RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 66, 7 March 1908, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

BRITISH TEAM FOR NEW ZEALAND. London, March .i. The Hujjli.v I'nion team which i- to tour New Zealand consists of twentyeight players, including eight iiilcriiationiiU. "A. F. Harding, ol Middlesex, i, captain, J. MeE\cdy, of Kent, vicecaptain, and Mr. George Hainnictt maiia-

THE FULL TEAM. Received tith, 1(0.30 p.m. London, March 0. The following is the British Rugby team to tour New Zealand:—

Full backs: Dyk c (of Glamorgan) and Jackett (Cornwall). Three-quarters: R. Gibbs and J. L. Williams (Glamorganshire), Grtfiths and Jones (Monmouthshire), McEvedy and Jones (Kent), Chapman (Durham), and VasSall (Somersetshire). Halves: Davcy (Cornwall), Laxon (Midlands), \V. Morgan (Kent), G. Williams (Lancashire). Forwards: Archer, Dibble, Down, Kyke (oSmersetshirc), R. Green E. Morgan, and L. Thomas (Glamorgan) YV. Oldham (Midlands), Ritson (Northumberland), Jackson (Cornwall), J. 1". Williams and Harding (Middlesex), Wilson (Cumberland), and another. The team is considered a fairly representative one. They will probably return to England via Australia and Canada. THE TEST MATCHES.

Wellington, Friday. Disoussing the proposal of the Otago Rugby Union that three test matches should be played against the British team, Mr. G. Dixon, chairman of the executive committee of the New Zealand I Rugby Union, states that the question of playing more than one test was considered when the itinerary was drawn up. The principal objection to the playing of more than one match was that valuable players who could obtain leave from their employers to visit Wellington for one test match might not he able to obtain the necessary leave for. say, three matches in three different centres. The absence of a player from his work on three occasions might seriously inconvenience employers mid it also had to be remembered that no allowance was made to a player by the Union for loss of wages. He felt sure that employers would readily allow extended leave for one match, in which event the team would be able to practise together in Wellington for some days prior to the contest. II C felt confident the executive's decision was the proper one.