BRITISH AMATEUR TEAM FOR NEW ZEALAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 63

BRITISH AMATEUR TEAM FOR NEW ZEALAND.

AMATEURS V. PROFESSIONALS. To a leading London paper -a football critic, who signs himself -"C.A.L.," contributes some notes which are sure to be of interest to New Zealand readers. At the outset he puts the query : "iiow is thfe Rugby Eootball season faring without the visit of an amateur team from the colo-, nies?" Certainly there -has been little senBational to 'shronicle to -date, sfor the amateurs have entirely ignored the doings of tae "Prorßlacka" against clubs attached to the professional Northern Union. "The general impression in the South of England," he goes on to remark, "is possibly that the New Zealanders are not a success financially, but if one considers how small their travelling expenses are compared to the All Blacks and 'Bokken,' and also that they are .getting yery good 'gates,' it would be absurd to write that professionalism cannot be made to pay in Rugby. It is fairly -certain, therefore, that if the "ProBlacks' -return to their home with a substantial cash, balance, those in Maoriland j may get hold of a false impression as to, j the status of amateurism in England, j 'iaose in New Zealand should be made 00 Toalise that the visit_ of & professional team has not caused a single genuine amateur player's or_ 'spectator's pulse to -rise xibove normal. "This -would ■ make our cousins abroad understajid that there -are some cherished traditions still existing in our -football. "Perhaps it would be as well 'for the Rugby Union to advise the New Zealand amateur body to this' effect. When New South Wales offered to send a team to England this season, the English Union~ .deferred talking very seriously of such a thing until later. Of course, they were not^lto foresee t~hat professionalism was suddenly Jko spring up "down under.' .But such con- , ' tingencies should be anticipated, and it is safe to say that there would have been ' no split in Australian Rugby had -an amateur' Australian ( team been at present tour- -, ing in England. Although it would "be oT)-V j viously unjust to blame England, one will be justified in doing -so if the authorities ' ' fall to keep this kind of international amaieuT rivalry "booming in the future. "The -visit of an 'English' team '(one' dare . not hope that -it will be fully representative' of' Uritieb' 'Rugby, although it is under^ ' stood that several well-known placers other., , than English are willing to go) to New Zealand next year is, a great thing to look f or-" wara to," oonbinues "0.A.L." "From all accounts it would appear that we have never had a finer chance -0! -showing our prowess than at present. At the' 'time the ' New Zealanders -visited in -1905 t they had put 'together a remarkaible lot of ' i backs, such men behind 'the scrum as are rarely found 'in a country during v a season. j fjince then those on i?he other side "have ! lost some of those 'giants,' and word i reaches one from time to time that new men have not been found to fill the vacan- 1 oies and keep nip ithe of their ' predecessors. Surely, 'this is 1 "not very remarkable ! * "If we are to believe that such is the case — and the Naw -Zealand forwards were - not wonderful during last season — >we have ■ reason to lie hopeful, provided the right team leaves England. Social status must be sacrificed for playing ability. Nobody would suggest that invitations are being ■,sent to "men with beautiful clothes'* — as a. 1 theatrical manager once said, — but there is ! always, a tendency to cast ihe 'glad' .eye I on men of good. social -standing wheneverj a tour abroad is to be arranged. The New I Zealanders were certainly not .worried by ! such 'fef'fles.' Naturally, it is not nearly^ j time yet to fix -upon the definite composi- , I tion of the side, as this season is sure to J .bring some new live' men — the type re- , quired For a lengthy tour — into prominence. We are fortunate in having .such a Tceen . worker as Mr Harriett looking after .things j- , at all events, we can rely upon him getting • a»n early 'Yes* or -'No' from a man invited, ' and thus oTiviate the muddle which occurred shortly before our cricket team left for Australia. Meanwhile, it is more than sufß- , cient for -the average Rugby enthusiast to think of how the present season is getting along. This is a quality — or a fault — which is typical of Rugl>y men. The fact 'that -in ■ the two previous seasons the New Zeai landers and Africans were creating a boom in Uugby over here has. not been seriously , taken as a standard to keep up. - Many hoped that the Rugby county championship would be paraded -as a 'dazzling' event hi , order to ~be "billed in the same large type ; -as the colonial visitors were. Instead of -which- the county wmpetition, "far from rising, has become less interesting in the