SAILING TO-DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1853, 12 September 1913, Page 10

SAILING TO-DAY.

THE DEPARTURE OF THE BLACKS. FOR CALIFORNIA. NOTES ON TOUR & TOURISTS. This afternoon the All Black Rugby football team sails by the Willochra for California. They will not set foot in Now Zealand again until some timo in December. Their return ivill be eariy in the Christinas month, unless tho programme is extended, but tliero seems to be a fair likelihood of extension being made. Tho Willochra. reaches Rarotonga on September' 17. calls at Papeete on September 19, leaves there 011 September 20, and readies San Francisco ou October 2. Ths Itinerary. Tho Maorilanders open battle two days later, lor this lirst appearanco they aro matched against a team from the Olympic Club, which is presumed to bo ill or about 'Frisco. On October 11 tho team plays tho first of its tlireo tests against California. The second test is set down for October 25, and tho final test for November 1. Originally it wa.: proposed by tho Americans that two . Sunday games should bo played, but the New Zealand Union objected, and tho programme was slightly altered. Following is tho full bill tho hosts havo provided:— Saturday, October 4, Olympic Club. Wednesday, October 8, California. Saturday, October 11, Barbarians. Wednesday, October 15, Stanford. Saturday, October 18, Stanford. Wednesday, October 22, Santa Clara. Saturday, October 25, California. Wednesday, October 29, Nevada. Saturday, November 1, California. Wednesday, November 5, Santa Clara. Wednesday, November 12, U.S.C. 1 Saturday, November 15, All Stars. Extra matches may bo played, and there is a cbance of tho team visiting British Columbia and playing about three matches. A Family of 24. The New Zealanders aro a family of 24, lathered by Mr. G. Mason, of Christchurch. Abo M'Donald, of Dunedin, who toured England with the 1905 All Blacks, captains tho army, and tho de-puty-captain is Frank Mitchinson, of the Poneko Club, Wellington, a member of former New Zealand teams. ■ Tho complete family is as follows: — Backs: M'Grcgor (Auckland), 'Lynch (South Canterbury), fi, Roberts (Taranaki), Gray (Canterbury), M'Kenzio (Wellington), E. Roberts (Wellington), Taylor (Canterbury),-Cut-hill -(Oiago), Stohr (Taranaki), Loveridgo (Taranaki), Mitchinson (Wellington). Forwards: Murray (Canterbury), -Sellars (Auckland), Williams (Otago), Cain (TaraMiaki), Atkinson (West Coast) ; Downing (Auckland), Dowar (Taranaki), Wylie. (Auckland). Bruco (Auckland), M'Donald (Otago), Graham (Otago), Douglas (Otago). -. Thoso who will select the team . 011 tour aro Messrs. Mason, M'Donald, Mitchinson, Gray, and Wylio Purely Amateur. No team ever left tlieso shores on a more purely amateur basis. For certain reasons tho New Zealand Union thought it wiso not to make oven a small daily , allowanco of a few shillings. The chairman of tho executivo of tho-New Zealand Union (Mr. N. Galbraith), in oommenting 011 this aspect of the tour, said during the farewell to Mitchinson that ho reckoned that under tho management of Mr. G. -Mason tho team would got as much pleasure as possiblo out of tho tour, even without a' small allowanco. "It was," he continued, "said that wo would not get tho team away. But out of tho original choico only two liavo fallen out. ; And the team is going away on a purely amateur basis. Good luck to them!" Taranaki Men Farowelled. Tho team as a whole has been formally farowelled, and most (if not all) of tho players havo been "sent off" individually in their own towns. A number of these functions havo already been reported at New Plymouth. The other evening the two members of tho Tukapa Football Club, J. Stohr and Geo. Loveridgo, wlio have been chosen for tho New Zealand team, entertained. Mr. J. M'Leod, chairinali of tho Taranaki Rugby Union, presided, and amongst those present were several members of the Auckland team. The chairman presented Stohr with a travelling rug, and Loveridgo with a rug, and 111 doing so referred to' tho sterling qualities of both recipients. Ho said that both had well earned their places, and questioned if any other club in New Zealand of similar size to Tukapa could produco two New Zealand representatives in one year. Stohr and Lovoridgc returned thanks, and especially referred to tho valuable assistance received from the coaching and advice of Mr. H. J. Mynott, of All Black fame. Frank Mltchlnson's Career. No player in the team is more popular than Wellington's Frank Mitchinson, an unassuming man, a brilliant three-quarter. Mitchinson was born in Lawrence (Otago), and came to Wellington with his parents when ho was two years old. Ho attended the South Wellington .School, and won liis lirst school representative can in 1899. When 110 left school he joined tho Southern Club as a'fouri'h-elass player. Ho worked his way up to tho senior grado by 1905, in which year he played his first representative game, against Manawatu. In 1906 110 joined tho Ponekc Club, under W. Wallace, w'lio brought out his early promises. In tho 1907 New Zealand team ho was tho youngest player. Ho has played for tho Wellington representatives 011 47 occasions. In thoso games he scored 82 points, made up of 13 tries, 14 goals froni tries, 4 penalty goals, and 1 goal from a mark. He has figured in tl)3 North Island team five times—l9o7. 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1011. Prior to this season ho represented New Zealand ill three seasons—l9o7, 1908, and 1910. In 1912 ho did not play, and this year lie has represented Wellington, and is now on tho Willochra bound for California. OTHER RUGBY MATTERS. The Wellington Representative team to play Canterbury, Otago, and Southland left for the south by tho Wahino last night. Wellington and Wanganui representatives meet on Athletic Park to-mor-row. Tho Wanganui team heat tho Australians after tho visitors had vanquished Taranaki and narrowly missed defeating Auckland. The Wellington team will bo interesting on account of tho inclusion of a number of fresh players.