Football.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 20 August 1915, Page 3

Football.

A football match (Rugby) was played at the Recration Ground Saturday last between a Pakeha team from Churchill and a Huntly Maori team.

In a match between the same two teams played at Churchill on the previous Saturday, the Maoris had won (jy a handsome margin, and it was arranged that the losing team in tlie return match should pay for a dinner for both teams. The Churchill men had the missfortune to have a breakdown with the launch that was conveying them to Huntly, with the consequence that they arrived very late in the afternoon, and the match, which had to be shortened as to time, was finished in the dark. They were also short a of men, and had to avail themselves of one or two Huntly players. The game, which was very fast, ended in victory for the Maoris by 8 points to nil. A peculiar incident gave the Maoris their second score. A long kick by a Maori sent the ball down to one of the Churchill backs, who mistook his position, and thought the ball was over the line, and when two Maoris charged down on him, he just steadied the ball, and stepped to one side. He was a most surprised man when they picked the ball up and scored a try. But for this unfortunate incident, the score would have been more indicative of the comparative strengths of the two teams. The game was played in the best spirit, and it was quite a treat to see a good game of Rugby football once more.