FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1922, Page 4

FOOTBALL

“ALL BLACKS.”

bibport by tub selectors. ■

Some suggestions for the future benelit of New Zealand representative teams are contained in ft report which last season’s selectors—Messrs D. Stuart, A. j Griffiths, and G. W. Nicholson—have submitted to the New Zealand Rugby Union. Their report is as follows :

“In submitting our report in connexion with our duties as New Zea- j land, North and South Island selee- ; tors, we wish to make several sugges- , tions which we hope will be beneficial . to future committees of the New Zea- , land Union. Dating back from the in- / ter-island fixture, we consider that to ; give the desired satisfaction to the mi- j nor unions and to enable the persons , whom the New Zealand Rugby Union appoint as selectors to have an op- j portunit.v of seeing players from the smaller unions in action, that two teams should be chosen from each is-land-one from the larger unions, which we will rail ‘A’, this .earn to be picked by the selectors drawn from these unions- and one from tha smaller unions, which we will call ‘B\ the same picked | )V selectors who are in touch with the workings of these unions. The ‘A’ and -B’ grade teams in the Smith Island to meet each other, and the same in the North Island. From these games the North and South Island teams would be chosen. We are certain that the extra expense entailed in carrying out the aforesaid suggestion is amply warranted : end will he the means of bringing prominent players outside the large centres before the New Zealand selectors of your unions. •‘The experience we have had m connexion with our duties as New Zealand selectors makes us emphatic in our declaration that in international eonto«ts if our players are to uphold the honour of our national pastime we must .m into strict training as was done on th o eve of the third Test, assembling foo* bailors for a week or Unger. Accommodating them at hotels and allowing them to walk tbe streets with its accompanying temptations is useless. A\'e cannot sreak too highly of tic benefit the All Blacks obtained at |)av's Bay. Your union deserves every cued it for the thorough manner m which they looked after the players inter est.«. ■‘Jii intern ltional contests, such -s tire one just closed, we think that the •, ic-edore of appointing referees is rot a correct one. We, in New Zealand are prnocl of the consideration we »1v’livs give oor visitor-: but to allow them to have tlie same mao in three matches (two of which wore Tort game-) is overdoing it. •'Tbe plovers during l lie three tests Imve all, we are certain, done their verv best f-r New Zealand. True, the 1., M „f some has not perhaps been up to international form, and while on this phase, we might mention that several of oor players were not, physically fit to don the AII Black jersey particularly was this the case in the first and sot-mid Tests. Wo consider it mandator v that every player be medically ex-

amined by the union’s medical officer, as was done on the eve of the third Test. Players, in their anxiety to gain the New Zealand caps, forget the duty they owe to their country and mates when they go on to the field in an unlit condition.

ARMY CUP. LONDON, April 17. In the Association final of the Army (Jap the First Wiltshire Regiment, defeated Royal Welsh Fusiliers by 8 to 1.