ATHLETICS. [By Hippona in the " Auckland Star."]

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 360, 17 April 1889, Page 6

ATHLETICS. [By Hippona in the " Auckland Star."]

FOOTS x LL. The Klaori Football Team nro now on their way home again, and their English tour having been completed it may be worth while giving a list of their matclie«. Their record is one any team would have rea°on to be pioud of. Tney have played 79 matehe=, won 49, lo&t 20, and rliawn 5. They ha^ c scored 88 goals and 113 tries to 44 goals 60 hies tooted against them, making 387 points to 192. Beside this it will be noticed that the tooling in the Walkern match has not been cablod out. The following ip

The other week I sfcatod that I had had submitted to me the details of the pi'oposed New Zealand team for England, and that I approved of the scheme, though not at present able to publish the particulars. A short acomit of the scheme has appeared in the Gbristchurch "Referee." As the account is substantially the same as that submitted to me I give it a place in my columns, and my readers can judge of it for themselves. In reference to the expense^ question I may add that an effort is to be made to come to some arrangement with the Home authorities in the matter. It is manifestly plain to everyone who knows footballer's that no thoroughly representative New Zealand team could be got together the mem her& of which could afford to leave their vocations for ten or twelve months without remuneration. If some rule is not adopted recognising the forfeited wages of a man as part and portion of his legitimate expenses, then the laws have to be evaded in some manner that will not bear the light. We do not want this; a

New Zealand team should acfc fairly and above board. There are several minor details in the scheme that need nob be entered on here ; thoy will be dealt with when the scheme is before the Unions. "The Wellington gentleman who first mooted the idea was Dr. Newman, one of the best supporters of out door exercises to be found in New Zealand. The matter was then talked over by most of the members comprising what is known in the House of Assembly ad the ' Young New Zoaland Party,' the majority of whom are, or have ] been, good all round athletes in their days. Mr Logan (President of the Hawke'a Bay Rugby Union), another well-known athletic enthusiast, was communicated with, and he at onco willineriy gave in his adhesion to the movement, and now. we understand, there are something like twenty gentlemen who have atrieed to become responsible for the financial patt of the undertaking. Asa large amount will of necessity be required, tho enlisting of a number ot guarantors will make tho launching of the undertaking a matter of compaiative ease. In selecting the learn it is not proposed to leave the choosing of men to the various Unions, bub a couple ot the best authorities and imJgcs ot the game will bo askod to visit the chief centre" of New Zealand during tho season now commencing, with a view of forming, from personal obsct vation, an idea of bhe best men to include in the team. It is proposed to leavo f«.r Home about the end of August. The Unions will, of courso, be asked to faLhcr the venture, which, knowing the high standing of thepromoters, they will no doubt have no hesitation in doing. The matter has been bakon up purely in an amateur spiiit, and those who go will, of course, only ha\e their hotel and travelling expensos, pure and simple, dofrayod for them. Mr Logan | leit New Zealand for England this week, in tho y.s. Arawa, ostensibly for a trip, and we understand that he will on anival at once interview iVlr Rowland Hill, Societary of the English Rugby Union, with a \icw of arranging a ptogramme ot matches with tlie mo^t iinpoi tant, clubs (and including, of course, against ir.tornational teams) of the old counbiy. It is notpio-po-cd to play a largo number ut matches. This is the outline oi the programme so far, and if tho venture oven mates, which we have no doubt of it doing, we hope it will be crowned with tho success it deserves." In connection with tho above matter I clip the following from the Wellington " Evening l'le&s ":— " At the meeting of the Rugby Union a letter w:\h read Irom the Secretary of the Canterbuiy Rugby Union, stating that several gentlemen in (Jhristchuich had been asked to give their support to the mo\emenb to send a New Zealand team to England, but had dec ined fo have anything to do with the matter until it was properly put forward by the Rugby Union. He had been instructed to write to tho Wellington Rugby Union, asking if thoy hart taken the matter trp, and if so, how it stood. The CJanterbmy Union would very much like to see it cairied out, but as the idea oiiginated at Wellington they did not liko to move in the matter until asked to do so. If the matter was a private one h6 did not know what couise theCanteibuiy Union would take, but it would no doubt be guided chiefly by the action ol the Wellington Union. The letter was referred to the Management Committee.' 1 Since writing theabovethe annual meeting of the Auckland Kagby Union has been held, when the matter was bioughtup in an informal way by Air J. *\[ Biigham, one of the Vice-Pre-idents. The scheme met with no favour, and this for two reasons Those present, and almost every footballer of consequence was present, seemed to think that the propo&od team trod too clo&e on the heels of the Maoris, and they did nob like thebusinessair, tho speculative taint, thatfor lack of the clearest and fullest infoimation about the intentions of the promoters, still hangs round the scheme. A suggestion was made that instead of private individuals guaranteeing the expenses of such a team, the English Union should be asked to guarantee them. This strikes me ns a very sensible idea that might be worked out to a very satisfactory conclusion. If the English Union did not care to guarantee all the expenses, then I am sine tho dozen or so unions of New Zealand, or the more important of them, could and would guarantee a large percentage. If a really representative New Zealand team was sent Home, I feel confident that there •■we supporters ot tho local Union who would guarantee a nice round sum. The local Union could guarantee something, and if wo could gi\ e the Englishmen se\eral hundreds of pounds the Auckland public would not mind attending a benefit match, or two benefit matches, playocl at Potter's that would laise amounts worth ha* ing. I can say nothing against tho scheme as submilted to me. The only thing I might cavil at is that it is in the hands of piivate individuals, and not in those of the unions. Even tho speculative taint mentioned above vanishes when explained away in the manner it was to me, when I was shown that the promoters were bent on tho scheme, not for their own edification and the benefit ot their pockets, but for the good of the colony (everyone will admit its being a lino advei^isement), and for the good of colonial football. 1 was informed of the destination ol any surplus money, and if it is to go wheio my informant said the promotet 8 are even more disinterested than I can givo them credit for being. I will await with much curiosity the opinions ot the Southern press and of the Southern unions on the pioject. It is one deserving of every consideration, it seems practicable, and it see/ns disinterested, and if it is all the pioinoteis would have us believe it is, then 1 say by all moans let the unions adopt it. A correspondent sends me the following by wire from Nelson :—": — " The opening Club match was playod to-day in Trafalgar Park betweeti the Piince Albeit and Nelson Clubs, and after ii well-contested game resulted in a win for the Alberts i>y two points to one. The game was played under the new rules, and consequently there was a large number of free kicks forinfringement, but after a game or two, no doubt, players will get into the way of bhe rovi«ed rules all right. The game was very fact from start to finish. Infield and Bethwaite scored tor the winners and Creswell for the losers. The Alberts will have to buckle in during the next fortnight if they wish to have any show against the Poneko Clubs, who play here on Good Friday. TheOiiental Club also pays Nelson a visit ab Easter, and visits are also expected from the Wanganui and Alarlborough Clubs, so Nelson footballers will have a pretty lively time of it at Easter."'

