RUGBY GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 60

RUGBY GOSSIP .

G. A. Gillett, the All Black wing forward, • visited Sydney with, the Ponsonby team. It has been decided that Wangauui and Taranaki play a return match at New Plymouth on August 26. " '- Tho dinner given in Sydney to the Ponj sonby team \yas attended by 350, and is the largest 'affair of its kind ever held in Ausj tralia. j- The Welsh Rugby Union Las decided not ' to send a team to South Africa next season. I In all probability a South African Bugby team will visit New Zealand in 1912. 1 Absolum, of Auckland, well known in football circles, having represented the province during no less than eight seasons, is this year a member of the Hawke's Bay representative team, anS" played centre three-quarter for Hawke'a Bay against Taianaki. v The Auckland Rugby Union is heaping up trouble with its district scheme-. The senior competition has got inlc a very lopsided arrangement, and now the transferring of players from one- team, to another in th« lower grades is causing much heartHuming and many hard words to be said? Some tim« ago the .New Zealand Rugby Union discussed the question of forming an ' All Black combination-*to tour the Dominion at the end of the current season, the idea being thai footballers in the smaller towns would be benefited in an educational sense. However, the general opinion is that far too much 'tripping" gc»s on nowadays, and that it should be curtailed instead of increased. More about Agher of the Mttori team: Albert Asbcr had. 'as usual, a lot to do, and 'those who witnessed tbe 'little fellow's great ' run which ended in a try should never foxj get it. He deserved every atom of applause [" he received, and* his 'nanV will live ior years ' a3 that of one of the most brilliant ex- , poients "of the Northern Union game, no matter rab&t he way bave done in .the old game as a New Zealand representative. Alex. Takarxagi, the Wanganui representative, has taken part in over 50 representative games. He is just over 31 years of age, end played his first rep. game at 17 years of 1 age. In 1899, 1900, end 1901 he was Wanganui's full back, ' and »n the latter year j»lay«d against the New South Wales team. In this match he gave a splendid exhibition, j and the Welshmen declared after the tour ! that he yeas the finest full back they had [ met in N-ew Zealand. ! A Wellington writer says that Petone has • unearthed -a champion place-kicker in M'Far-lar-e, whose "booting" abilities lone have hzsn responsibly, for several victories to the suburban team this Season. Dufty, in his most phenomenal year, scarcely excelled the ! mighty deeds of MTarlane. In Saturday's game against Oriental it was M'Farlanc's I great efforts which won the victory for j his iide. Of the 16 points notched by I Petone, he was responsible for 11. The following from the Athlefio News should make tho<;e responsible for the con- | tiol of this new game ponder, r There is a good deal in it: ".From a private source we learn that many 'of the players in New Zea^'i land .are devoting more attention to matters of a professional natuTe than to the a«tual play and development of the many converts to the game. This information will, no doubt, be disappointing to those Northern Union officials who bave received ■ glowing accounts of ihe popularity of the new rules in New Zealand. But the present situation must .be faced, and- 'our correspondent declares that many well-known men once connected with the'Kugby Union game greatly regret the trend of events,'

O.R.F.U. COMMITTEE. The weekly meeting of the 0.R.F.T7. Commftteo "was held on Monday night, an,d vrasattended by Messrs F. H. Campbell (chairman), Wilson, Munro, Harris, Cavauagn, King, Stuart, Priest, Dunne, Dey, Duncan^ Low, Sincock, Hamel, and Macdonald. COBBESPONDENCE.

An application from the University Club' to play the inter-faculty final, Medical v. Arts, on the OaWdondan Ground, on Saturday, as a curtain-raiser to the interprovinoial match Otago v. Southland was 'granted, pa*ovided_ the ground be in good condition ; otherwise, the game to be played on Taibuna Park. Claude Young, Alhambra Club, wrote with reference to holding a special meeting to consider a motion affirming the undesirability of introducing district football to Dunedin.— lt was resolved,-on the motion of Mr Harris, that a special meeting- be ■held on, "September 9, at 7.30, to consider the matter.

