Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 42, 20 April 1901, Page 20

Rugby Football.

Barring perhaps Petone and the Old Boys, all the dubs appear to be stronger than last season, and the prospects at time of writing are that the football in Wellington this season will show a marked improvement on recent; years. Athletics have lost De Vere, who, by the way. is very unlucky, and is resisting the endeavours to put the jersey on him this season. Gerrard, however, who is reported to have been one of the best men in the three-quarter

lin in Auckland last season, should fill the gap caused by De Vere's retirement. Hales, Kelly, and Pnchard will be found in their places, and it is more than probable that Lynskey will be playing again. The blue and black forwards are a very doubtful quantity, but, perhaps, it is only the usual thing with them — the first round is generally nearly completed before they wake up to the fact that they have a gymnasium of their own. Calnan and Shaw will be greatly missed from the pack in the Melrose team, but, with Wngley and Thomas in the backs, they should make up there for what they have lost forward. Wellington is undoubtedly the strong team on paper at the present time — even minus the valuable services of Brodie. Wood, Meredith, and Bird are a nice trio, and, if onjy their forwards can get the ball, won't things hum p The pack is heavy, Walsh, an exSouthland representative, being in the pivot, but I am afraid the one wing man will handicap them against a good pair of wingers. Wallace must undoubtedly strengthen the back division of the Poneke team, and, if Roberts gets well, he will be in his glory behind him. Slater should guard the uprights, and in George, who has a three-years-old reputation from Auckland, they are said to have a good half. Corry Thompson, a prominent junior last season, will be hard to keep out of the team, though, at half. Forward MeAnally is going into the pivot, and in Sweeney and Mcßae, two recruits from the Coast, they receive a power of strength, to say nothing of Caldwell, with his Hawke's Bay reputation. I hear also of another Hawke's Bay forward — Gridiron, or some name that sounds like that — who is throwing in his lot with the red and blacks. The Orientals are strengthened back by Marsh, Gleeson, and Callender, but they will miss Charlie Bush. Billy Young is still playing half, with Burns behind him. Lowe and Purdy, two old Poneke players, should be of assistance to the Wylies and Skelton in the pack. By the wav, the Orientals will take the field on Saturday with a lot of

form —the gymnasium work indulged in by the team being an object lesson to the other clubs. Jacobs' assistance will be needed by Petone, as Hawke and Barber's places will need filling. King should be able to keep his forwards together, though he will miss "the Bumper" a lot. The Old Boys —who are mostly growing lads —may surprise those who think they know a lot. Their showing last season, for their first year in senior matches, was very good, and with the coaching of the old Poneke war-horse they should be heard from with no uncertain sound. If the Pages and Burns are in the backs, with Dodd, Watkins, and probably McTavish, in the pack, they will have to be treated with respect.

The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union is to be held next week. In the Christchurch-Wellington match, at Easter, five goals were kicked out of six attempts. This is a bit above the average. Cup matches commence in Auckland on the 11th May, and in Christchurch they open on Saturday first, the 20th — same day as they do here. Who is Campbell, late of the Petone Club? I notice a player of that name has joined the Kaikorai Club, Dunedin, as a five-eighth. I cannot call him to mind. Jimmy Duncan has not decided to retire from the game as yet, for he says with the return of winter the desire comes over him to don the jersey again. The Wellington Club have decided to play with three half-backs and one wing in their opening match. With Meredith, Bird, and Wood behind the pack, there is plenty of attack. Mr. W. Beck was re-elected secretary of the Referees' Association at its annual meeting. This is a wise selection, as he is really a valuable officer, and deserves the confidence of the members. Mr. Knott, of Christchurch, has been granted permission to publish an official guide in connection with the matches every Saturday. The publishing of a similar guide in Christchurch has proved a great success, and is much appreciated by the football public in the City of the Plains.

