Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 76, 14 December 1901, Page 19

Rugby Football.

Banger" Row, who, during his stay in Wellington, has made hosts of friends both on and off the football held, returns to Sydney this week. Originally ccming over on a relieving expedition for a few months, eighteen of them have passed away with his jovial countenance amongst us. To show their appreciation of him and his services, his fellow-members of the Wellington Club made him a handsome presentation on Tuesday night, wishing him prosperity and a long football career in "the Mother State," as Jimmy Henderson called it. Row has been a tower of strength to the Wellington Club, and they can ill afford to lose him. That "Banger's" stay in this colony has been a pleasant one I have no doubt, and if he should ever take it into his head to come this wav again, it will afford me the exto-em-est pleasure to chronicle his return. However, he is leaving now and I wish him bon voyage, and a long and still more success on the Rugby football field wherever his lot may be oast in the future. • * . The Metropolitan Rugby Union has i eceived the sanction of the New South Wales Union to invite the Auckland Rugby Union to send its representative team to Sydney next season. There is, I believe, a likelihood of the invitation beine accepted, and, if so, two matches against the Metropolitan representative fifteen ought to be quite as attractive as any intercolonial engagement. While Mr A. O. Jones and Mr. S. M. J. Woods are iv Australia, the New South Wales Union might, with advantage to the game, interview them with respect to another Enerlish team. Rugby football seems to be losing some of its old grip on the English public. If a firstclass combined Australian fifteen were sent to< the Old Country, they might help to rekindle the interest in the game — Sydney "Referee." Mr T. Clarkson, who is at present touring this district with the object of placing cycle racing and its government on a better footing, is meeting with a deal of success. The Caledonian Societies on Tuesday night decided to act in concert with the League of Wheelmen in restricting unregistered meetings. Mr F B. Wilkins has been appointed consul for the Wellington district, and has been invested with the full powers of a centre A new bicycle propelling gear has just been patented by Mr. S. E. Wright, of this city, which promises to considerably reduce the muscular energy required to drive the popular iron steed. The chain, cranks, and centre bracket have been done away with, and levers substituted the patent consisting of an ingenious method of transmitting the power from the levers to the driving wheel, which gives the increase in power The free wheel, without which no bicycle is now considered complete, has been applied to the machine, with the difference that when running free the rider's feet are level, instead of the awkward-looking position of one leg up and the other down of the present freewheelers. The up and down motion will be more graceful for ladies, and there will be no revolving pedals to catch and tear their skirts. More comfortable saddles can also' be used with the new gear, owing to the feet not having to come back under the body. The machine should prove especially useful for hill work, or against a head wind. A company is being formed to patent the gear throughout the world, and intending shareholders may inspect the model at Mr Wrierht's premises, 39, FeatJiers-ton-street, or may see it working at the Drill shed at 4 p.m to-day and to-mor-row.