FOOTBALL.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9147, 16 May 1908, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

THE BRITISH TEAM’S TOUR. THREE TESTS TO BE PLAYED. After the telegraph offices closed ou Thursday night the vexed question of one or three tests against the Anglo-Welsh team was deeided at the meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Mr H. F. Campbell, on behalf of the Otago Rugby Union, said that three test games could he played easily within a month. He moved, “That it he an instruction to the Committee, of Management to rearrange the programme for the tour of the British team by suhstiutting ‘test matches’ for the matches South Island v. British team ou 6th June at Dunedin, and North Island v. British team on 35th July at Auckland.” Mr M’Grath (Southland), questioned if it would be fair to the Englishmen to play only one test. •Mr M’lntyre said that one test might be no test, for a little accident might upset the whole game. Mr Dixon said the question of leave was very serious. It was not fair to the men nor to their employers to ask them to sacrifice the time required for three test 'games, and the suggestion that, three separate teams could he picked was impracticable. There were some men without whom a New Zealand team would be incomplete. Mr Sheehan (Auckland) thought it absurd to say that the employers who had let men get off: work to go to England and Australia would not give the man the necessary leave. Mr Pirani (Manawatu) said there was a weak, second-rate team coming to New Zealand. Ho hoped they would win a few games, for otherwise we would never get another team sent from England. He thought that the programme mapped out by the committee was quite difficult enough for the visitors to face. Mr F. H. Campbell took exception to Mr Pirani’s remarks. They were based on criticisms which appeared in Englsih newspapers. In New Zealand we should wait till we saw tho team play, and then criticise it. The motion was carried by a- large majority. MATCHES IN AUSTRALIA. Received May 16, 0.48 a.nr. Sydney, May IC. Tire British Rugby team has agreed to play two and probably three additional matches in Australia after its visit to New Zealand.