Ted Thomas, who, a year or two back, played a good game for Melrose on the wing three-quarter, is again in town, and was practising with his old club on Saturday. Mr. Alex. Wilson, so well and favourably known as an Auckland and New Zealand representative footballer, is to be married in the Northern city next week. I extend the heartiest of good wishes to him. The Referees' Association had occasion last season to provide referees for 215 matches, and on only two occasions did the referees appointed fail to put m an appearance or provide substitutes. This is a good record, and reflects credit on the Association. Mr. Geo. H. Dixon was elected a life member of the Auckland Rugby Union at the annual meeting last Friday night, and at the same time was presented with a gold watch (suitably inscribed) as a token of esteem from the footballers and Rugby enthusiasts in Auckland. Mr. Devore (the president of the Union) made the presentation, in an exceedingly complimentary speech. A fine snapshot of Harper placing a goal for Chnstchurch, in the Chnst-church-Welhngton match, appears in the last issue of the "Sportsman." The picture shows the ball just crossing the bar. An old friend, in "Dutchy" Evans, is seen plainly in the foreground m his flannels — with the whistle, of course. Roberts' accident was the result of a dog having urgent business on the other side of the road just as "Cocky" was riding past on his bicycle, with the result that the dog had much the best of the deal. The hurt was not so serious as Roberts at first feared, for it is more than probable that he will be playing with the Poneke team next week. The Referees' Association are discussing the advisability of appointing a permanent charman for its weekly meetings. The idea is a good one, and is well worth trying. It would guarantee that whoever is appointed would come to the meeting fortified to answer any questions that might be put to him, and would not find himself suddenly confronted with a problem that puzzled him, as has been the case in past seasons. Thus "Quidnunc," in the "Sportsman," and he is an authority — "It is a pity for the province that every back who attempts to play football was not present to see Bird and Wood at work against the Christchurch team The home team's passing was of the slow, across the ground into touch sort, whilst the Bird-Wood style was just the reverse, and had the latter had as many opportunities as their opponents, they would have put up at least ten tries." The Petone Borough Council, by report in the daily papers, offer the Rugby Union terms for its grounds, but at the time of writing I am not in a position to say whether the Management Committee of the Rugby Union will accept them. On the face of it, it appears to me to be a bit strong to charge admission to one part of the ground, and take a percentage of the admission, and then ask the Union to pay a rental for another ground in the same paddock. Mr. Fache is moving, at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union, that the Appeal Committee be given three years' tenure of office The idea, I believe, is to have no settled abode for the Committee, but that it be drawn from all parts of the colony, the business to bo conducted by correspondence. In my opinion, this is too cumbersome a method, and I would prefer to see the Appeal Committee as heretofore, a fixture in one place. The three years' office, instead of one, is, however, a move in the right direction. The scheme for the acquisition of Miramar by the city has the hearty support of the Rugby Union, and it i& only reasonable that it should. Wellington is woefully short of grounds on which to play the national game, and Miramar has proved a regular boon to footballers. It is only fair to suppose that if the property gets into the hands of private individuals, the flat land will be cut up first, and then good-bye to the recreation ground. It, therefore, behoves every footballer and every follower of the game, to record his vote, if he has one, or use his influence, if he has not a vote, in favour of the scheme. I tender my sincere&t sympathies to Tom Brodie, who had the misfortune to break his leg on the College ground last week. The simplicity of the mishap approaches the marvellous. Brodie, practising with the College boys — by the way, he is one of the masters in the College — was finishing up a noat run, and, while in the act of grounding the ball over the goal-line, he bomehow tripped and fell. The accident to Brodie is particularly hard on him in more ways than one, and will also be felt keenly by the Wellington Club, for he was undoubtedly the best sconne; wmg three-quarter we have. I wish • him as speedy a recovery as can bo hoped for.

The reading of the Unclassified Societies Act by the Management Committee of the local Rugby Union is to the effect- that the receiving of bonuses by the secretary and treasurer makes them salaried officers, and, in future, they will be known without the title of honorary. The Atheltic Park Company have granted the request of the Referees' Association that passes to the ground should be issued to its active members. This is as it should be. The referee's duties are not eagerly sought after, and a concession of this sort is in the way of a solatium to him. The Association, at its annual meeting, decided that only those active members who have paid their annual subscriptions should be entiled to receive a pass — not, as I have heard it interpreted, all those who pay their subscriptions. It would be rather much to expect that all the financial members snould get the benefit of the concession — they must also be active members as well. The "Sportsman" gets the credit, in the exchanges to hand, of saying that Hen Kelly is retiring from the game. As he was practising on the Park last Waturday, the announcement of his decision to retire was perhaps a bit premature. The longing to feel the jersey on once again as the season comes round is hard to get rid of, and I am pleased Kelly has been unable to resist the desire, for this season at any rate.