FOOTBALL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9109, 31 March 1908, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

Notes by “Muddied Oof.”

The secretaries of the various foot•ball clubs will be glad to receive names of those intending to play in the Hangitikei Union matches this season. Bulls and Marton seniors will meet on Marton Park to-morrow for a friendly game. Mr E. Lloyd has donated £1 Is to the funds of Marton Football Clnb. A shield for third-class competition has been presented by Mr Broom, of Martha. This gentleman was the donor of a shield now being competed for in the Manawatu Union. 1 The first representative match in Bangitikei will be played against Horowheuua, at Marton, early in June. It is satisfactory to note that Bangitikei (Bulls)' Football Club had a very successful meeting. It is hoped the" Club will be in a position to put a strong team in the field. Ku"by in Bangitikei would not begrudge them winning the shield this year. Mr Martin, who acted as a referee in"the Taranaki district last year, is now residing at Marton. He has donated a gold medal to the Marton Club for the player who shows the most improved form during the seasou- . i ... . „ ThG junior compGuiEiou proxniSGS to be more interesting tins year. The following clubs are likely to nomi■mtp teams :—Bulls. Rata, HunterYille Marton and Turakina. The officials of the Union have subscribed towards a shield, and the order is now in hand. The first inscription will be for the Rata juniors who won the contest last year. ■Opportunity will be taken to present the shield before the new season private information which has reached Mastertoa (writes the Dominion’s Wairarapa correspondent), • the professional interest this season is likely to be centred in New South Wales. Wrigley, of Masterton, and other prominent members of the yp Black professional team, are likely to take up their residence in Sydney, in view of the fact that Australia is sending a professional Rugby team to England in 1908. Wrigley and Messenger are set down to plav in the same club wbily in Sydney and offers are already being made to* several prominent New Zealanders to go across to Sydney in order to qualify for the team which is to sail for Groat Britian nest an article on the increased popularity of Rugby football on the Pacific Coast the New York Evening Post says :—“The question is oiten asked"‘How did Stanford learn the game?’ The answer is sufficiently simple. Summer before last the head coach spent the summer in "Vancouver where the local Rugby teams gave him all the assistance _ in their power to help him in learning the game and last summer he spent in Australia and New Zealand where again ho expericncrcu a _most_ generous and sportsmanlike.hospitality, accompanying the New Zealand Blacks on their tour as a guest. Now this coach, is considered as the best disciplinarian and strategist that we have ever had ; bis euthusiasim for the intercollegiate _ game was unbounded and likewise practical, for his teams have never been beaten. Nevertheless this young man ha\ ing had ample opportunity to supplement his" four years' coaching at the old game and bis two years of Rugby with a- course of football study at such diverse centres at New Haven, Cambridge and Priucteou on the one band and Aucicalncs and Sidney on the antipodeal hand has become an unreserved advocate of Rugby. In addition the trainer for track and field sports who locked for trouble and usually found it for track men in intercollegiate games, now sends his men into Rugby without let or hindrance. He also volunteers statements to the effect, firstly, that men have to be in better condition to play Rugby than the ‘coaches’ game, and secondly, that the men are in better shape for evening work,_ and far more elastic in spirit with Rugby than under the old exhausting grind of mass and momentum plays. Consequently, he is in favour of Rugby.