gbahah's troubles

j Ralph King, referee in the Zingari-K&i-korai match, which took place three -weeks ago, and in which he had ordered Graham " l (Zingari) off for allegedly tripping an opponent, attended the meeting, arid explained the circumstances. He stated that' he had since written, to the committeepointmg out that .it was likely that the trip was a pure accident. When the yring happened he was- positive it was a deliberate trip. ,On the following Sunday morning, however, he met Mr 'Wliite, who asked .hip* whether it was a deliberate trip. He said that it was, and was then informed by Mr Whit© that a number of referees had seen the incident, and were _©f opinion that it was accidental He (Mr King), deferred to their judgment, and had written to the committee acoorddngly, but was still of the opinion personally that it was not an accident. Graham was also present. He eaid he was taking part in a scrum, and was on the blind side. The ball was put in £rom the opposite side, came out, and was not handled when Woodrow kicked at it. The latter tripped and fell, and the scrum broke up. Be (<3«i.twi.TinJ was the last up, ojoA to astonishment h.&'was ordered off. He 'had not- tripped Woodrow, and the latter declared that the whole thing was an accident. ! The Chairman said it was a pity that Mp King bad not attended a oommitte© meeting before when invited to do co. He had apparently allowed Himself to bo influenced r by other -referees. ' ' " ' • The two men retired, and Mr M'Donald asked if Woodrow was not 'to be called. i Th© Chairman said that was not necessary. • It was a ease of Mr King's word against Mr Graham's. ""Mr Sincock Baid that the union must, to be consistent, support the referee, and take his word pn a matter of fact. A Member: In the face of his contradictory letters? Mr Sincock said he was not considering the letters. , ' Mr Dey said that the -referee was practically" on his trial. Was he a competent man? What did the , other referees who were present think about it? Mr Low said that b© was (present at Canebrook during this match, and, in the face of the circumstances and tho letters, and because he felt very strongly on this matter, He had no hesitation in saying that the man had made quite a mistake. If the committee \£as not careful it- would do a foolish thing, and hold their players up to ridicule. If they were going to let this thing elide without a big inquiry they were doing themselves arid their players an injustice. The Chairman said that the matter of the referee's competency .was for tho consideration of the Refereeß' Association. They had" simply to regard the incident as one between the player and the referee. Mr Sincock said that they might deal with the- matter on that basis, and fix a penalty, and either Graham or the Referees*' Association could formally question the referee's competency, and have the whole thing opened up again. The committee could deal with the incident on the facts^ before it. Mr M'Donald: Yes, but what are you going to take as facts? Mr Dey said the committee would be quite within its rights if it heard the evidence of the sub-committee appointed by ■ the Referees' -Association to attend at this match, and come <to an opinion as to the qualificationß di the referee. ' Mr Hamel stated thai Mr M'Faxlane was the only taember of that committee who had turned up. He had reported that the referee was nqt competent. Mr Priest moved that Mr M'Farlane be heard as to Mr King's competency.— Mn Dey seconded the jnotion, which was carried 1 . The inquiry was postponed accordingly till next 'Monday evening. _^

1 " A BLOW FROM BEHIND. A letter was received from a spectator at the match Ravensbourne v. Alharnbra. Second at Opdho, in which he drew the committee's attention to * -most foul and cowardly piece ot play, by which G. Robertson, a member of the Raveneboiirne'team, had has nose, broken and his face otherwise disfigured by a cowardly blow from behind. 1 . The matter had been brought up at an earlier meeting and had been postponed in order to allow the writer, the player hurt, tho player charged with hurting, and witnesses to. be present. Robertson then made a definite statement. Robertson, however, did not put m an appearance last evening. The committee was nonplussed for a moment, and then decided, on the motion of Mr Sinoock, to let the matter drop, it being understoodl that this action did not prejudice Robertson a right to bring the matter before the oominitteA Ttgain. . THE TOTJBI2JO TEAMS. Mr J. King was appointed manager or the team selected to tour the Otaeo jsokffields, and 'Mr V. Cavanagh was appointee? manager of the First Grade team to visit North Otago. .

SOUTHLAND v. OTAGO.

The following have been chosen to represent Otago against Southland at Dunedia next Saturday: — Full Back.— Scott (Taieri) Three-quarters. — Marston (Alhambra), Bennet (Alhambra), arid Davidson (ZingariRichmond). _ Five-eighths.— Bokhold (Sowtiiera), and M'Donald (Dunedin). Half Back.— Sutherland (Alhamfara). Forwards.— Front row— Oasey (Southern), Fitajpatrick (Dunedin); lock— Paton (Dunedin); side men— Mitchell (Alhambra), TPatterson (Zingari-Richmond); back t&£-? Clarke (jPori Ohairoers), M.'Don«ld (EaJ«

korai; wing forward — Morrison (Alhanibra). Emergencies.— Backs— O'Sullivao, Harley, M'Dougall ; forwards— Lerfch, Thomson, Johnson, and M'Kenzie. (Fbou Our Own CoEKBSPOiroEin 1 .) INVERCARGILL, August 11. TJie following --have been selected to represent Southland against Otago: — Full back, A s M : Neece ; . three-quarters — Pyle, Darragh, Irwin ; five-eighths, Grant and A. Walker; half back, J Blackham: foi--•wards — RidJand, Glasgow, Knight, Kienan, Cody, Miles, Biggar. and Gutzewitz (wing).