THE RING. I had a conversation with Murphy, the light- weight boxer, this week, lie is working at his trade here and expects 1o remain in Auckland for another four or fivo weeks. He told me that after that he goes lo England by one of the direct steamers, as an English sport has made a match for him in London with an English light-weight named Johnson. If ho goes, his movements after that are hid in the mists of the future, but William has the States beaming out of the fog as his guiding star to his future destination, to the land where all boxers hope to reap a golden harvest and where many have made fortunes.

b Matches won Matches lost. Drawn. IS 0 I—" (0 j I Pad SurreyNorthampton - shire Kent 4 ! 1 •• : 10 j 1 4 i 6 Midland Connties Moselcy Bu y ton-on Trent 4 Middlesex..: Hull 10 "9 1 •■ I •• 1 Fewsbury 1 I i •• 1 e> v\ ake field ! Trinity j I jN'i'tlmm-! ibcrland.. 1 I j 1 Newcastle Coalmineis Stockton Tynemoutli i ! •• i 3 6 7 3 5 1 1 Halifax j andercrs i - i i N T ewca«tle Har 1 1 o pool Rovers C'umbei land County Carlisle Ha wick East Cumberland . Westni orel an d | i I a 14 13 j | | 1 10 14 3 2 i 'i I i 12 3 'i 2 Suinton j Liverpool Ireland (international) I " ! 9 i i [Trinity! ICol (Hub' I 13 4 I North of Ire-! land I I I 4 4 i Yorkshire ; B r ou ght on\ Rangers Wipran Club (Lancashire) ILan cash ire County I I Bat Icy 1 10 6 1 Mnnelly Wales (intermit ) i 8 5 1 3 5 Swansea Newporl I 5 3 ■ "a nli ft" Buulfoid 1 1 "4 4 1 Leeds Parish Church Kirkstall Club' Bright h ou sci Rangers Huddersficld. I 6 7 3 6 Warring ton. Spen Valley. Somersetshire Devonshire . Gloucestersh'r Midland C 0... Blflckheath . United Service CaMlefovd .. Yorkshire.. AH England •• I, iSt'ekp'rt 1 4 7 3 3 7 4 8 17 13 4 6 9 10 0 2 3 0 4 9 1 8 0 6 0 8 7 6 3 9 1 16 7 14 1) 1 1 3 0 7 1 7 6 0 0 4 3, 6 0 3 1 1 London \V( ]sh Cambridge. Oxford Manninschaui.. S f . John's Leigh Run corn Oldham Bar.- Kuril's Halifax Bav.-Furncs Widucss Manchester Wai kern St. Helen's Rochdale Hor York . . 9 7 10 4 1 3 3 Hull 1 0 0 3 1 1 1 Widness Leighton ..'