The New Zealand Football Team.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7950, 13 October 1905, Page 2

The New Zealand Football Team.

AI'CKLAN!) .MKMItKH ItKSCKHUCS TIIK JIOiIK TJUi>. TlfK DAILY CO(!ItSK UK THALVIN («, ,r (; - Sn'iith. 4he •well-known Auckland and mom. boJ ot thr New //oniawl f football team now louring Kng-laud, seirds the following intvrefttiivg U«Lti*r (j>o»t- ---! od at IMymouth on September Bj, detailin'gj the doings o-f the men aiid th-o happenings tm the way to the Old Country on-hoaixl the s.s. Himutaka. •lust a few lines to let friends know how things are g'oing with the teanu As you know, we Jell Wellington en .July HO 011 the s.s. Himutaka. We had two or 'three iimj days for a start, tmt . a fter thd fourth -day out. we ran into a galo that will live -in tire memory of the bo,\s for many a long One and all 01 us- would have given £3I)U (o havo set foot on drv land; we diil not igiv ( ? football a thought" for the time being'. it was the worst g-aK- the captain had ever experienced. This was his olth trip on the route, 'l ive 'liuge seas flashed over the Vessel ami lore up the promenade deek for a length- of loft. You should have seen the faces of the boys when this happened. Hough weather conlinued until we made Cape Horn, when we ran into smooth water ag'ain, and were very thankful for it. We -had bkien I*l days making' the Cape, and training: was out of the question . 1 j "}Vc have, however, since started i training, and 'I think the team will arrive in first-class form. \ was elected on Hie advisory committee on training for the trip Home.,mid ev. cry morning- the men started training at ten o'clock. They ran about the -deck lor a 'pipe-opener,' and then the forwards lvad their scrum work, after which the -whole team go through physical drill. The backs Ihi n go through a course of passing with the ball. There has bren no serious sen-sickness on the trip, but several jaeeidents' have occurred. (lOOi'ge (Jillet cut Ivis eve open | through falling on the l deck ; W. Johnston had a fait, and tooIT tin skin oil both his- shins. Blood poisoning set in, and he is onlv now getting bvtler ng<ain. I). is suflering from a strain, and wi7l not Ijo able to play for some time, while seperal of live others are suffering from boils.

"We Ivave had « grand time since we rounded Cape ll'orn. At Montd Video we had a day 'ashore, anil after leaving for TenerilTe we had sports ivn li|oard. They wont oil' very well, \limmy' Hunter was the big-' g(si prize-winner, 'and . ho deserved his success, for he was very clever al live gunies on the programme. I 1 did not take an.\ pari myself, as competitors run too much risk c:n Iho hard deck, j " Tvn-cril¥e was reached on Satur- j day. September *_!. We had a run I ashore from six Jill ten p.m.. nnd lefv again for Clymouth on Sunday, al ten a.m. On Monda.v night a fancy dress ball was hold on dock, audi was a great success. Ovorge ,Nicholson look lirst. prize for the best 'get up.' His costume was that of a

tramp. He looked and -acini tin.* part to perfection, and was awarded the prize by ballot. (leorge Tyler took second prize, appearing as a 'cootv.' 1 don't think I have anything more to say ivlmtil the voyage. Home. Wv* are at the crnl of our sea journey. We will reach 'Plymouth at lour o'clock 10-morrow morning/' —N.Z. llrraid.