FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 187, 12 August 1904, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALAND v. BRITAIN. (For Press Association.) WKLIJNGLON, August 11 The following will play for Now Zealand against Brituin on Saturday :—Full-back. K. McGregor ; threcquartors, Wallace, Harper, D. McGregor ; five-erghths, Wood, Stead ; ■half, Harvey ; winrf-forward, D. Gallagher ; forwards'. A. McMlnn, Tyler (front). Fanning (lock). Cross, Glenn Seeling (supports), Nicholson (rearranker). THE RANFUIILY SHIELD. Possessing a shrewd idea that the Wellington team should have a good chance of winning the Ranturly Shield thiß year the Taranaki Union challenged both Auckland and Wellington, Auckland having held it since laic close of the 1902 season. The shiek! having found its way to Wellington .t is now necessary for fifteen to visit the Emp'ire City in order to play the challenge game. An exchange gives a brief outline of the conditions on which the Ranfurly Challenge Shield was presented to the New Zealand • Rugby Union by our late Governor. Briefly, the rules drawn up when the shield was handed over in 1902, provided for the New Zealand Union allotting the troph) to the union whose representative team it considered had best record of the year, and it was handed to the Auckland Union after the conclusion of the seasons' intorprovincials. The Auckland Union hold it subject to the i i(»4it of challenge by any affiliated union, but cannot be called upon to play more challenge matches in the seawm than the management committee of the Now Zealand. Hugby Union considers advisable. Challenges must be declared beforehand to the New Zealand Union and union holding the ehield, and matches must be played on the ground of the holder of the shield for the time being. Unions desiring to play a challenge match must give notice to ttio New Zealand Union of such desire, not later than the end of August in each year, the New Zealand Union retaining the right to declare which, if any, of the challenges shall be allowed No matches for the shield can be played after.the last Saturday la September, The Auckland representative t*«m this season again lacks an absolutely reliable place-kicker, and in this dec partment it will suffer by comparison with Wellington, which has the services of Wallace, who can find the crossbar with monotonous regular r!ty J udjpßl 'both on reports and results, says an Auckland writer, the Turanaki team this year is a good one, particularly in the forward division. i> or some years past the players from the butter country have not' been better served as far as forwards are' ooncerned than is the case this season. In the information supplied yesterday by the postal authorities regarding the transmission of the result of the Otago-British football match, the time should, have been live minutes, not fifteen minutes. A message from Dunedin to Sydney, via the Pacific, got through! to three minutes. Mr Symo has picked the following team to play in the Taranaki-British match :—Full-iback, Fookes ; threequarters, Thompson, Hunter, Abbott ; live-eighth, Mynott; half, Frewin; wings, Glasgow and Guy ; forwards, McMlnn, Wilson, O'Sullivan, Douglas, Thomas, McKay, and Glenn. (Thompson is a Wangenui man, and McMlnn is a Manawatu playerj) Yesterday afternoon on the He creation ground a match was played between the New Plymouth butchers and the trainers and jockeys, the latter winning hy 12 points to 3. About £5 was taken in aid of the hospital annexe fund. Playing behind the scrum at Hawera on Wednesday, Frewin, in spite or some very hard knocks, showed up well, his work all round being generally remarked upon in oomplimontarv terms. Thus the Opuwake Times football scribe : It is to be hoped that Taranaki will n ot g 0 outside of the district for players in tho match fcgnius* Hritain. It was originally intended as a West Coast team, but Wanganui and Manawatu Unions declined io participate. If the .tendency is to go outside the district for raon they are bogging and shirking a pofr ition that would be considered an honour to fill by Taranaki players. We havo billed and trumpeted Taranaki 's colours in this coming, match Let us stand or fall by it. Those who are afraid to trust their own -•ountryrnen gro 'unsoplustica,ted"cocktails." The gates «,t the Athletic Park for the New Zealand-British match will be opened at 11 a.m, on Saturday. As soon as the grounds aVe full it is proposed to close the entrances and put up notices. This evening hia Excellency the Governor is to entertain the members of 'the English team and the New Zealand representatives at a smoke concert at Government House. Apart ' r om the- : members;., of the teams, who number some 'forty-five all told—the guests will be strictly limited, but will incluUe the Bight Hon. the Premier.T-New Zealand Times.

■Shopman" having written to the IVuirurupa Daily limes to mention casually that ho knows at least, two shop assistants a t Maßitortom who Intend to see the Great Britain-New Zealand football match, even at the risk of losing their situations, the editor retorts as follows :—"We IDcommend that a medical opinion be obtained as to the mental condition of the young men wlio risk good bullets to witness football matches." At a school on the Waimato Plains —Teacher (to class of boys) : "Can you give mo the meaning of the word 'invincible' ?" Urchjn (putting his hand up immediately) : "Please, sir, the Waimate footballers !"

Such travesties of the good old Uritiah cheer as were hoard at Hawera on Wednesday would moke an angel weep mvd the lip of a British bluejacket cur) with disdain. There was ft dragging element in TQranaki's salvo, and want of life, while Wellington's " 'p ray, 'p ray, 'p ray," given in short, jerky gasps in about three seconds, was ludicrous in the extreme. Taranaki men should be taught to cheer, a really solid "hip, hip, hurrah," from fifteen throats forcibly. Btcadily, and Jointly given. The idea is mooted of taking up a shilling subscription in order to make the Taranaki Rugby Union financial. The team certainly deserves i a controlling body in funds, and I probably tn'e matter will receive good support. The idea of subscriptions is nauseous just now, and prohibitive legislation is prayed for by some. liefore that comes into force, give, and remember ho gives twice who gives quickly. A copy of the new football sony " Ililng Out Dat Taanv" composed by Mr Leon. L. Smith, q( Now l'lymouUi, is to hand. The words are arranged with the nogro element predominating throughout, and the aJi goos with all the swing of a good plantation melody. The opening words set out that " Darktown am upset, it's nffeotod ono nnd. all, there's a challingc coi..i' Horn Jacksonville to play us at (ootball." The music was arranged by Mr E. A. Golding. Messrs. Hooker and Co. have published tho piece, the coVer rather attractive from, a liarkeytown point of v(ew,