Rugby Football. Out Door Sports And Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 208, 25 June 1904, Page 14

Rugby Football.

Out Door Sports And Pastimes

By Touchline.

THE w eather last Saturday compelled the postponement of all Rugby matches in Wellington. Consequently, the footballing public have had to content themselves with discussing the fine showing of the English team against the select ot JNew South Wales. The mam tendency ot the majority of these discussions na6 been as to the probable chances ot success for the five teams that have to play the visitors in New Zealand. Of course, the ultimate question is "What hope has the New Zealand team got against the visitors?" Well, let us see. The British team aie foemen worthy of our steel, lheir defeat of New South Wales by 2/ points to ml proves this. The opportunity, therefore, is before the New Zealand TJnion to uphold the much-vaunted boast of the New Zealand footballer that he can teach the world this game ot Rugby football. I hinted' last week that, according to the programme arranged by the Management Committee of the New Zealand Union, it was possible that the various inter-provincial teams will make a better stand against the visitors than the colonial team. This ought not to be likely at all, and 1 it behoves the governing body to mate further arrangements whereby the New Zealand team may be in Wellington not later than the Tuesday m the week in which) the big match is to be played. A representative team should not alone be a collection of fifteen good players. It ought to. be a combination in which each player knows the play of every other player, and which has settled modes of attack and plans of defence. This combination cam only be got by the men assembling themselves together, and playing a game before the big match, eventuates. There is time for mie to return to this subject, but the executive of the New Zealand Union, if they are to fulfil the destiny for which they were elected, should leave no stone unturned to uphold the honour of New Zealand football. Someone might say, "Who will the New Zealand team play on the Wednesday — the Wellington players will be on their Northern tour ait the time?" I have a suggestion to make, which I venture to assert is a good one. Play the match at Palmerston North, a team to oppose the New Zealand team being selected from say the Manawatu, Wangamui, Wairarapa, and Hawke's Bay Unions. The members of the New Zealand team coining to Wellington from Auckland, Taranaki, and Wellington could break their journey at Palmerston North on the Tuesday night, the other members of the team beang sent thither on the Tuesday afternoon. The opposing team could also assemble in Palm-ei-ston North the same evening. The thing is quite feasible, and there is no doubt it would be a financial success. I even venture to predict that the Manawatu Rugby Union would guarantee the New Zealand Union £300 for the game' so that the colonial body's finances would profit by the match. The only Unions likely to be affected by the holding of the practice match are the Taranaki, Wellington, Otago, and Southland Unions. With regard to the two former, the men taken from them for the New Zealand team would be much of a muchness. I mean, there would probably be an equal niumb&r of men taken from each team. Those taken from the Otago and Southland Unions would not lessen the interest in 1 their fixture with the visiting Britishers. All said and done then, the obstacles in the way of playing this practice match can be easily removed, and, in the interests of the game in this colony, it should be arranged. ♦ • * Mr. Jas. Ashcroft, District Coroner, is reported in the daily papers to have said at the inquest last week • — "I should 1 like to see a solemn warning administered to the leaders of football, because I cannot see that human nature is benefited by carrying on a savage game which leads to a large per centage of injuries and deaths." The jury. to whom these remarks were made, did not carry out the suggestion of Mr. Ashcroft and add a rider to their verdict in accordance with their instructions.

