RUGBY FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1860, 20 September 1913, Page 16

RUGBY FOOTBALL

Hi Abistobuotb,]

iThe Afrloans' Suggested Visit. . The following is • from tho Sydney •"Referee":—"lt ia pleasing to hear that the New Zealand Rugby Union last week decided to extend an. invitation,to the South African Rugby Board to! send' a representative team to the Dominion, next season. When the first invitation ■was sent to South Africaj a year or two back, ib. was reluctantly declined, on the ground that the time was inadequate to allow of the team being organised with the completeness essential for such a campaign in the land of the .Blacks.

"Now that ample time is being given the men of the Springbok to gather together thoir forces, witli the' care necessary to discover the best possible combination, it is to be hoped that unless some. unavoidable, and at present unforeseen impediment arise, tho invitation will bo accepted,, with that "heartiness with which colonial greets colonial.

•' "Slurs were Cast." "To Now Zealand more than any other Rugby _ nation is due the high state of perfection which tho game had attained, . and the catholic character it has developed.' Slurs were cast on New Zealand Rugby a few' years back by writers in 'the Old Land, who held tip the South 1 Africans as exemplars in all things. But .time has l mellowed the irate. It has even brought the South 'Africans under ■ the dash of some of these writers. We , fif, colonial blood know that there are dirty players in every ooantry, not even excepting* the good old Motherland. We have" Seen' "'some superb teams in this countrysome that coukl play the game ■in the ideal spirit, and some that played it.in another.spirit.. And we know, too, '•that while the spirit animating the best Rugby exponents the world over- is very ". .' .healthy,, the other spirit, ail in every sport "under the sun, is in the" blood of 1 '- 'Dtlior men. New Zealand has had her black sheep in Rugby; so has England, ■ ao has Australia. The Hour of Triumph! , ■>. "But the ' country which gave to ; Rugby such a team as the ''All Blacks' deserved more manly and sympathetic -. treatment from the 'unions of the Old . iWo'rld. thqn has received.. New - Zoaland hhs taken the snubs with the ■ calmness ,of the man, who feelß that he is on sure ground, on a pinnacle quite a3, lofty a3 that of the other man... One has that her hour of triumph : ,will coine..againj"and that even the bit- ,, ter pills who rule Scottish lUif;by will ■ V be calmed'by the. sportamailship and ■ prowess of the 'All Blacks'-of another ' ' day. , ; •

>. Memorable Day. ' L ■'■"p:.there be any flioker of doubt in the minds of those who rule the South African Board, as to the wisdom of em- . • .barking on a campaign of the Domin- ; ion, and perhaps Australia, , let them l ' turn back'the hands of time a few. r-. ' , years, and reflect upon the pages of its , history. We were assured that the . South African : oricketerß would never. * AustriJiaj b&jause that country ■* wa's not on-their maps of the world of . sport, or some such queer reason. But they came', and saw, and conquered the •• crowds, if not the cricketers. And , • they went back to . their country profoundly impressed by Australian orickctora and the crowds. And so it will , be with the South African Rugby men . when they set first foot, in tho Dominion. Rugby's high position in the - world to-day , owes really more to the , colonies than to a majority of tho British : unions. ; And the' day 'of the first meeting on-the 'field of .the';tV?o ; great colonial organisations particularly mentioned in' this article will be; memorable.". , ' . '■ ~ A Capable Half-back. - , The gold medal donated by Mr. Geo.labor to the best all-round flayer in- , the Tukapa (New Plymouth) senior team has been allotted to !0. : Brown, - /who this season,gained hisi cap (or straw . !hat) as an All Blaok. Playing here ...for Taranaki; Brown showed that he was one of the best halves on deck.' It seoms'fittings'that'he should annex the "all-rouhcl" trophy, for the'thing which must have struck the_ Wellington spec-*; tatorate was his : solid general work. There i 3 no gainer. half than Brown,'and Hot . many better. - , ; , .Wairarapa Records. ; \f. The Tecord for haying 'played the greatest'number of representative games for Wairarapa is held by "Dan" Udy, of Greytown, who, in s his da}\ was. a New Zealand Udy, who uow resides in Otago, has played S9 times for Wairarapa, the period of bis active service in the field) as a Tepresontative.being from. 1894 to 1904. He-is closely followed by 1 M'Keiizie, of Carterton: (a member of this year's touring7team),,*who'haS.from",l9o2 up ' till this season played 46 representative games. Next in order "Lofty", Armstrong (Carterton), 1899 till, 1905, .41 times: Ted" M'Kenzie (manager, of tho Wairarapa touring; team this year), 1898 till 1907, 40 times-; "Jack" Workman (Greytown), ;1899 .till 1908, 38 times; "Billy";. IJarvill (Red Star,'- ( a. member of this year's team), 1906 till i 1913, 35 times; "Harry" . Wrigley .(Red' .Star), 1893 till 1900,-30 times; "Joe" 'O'Leary (Masterton, but now of Auckland). 3904. till 1908, 30 times; C. Groub (Carterton, a member of this year's team), 27 times; "Billy" Coatson (Red Star and Masterton), 1889 till 1896j 25 times; "Davy" Logan (Mas■Jerton), 25 times; "Jack" M'Kenzie (Carterton), 24 times; "Cliarlio" Ross (Red Star, a. member of the team this season), 22 times.

,The Best Half-baoks. Tho following opinion is by a Christchurch writer, who saw tho WollingtonCanterbury match last Saturday That "Paddy" Burns has lost 'none of his old dash was evidenced by his display, and there are many of the opinion that the Albion player is still better than either Taylor or Roberts, who aro mm on thoir way to California with the New Zealand team. Burns is as fast as ever ho was, and- bis lightning-like clashes through a host of opponents brought forth rouil'Vof applause from the spectators. His kicking was good, and always well directed* whilo bm taoklinK was such as one is accustomed to see from him,

Our Canterbury Battles. Tho following list gives the results of matches played between Canterbury and Wellington:— 1876—At Wellington, Canterbury won, • 19 points to 1. 1879—At Christchurch, Wellington won, 5 points to 3. . 1883—At Wellington, Wellington won, 3 points to nil. 1885—At Christchurch, Canterbury won, 8 points to nil. 18 87—At Wellington, Wellington won, 8 points to 5. 1891—At Christchurch, Canterbury won, 1892—M*Wellington, Wellington won, 1895^At° m 'Christohurch, Canterbury Won, 6 points to 4. 1896—At Wellington, Wellington won, 12 points to -. lg97_At Christchurch; Wellington won, 4 point to nilj

1898—At Wellington, drawn, 6 points each. 1899—At Ohristohuroh, Canterbury won, 6 points to 5. 1900—At. Wellington, Wellington won, 16 points to 3. 1901—At Christchuroh, Canterbury won, 12 points to 8. 1902—At Wellington, Canterbury won, 9 points to 3. 1903—At Christchuroh, Canterbury won, Bpoints.to 6. 1904—At Wellington, Wellington won, 6 points to 3. 1905—At Christchuroh, Canterbury won, 6 points to 3. 1906—At Wellington, Wellington won, 34 points to nil. 1907—At: Christchurch, Canterbury won, 9 points to 6. 1908—At Wellington, Wellington won, 11 points to 6. 1909—At Christchurch, Wellington won, 11 points to 6. 1910——At Wellington, Wellington won, 26 points to 9. 1911—At Christchurch, Wellington won, 26 points to 9. 1912—At Wellington, Wellington won, 16 points to 9. 1918—At Christchurch, .Wellington, won, 6, points to 8.