FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 13 June 1907, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

The Great Public Schools Rugby team (Sydney) will not go to New Zealand this season. The authorities in New Zealand generally acted in a poor spirit, hence the falling through of the proposal. Fortunately the unions in New South Wales have been more generous (says a Sydney paper). The Australian agreement will reach its termination with the visit of the New Zealand team to Australia tin's ye.ir. There will probably lie a conference between representatives of .the New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand unions -during the visit of the team from Maoriland.

The Rugby outlook is bright, in England (says an exchange), and if matters progress as they have, been doing, ve may see a revival in the northern counties, ami the realisation of want once seemed a vain dream —all the English public schools playing Rugger—Eton and Harrow are setting the others an example. The president of the English Football League gave some excellent advice to referees in a. speech he made recently. He held that referees were responsible for the conduct of a game, and they should study the laws in their quieter moments, and then get assiduous practice on the field of play. There was a great difference between theory end practice. The Wellington correspondent of the Auckland Star says:—Wellington Rusbyites in general express their satisfaction with the New Zealand team selected to meet N.S.W. and Quensland ami a combination of the forces from those States in July ami August next. The exclusion, however, of such great_ forwards as Cross and Byrne is commented upon, more particularly when it is reported that Mr D- Gnllaher, who saw the latter playing in a club match last Sitiirday, was very favorably impress* with his capabilities. Seeling at Mis best was never superior to the Petnne representative as he is playing now. It is said that Byrne was not considered because he had" not signed the declaration on the day the team was chosen. It will, by leaving the latter player behind loose one of the dashiest loose forwards in the colony. Exception is 'alien in different quart-rs to the inclusion of George Spencer, Tyler, Cunningham, and Johnstone. Followers of the game say that the attacking power of the ]!)i)3 team and the "All Blacks'' was much deadlier than is to he found in the present combination. The defence, 'however, seems to be sounder and solider.