the season closed, he had played for the North Island team, St. James had Roberts's help for tho last time in 1911, ■ when lie again gained. representative honours;- Last year ho joined the Athletic Football Club". Roasons for the change are not generally stated, but are generally understood. Results of the eliange were'a gain to Athletic and a distinct loss to. St, James. Athletic won, tlio .championship foT ,tho eecond time .in succession, and their . half-back played ■with the Wellington representatives on tour and at home, and also, played in the inter-island match. During tho prosent winter ho lias again been very successful .behind the Athletic sorum, has played with the representative team on all occasion, s, .acted as half for the Ntort.h Island team, and been selected for th<vteam to tour California. Altogether, he has represented Wellington on 19 different occasions and' North Island on three occasions.

Football is not the only snort in which he'has achieved success. Until two seasons ago lie figured on the cricket fiKlld as keeper for Central District Club, and represented Wellington •on different occasions against' Canterbury and Armstrong's Australian -team. A,gainst Cuntorburv, it was his fine stand with U-p----hnm that practically, won the match. As has bren said in these columns before. the play of the crack half-back is marked by originality, versatility, and bead wor]<. His strict attention to training has contributed materially to lii.s success, and his modesty about it all has won hi.ni frionds on and off tho firild. Last of all, there is tho fact to bo mentioned that he is not a smoker—nor a drinker of Strang liquor.