FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 85, 30 March 1908, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

TREATMENT OF I'LAYEKS.

THE PROFESSIONAL MOVEMENT.

i I'er Press Association. • I Auckland, Saturday Night | -UaiH complaints were made bv in- . jured player, of l< U gby footbu'll in ( Auckland last season that while tliev were turning out week by week at ,-i t fMs im f l '',r nd r' iudlle , lltally UUiu s the =»flns of the I 1)1011 by the gates tliev it traded, yet when they were unt'ortii "ait week /" iujured tho >' out f,d -n,- T7, Ua >» th « ""WLu.- rhls t<in,l «' ll to Strain tii.wlatiouship between the officer, 0 f t ha ar „, ( " ,e , bein « USC(I l ° build a large bank balance, and when in that mood are likely to listen to thi voice of tUe professional tempter. Locally the fi™f e f lonal mov emeni appears to have out, although a few wecU ago the man in the street" was saying tint that° th°" ij' e n"''' tei "" S stal ' ,eil > Ml|J that the tden District Cricket Club's grounds had been secured. A, vet nothing has developed.

Enquiries have elicited the fact that the fcden authorities have not yet been approached by the professional promoters as to the renting of their ground The, promoters may be, like "brer rabwt, laying low and awaiting the arnvalof the team now on its way from Ellwand, but if that were the casa surely tongues would wag.

' "AXC.WTI RL'W!Y L"XIOX. Per Press Association. T , Wanganui, Last Night. Ihe annual meeting of the Wanmnui Hugliy Lnioji was held on Saturday uvening The following officers were ulected for the ensuing vear:— Patron Mr. Walter Empson (re-elected*; presi-' dent, Mr y. Spriggens (re-elected); vice-pres,dents, Messrs. Tilley, Simpson, and Dust In; secretary, Mr. K. Dunklev; hon. treasurer, Mr. I, Craig; auditors Messrs. Hntherley and Pickering; vie-, president „f the New Zealand Rugby I nop, Mr IV. Emp,on; delegates to the Liiwn. Messrs. H vnms ~m | ]\Wnallmanagement committee, Messrs Crav JjESPT'i? T - Bl>ll (Kaireau), TreloaV ( irates), Bassctt (Uld Boys), Pownail Ullego), Brown (Aramoho), Markham \i««' „, Bclection committee, Messrs. Tilley, Wesney, and Corbv

OTAGO RUGBY UNION

Per Press Association.

Dunedin, Last Night. The annual meeting of the Otaso Rugby football Union was held last njght. Ike president, Mr. G W C Macdonald, referred to the fact that' last season the professional team left the Dominion for England. No man was more strongly opposed to professionalism than he was, but he ceitainlv thought that the over-stringent nib- n'i the amateurism adopted by the Kindish l.ugby I liion had led to thf estaliiishinent of professionalism. |f n| am . who went on tour with an iiiterprmineial team lost his wages, why should f!,,. union not make up his wages? The man did not get his living bv the game. It was resolved, "That it be a iwoinmendation to the committee of management, to ins tract its delegates to (lie New Zealand Rugby I nion to move lor a conference or the setting up of a committee to go thoroughlv into the rules of the game, with the object of their improvement, and that the decisions of the conference or suggestions of the committee be passed on to the English . won." It was also resolved, "That it be an instruction to the delegates to the New Zealand 'Union to bring before the annual meeting of the Union the question of the programme of the British teams tour, with a view to having test matches substituted fo>' matches against the North and South Islands." Mr. J. Hutchison was elected president.

THE ASSOCIATION GAME. Per Press Association. Auckland, Saturday Night. A return showing the financial result r '' tITe Brown Shield Association matches held here last season show's that a sum of 02 12s lid ha* been netted by the New Zealand Football Association. The total receipts were i'tt!) 8# 6d. It has been mooted locally that the Brown Shield matches should be played tliis season at Wellington, instead of at Dunedin. Such a proposal i< considered a fair one, in that Wellington have travelled the last two season* to contests, whereas Otago have devoted the money available I. > send away a team to the buving of .1 (.■round. Ijocal followers of tlu- "Soccer" code consider it only fair that Wellington be given a chance to reconstruct- their finances.

It is understood locally that the proposed visit to England by a Xew Zealand team i J rather premature, M:\ Richardson deserves credit for his efforts to bring about the trip and tor the trouble he has been to to make preliminary arrangements, but the question of finance is rather a big one for the New Zealand Football Association to tackle. However, the action of the Association, when it has perused the correspondence that Mr. Richardson has received, will be awaited with interest.

HAW ERA ASSOCIATION CLUB. The annual meeting of the Hawera Association Football Club, reports the Star, was held on Thursday night, there being a good attendance of members. •Mr. Stapleton presided. The election of officers resulted «s follows:—President, Mr. U Frost; vicepresidents, Messrs F. Basham, Halliwell, Aitken, F. Edwards, .1. Campbell, G. L. Pearee. ■). Hicks. C. E. Major, M.P., Drs. Brown, Deck, and Reeve; committee, Messrs. Stapleton, Ohadwiek, Keen, Foden. and Nichoi; secretary and treasurer, Mr. W. Smith; auditor, Mr. Turton; delegates to the Union, Messrs Frost and Nichoi; selection committee, Messrs. Keen, Edwards, and Foden; club captain, Mr. Stapleton. Two teams will lie entered for the senior competition, provided there ars no junior championship fixtures, and la the event of the latter being arranged, senior and junior teams will be entered. The delegates to the Union were instructed to endeavor to get throe rounds played, and also to bring up the matter of having the southern portion of the province divided into two sections., viz., that Auroa and Kaponga A and B play a series of matches, and Eltham and Hawera. The object of dividing the district was to do away with travelling to Auroa. At the end of the season the premier team in each division to play off for the southern champion-hip. It was resolved to urge upon th.> union th(> playing of the game among schoolboys. It was decided, on the suggestion ol Mr. Campbell, that the Taranaki Union be ssked to communicate with the New Zealand Union on the matter of sending a New Zealand second-grade team HOBie at the end of the present season, and do its utmost to further the project.

THE PROFESSIONAL OAMK. Th" following article. taken from a riwnt English paper, gives the rules which differ in amateur and professional Rugby football at Home:

The number of players on eac-h side is 13—full, four three-quarters, two halfbacks, and six forward?. (R-T., T"> aside).

The half-backs must keep behind their back row of forwards when the lull 5s being scrummaged. (R.U. lialf-back-: need only be behind the ball). Players who are in front of the kieker (on their side) am oll'-side if within an area of live yards from the individual who is waiting to catch the ball. ([»'., ten yards is the penalty area).

The ball if kicked direct into touch (except from a penalty) is brought back to the place where it was kicked from and then scrummaged. (li.l\, louehkioking is cultivated). In the Northern t'nion there i* no line out. The ball is scrummaged when kicked or carried into touch.

"Playing the ball" differs from the amateur rule, but is most simple. In the Northern Union the player held must get up and jjut the ball down in front of him. This prevents indiscriminate "lunging,'' and is much less dangerous to the player than the amateur rule.

The secretary of the Association Football Club in Kaponga (Mr. F. Oliver) has received word from the Diamond Football Club, Wellington, definitely stating that its team will visit Kaponga on Easter.