"Playing the Game.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 75, 28 November 1913, Page 5

"Playing the Game.”

TARAiNAKi’S RUO3Y MEN.

THEIR GENTLEMANLY CONDUCT.

At last night’s meeting of the Rugby I niou two letters were received from the managers of last season’s touring teams. Mr T. Buchanan, manager of the team which went to Auckland, wrote: “I would just like to say that the position ot manager of the team was one of pleasure from home to home. I hey were the finest lot of men that one could have charge of, and to show how quiet they were, iu the hotel it was admitted hy some of the other guests that they were not aware of the tact that a team ot footballers were in the house. Prior to our leaving, tlie landlord called us all into a room and expressed his appreciation of the conduct ot the team. He said that

they were undoubtedly the quietest lie had had in the place, and when he could say that not a complaint was made hy one member of the staff about their conduct he was saying a greatdeal, for as a rule members of football teams were at least a little careless in regard to bathrooms and linen, hut not so in the case of the Taranaki team. They were men to be proud of, for even the success of winning the much-coveted shield did not cause them to run riot or suffer from swelled head. The way they won the shield is now history, and no more popular win could have been recorded. The Auckland Fnion and* Auckland public were kindness itself and made our too short stay most enjoyable,' a fact that every member of the team and visitors who accopanjed ns were loud in their praises of.” Mr R. Masters, one of the joint managers of representative team which toured to Manawatu, Wellington, and Wairarapa, wrote: “We should like to voice our appreciation of the behaviour of the representative team while on tour. It would be impossible to find a body of men to behave both on and off the field in a more creditable manner than the 1913 team has done. They did all they could to uphold the reputation Taranaki footballers have already attained and wherever we went we were congratulated on having such a well-be-haved and manly set of men. We should also like to acknowledge the many kindnesses received by the various I niqns we visited, who did their utmost to make the tour as pleasant as possible.” j \ fil .