THE LEAGUE GAME

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2193, 4 July 1914, Page 12

THE LEAGUE GAME

[Bj ".FIEETFOOT."I . .. INVASION. | To-day's'Opportunltlcs. L..The..English team play their first .match in New Zealand next Saturday. ■To-day 1 offers a golden opportunity to those players who wish to work their way into'a representative jersev. The trial match' .will ijivo ample scope for aspirants--to representative honours to give of'their best, and the writer is of opinion,'that the selectors will experience, no little difficulty in choosing men worthy' of the limelight. tho First: Australian Tost—a Complaint. - The management of the touring Knjjdish foam is keenly disappointed nt the decision of tho Australian authorities in cancelling the original Test match at .'Brisbane.. Ono of the tourists complains bitterly in an Australian paper this way :—

:. "This alteration involves a great handicap for us. We play our first test to-morrow. Two days later we play the second test. The following day we go to Bathurst to play, and on Saturday aro duo to strip for tho third test' match. This means three test matches in eight days. 300 niiles travelling to and.from Bathurst, and the playing of a gamo there. However, you're nattering us to perform feats of this description." Tho team manager, Mr. J. H. Houghton, said: "Yes; it is right to say wo are not' satisfied, but wo waived our claims rather than cause friction. It was suggested we should cancel our Bathurst visit, but this wo declined to do. We had no intention of penalising Batlrurst pcoplo on account of an irre-., gularity to which they wero no party. We shall carry out our tour, whatever happens, in every detail." Asked whether tho visitors would conti'inio during their tour to--play short i iri the caso op injuries ;o players, Mr. Houghton said; ' 'Wo havo nopower to do otherwise. ' Before leaving England the Northern Union Management .Committee, pf .which I am a member, laid it:down'that wo tforo to play according to its ruling. I think tho ruling will bo altered, but only in order to allow English _ teams to compote on equal terms with opponents while in Australia. When Australian teams aro at Home, they will havo to nccept our ruling in this direction. However, let mo stato emphatically that while.thero havo been differences between us and tho League Committee, wo hope to smooth things over. Apart from this affair, .we.arc inofo than satisfied, Tho publio hare: treated us fairly, as sportsmen. Wo will do our very best to return our thanks by playing our hardest to n win." Tho Panama and a Possibility, JAt the special meeting of tho New Zealand Council held during tho week ■a-letter which had boon addressed by "tboVsecrptary of tho New South WAIO3 Lcagtic:to tho director of athletics of tho I'aiintria-Pacific International Exposition .was,- Fo.!roU In tho courso of tho letter, Athe|ve«- Sddth Wales secretary, Mr. E. Itylyarkiu,' invites, tho director's consideration of a proposal that a series ■it matches under tho Northern Union 'ecd.oTfiliauia,bo played between England, Zealand; and possibly Spafltt Africa. Mr. Larkin' points out T .tliat\DeagTio football is .tho brightest, fastest, and most popular "form of foolball in tho; world to-day, and remarks on the enormous crowds which are now being attracted to tho games being played by tho English- team in Austialin. "It is safo to say," continues Mr. Larkji£''tha{. no part of the United States'."lias yet been favoured with exhibitions'.of M.ho highest class of Rugby. It is iruo-Vhat teams playing the old code havo visited tho States, but their game, by .comparison with ours, is as tho old stjifJc-cQach to the modern railway express". .;. . At present our ranks : are repletoj'with players of the dashing "and f ;da?il)£ -fypo. You can be certain visit you. they will pvo•vido for your ■ spectators .than .a'nfthmE elso you aro likely to put ■o'lii" • ThßrTiiatter is to bo fully con"sidored Now Zealand Council at its uextnUiting. ..:.;.... ■ .