Mr Ashoroft, of course, ls welcome to his opinions, and! even the expressing of them in a judicial capacity. But, what I object to is his absolute misstatement when, (he asserts that there aie a large pea- cent&ge of injuues and deaths in connection with the playing of Rugby football in Wellington. Undeathe Rugby Union, 750 players indulge in the game eveiy Satuiday, and, up to the time Mr Ashcroft made the i ©marks quoted above, these 750 had played on six successive Saturday afternoons this season. This gives a, totaJ of 4500 pLayers, and one of that numiber, I am sorry to say, met his death by playing the game. Of the remainder , not more than fifteen have had to requisition the services of doctors to attend to accidents they have received thiough playing, and even then some of these were but slight. It does not need 1 a mathema.tician to figure the '"large" pet cenitage out, but an avei age of slightly over three in 1000 as beang injured in six weeks in any method of sport cannot by any manner of means make that spoit out a b ratal one. Mr Ashcroft's position as Coroner gives him a lot of licence, but before 1 he enters the l egion of athletic sports m©thinks he ought to be sure of his ground. It is men like him to whom a course of athletics in thei.r youngei days would have given a robustex physique, who*, knowing nought of Rugby football at all, yet rise up m judgment on the spoit. * * •* There -seems a pretty gejieial feeding amoiifi; football enthusiasts that the Management Committee of the Rugby Union should institute an enquiry into the cause of the death of young Thomson. It may be that the matter would be better left where it is, but I think, in the interests of the young fellow who collided with the deceased player, the stigma oast on him should be lemoved if the evidence points that way. And I am positive that it does. * # * The Canterbury Rugby Union have decided not to send a team to the West Coast this season. It is stated that Dick McGregor is playing again — this tame at Waihi, m the goldfields district of the Auckland province. North £>hore are leading for the Auckland Union's championship. City and Newtown are only one point behind the leaders. "Ginger" Ward has not shown his best form so far m Auckland. An injury to his leg hampered him in a recent match. Corfe, a player who represented Australia against Mulhneaux's English team, is playing on the West Coast of the South Island. In matches between New South Wa-les and Queensland, tihirty-seven have been won by the former, eighteen by the latter, and three have been drawn. A suggested New Zealand back team ■ — -Full-back, Wallace, thiee-quarteis, Renwick, Harper, and D. McGregoi ; five-eighths, Stead and M. E. Wood; half, Harvey "Manning was the most prominent of the Linwood backs, and the bulk of the work was left to him m an unselfish manner by his colile<agues." — An appreciation of the ex-Poneke player. Otago and Southland play a trial match in Invercargill before their fixture with the British team. Mr. Han is has been appointed to select the combined team, and will witness this match. Of Scobie Mackenzie an Auckland writer says — "It is evident that, in spite of his uncertain foim in big games, Mackenzie will be a strong candidate for centre three-quartei in the representative team this season." Thus "Quidnunc" — "It is the deliberate, intentionally foul, and illegal player that is becoming the curse of our game. Football is a vigorous game, and accidents are sure to occur, but I deny that rough play is on the increase." The following dates of lepresentative matches have been definitely arranged by the Wellington Rugby Union — v Hawke's Bay, at Napier, 2nd August, v. Auckland, at Auckland, 6th August, v. Taranaki, at Hawera, 10th Aueust, v. Canterbury, at Wellington, 20th August; v. Waararapa, at Carterton, 23rd July. "Morry" Wood was to have played foi the Ponsonby Club (Auckland) last Saturday, according to newspaper reports. In view of the match with the British team it is to be hoped that the report is correct, and also that "Moriy" may strike his best form. [A later exchange says that Wood changed his mind, and did not play.] A propos of the dangerous character of Rugby football, a paper recently received from Home contains particulars of an accident at the Association game. Two players tried to head the ball, with the result that their heads collided. One of the players died as the result of the collision, and the other was still insensible when the paper was printed'

The Athletic Park Company have piovided Caretaker Muiphy with, a new dwelling, and our obliging friend' is more pleased than ever. It is intended to leave the old building in its present position, w here it can be used as offices and spare dtesismg-rooms if necessary. The "Rugby Rough" still pursues the even tenoi of his way in the "Neiw Zealand Times." The general opinion in football ciicles is that the advent of the Victorian game in the city is accountable for many of the opinions of the "Times" repoiters. As the .secretary of the League is an employee at the "Times" office, there seems ground foi the conclusion football enthusiasts have arrived at. The Auckland Rugby Union i& mici easing its stand accommodation for the match between its representatives and the British team. Is the Athletic Paik Company likely to move in the same direction ? The takings on, the occasion of the New Zealand-British team will moie than p" obably pay for the construction of an additional building—it need not be loofed in —and it Twll thus become a valuable asset for future matches The Petoine schoolboys, with Mr. J. Lynskey in charge, intend making a tour of Wairarapa and the Forty-mile Bush duria? the midwinter holidays, playing matches at Cartarton., Masterton, and Mangatamoka. To help the boys finance thei tour, many of the Petone townspeople nave worked hard and well, none more so than Mr. W. Kelly who collected £12 10s from the members of the Petone Workin.ec Men's Club alone. That the boys will have a eood time e;oes without saying and I wish them the maximum of success in their matches. They leave on them toui next Friday, the Ist July.

The Wellington centre of the New Zealand Boxing Association received a nasty knock when the directors of the Opera, House declined 1 to let them ha.ye that building to conduct the New Zealand championships in this year. The reasons given for the' refusal were not very weighty, but the powers-that-be declined to be moved from the stand they took up. Mr. W. Coffey has beera elected secretary of the Centre, vice Mr. Low. Although the energetic "William." has been oomnected with sport, for a long time, yet this is the first occasion on which he has essayed to carry out secretarial duties. Possessed of a deal of enthusiasm and activity, I have no doubt he will prove a worthy successor to Mr Low. Mr. R. W McVilly, the new chairman, is a good man for the position. He is also well-known in rowing circles in Wellington, and has been, proved a good admmisti ator. Continued on -page 19.