FOOTBALL.

NZ Truth, Issue 127, 23 November 1907, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

•'Bumper" Wright's opinion, as expressed to a London scribbler, that "Messenger 'is without doubt the greatest player that Australasia has ever produced, has given dire offence to a Sydney pressman, who says the statement is unwise from a man who has never seen any of the giant players of other days, notably, H, P. Abbott and C. G. Wade. There is no occasion for our Sydney friend to get the "hump" over "Bumper's" asinine declaration. For the Wellington man to talk m this strain only serves to show up his crass ignorance of New Zealand Rugby players of the past, many of whom have perhaps been on a far higher plane than cither one of the men instanced by the newspaper man across the Tasman. If "Bumper" isn't conversant with the abilities of men like Jervois, Gage, Wyriyard, Francis, and others mho have, m-ade a great name for themselves m •Dominionist toeball v it's a moral cert that he knows a darned sight less about Australian heroes of bygone days. "Bumper" is a bally "hass" when he talks m the strain attributed to him by : the London scribe.

Jimmy Henderson, who made a flying visit to New Zealand, the greater .part of which he spent m Christchurch. went home on Friday week. The Cornstalker ridicules the report that he is -after the billet of manager of the N.S.W. team to tour Great Britain nest season. To "Pakeha," he said he wouldn't have the position on his mind. He had his business to attend to m Sydney, and that necessitated his undivided attention. "It is no white man's job,"said he, "looking* after 26 or 30 men on a foreign trip, where one has to keep a strict eye on the cash garnered m at the several matches for four or five'months on end. I have had some experience as manager of N.S.W. and Australian teams, and. the gla^ mour of such trips has long since departed. .There is nothing m them except kicks for the unfortunate manager. Oh, no, "Pakeha," you can .•^ive these reports of my hankering after the managership of the N".S.W. team for a Great Britain a most emohatic denial." The writer wishes to say right here that our late Sydney visitor was only speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth when he asserted that the managership of a team, particularly on a long tour, was anything but a bed of roses, and that hostile criticism w§£. more often than not the reward' dealt out to the individual who is entrusted with this thankless duty. Sometimes, of course, the criticism is fully justified, as m the recent case of Edgar Wylie ; and to go back to an earlier neriod, the. gay doings of Jack Norris and the goaty gambolling? of "Gaily."

Before shaking the dust of the Dominion off his feet on Friday week, James R. Henderson was farewelled by a few Rugby friends m the Capital Town, and over a glass Of wine the best wishes were expressed for a pleasant trip across the Tasman and one long run of success m the Harbor City. The proceedings were jolly m the extreme, and the Sydneyite wore Quite a saddening aspect when the whistle of the Red Funnel liner cave the signal for parting.

C. J. B. Marriott, a contemporary of Harry VasseH, "Ch C; Wade; H;

B. Tristram and A. Rotherham, m the English teams of 20 years ago, has been appointed secretary to the English Rugby Union, nee Percy Coles, resigned.

The veteran Welsh footballer, W. J. Bancroft, was carried off the field at Swansea m September, with a fractured skull.

A scheme for popularising the game is now under consideration by the Auckland Rugby Union, which proposes the University as a district and to admit it as a district, and to admit it as a senior team, while the Secondary colleges will also be allowed to play a senior side. In addition, junior clubs apart from the district clubs will be. included m the various grades of the competitions, so that the scope of the Union's jurisdiction may be widened as much as possible. The scheme has been carefully discussed, and is still before the com r nittee. ■

The professional team .-had a great reception at Leeds, the station platform being crowded to. such an extent, as were the adjacent streets, that all traffic, including the tramway service/ Was impeded. C. J. B. who is the new secretary of the E.R.TJ., nee Percy Coles resigned, played for England aKainst Scotland m 1884 and 1886, against Ireland m 1884, 1886. and .1887, and against Wales m 1884 and ■1886. For many years he represented Cambridge m the field and on the Rugby Union Committee.