FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 121, 13 May 1908, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

The following will play fur Slur 111. ag.lin.,l Clifton at Wailara: —S. Ricliardo, I. Lcaland, T. .Martin, S. McMillan, J. Martin, J. Stuck man, J. Carroll, L. Richards, ,1. Skipper, K. Tounili, A. Evans, Shearer, F. Jlealey, \\. Woods. A. Richards (captain), \. West. A brake will leave Ambury's collier at IIUOII.

I lie billowing will play ior Star .■>eiiior B against clitton seniors at W'aiUira next jUiur.-iid.v:—(.;. Hawkins, h. Haskell, J.', smiih, (_•. Junes, K. PfauMirli, s. Main, A. L. Dixon, \\. pvcroft >-. Urown, M. Mckoy, 1\ Kennedy, S.' Stroud, J. Huskiu, li. yuil.iam, A.' Setlord.

The following mill represent Ukatj seniors to play Pihuma at Pihaiua on Saturday next:—E. Lecdoiu, L. Andrews, IS. Anderson, Sullivan, A. Guy, McCulluui, li. Carey, .1. Doyle. P. Caroy, P. Julian, li. .luliaii, E. larking, 11. Andrews, F. Voysoy, and li. Julian. The secretary of the Star Uul> Inu received a donation of il lroni Mr. E. Dockrill.

Mr. A. L. Humphries, one of the selectors of the North Island team, will probably remain in Wellington for the reception ol the Uritiiih team on .Monday. There are. two players named "J. P. Jones" among the three-quarter backs in the British touring team. In order to avoid confusion, the reprcientative of Muuniuuth is known as "Polity, whilst his namesake, who hails from Kent, is vailed "'iuan." "It New Zealand is not to be abandoned t" professionalism, the vinii of the British team is a necessity.'—Mr. li. 11. Haruell, manager of the team, in a B peeeh prior to .caving England. Tht attendances at the ltnghy U'ague matches at Sydney on ijlh April are stated to have been somewhat disappointing, the largest crowd numbering IoOU. The receipts at the recent. Ireland v. Scotland match at Dublin just .fell short of four figures. The previous 1 record for a Rugby match in Ireland was .tUo'7. Owing to a recent injury to tile muscles of his leg, the captain of the la.it British Rugby learn that toured -New Zealand (D. li. ISedell-Sivrighl), i, not likely to lie seen again in international matches.

G. \V. Smith made his appearance at Oldham the other Saturday iu his new capacity as a member of' the Oldham Xorthoru Union professional team. Smith was in the three-quarter line, and played a very sound game. On one occasion he secured the ball in his own quarter, and, evading a host of opponents, gave his winger a clear run in. The referee ruled tint -New inlander's pass to be forward, hut another break-away on the part of 'the Oldham backs ended in Smith scoring a try. l.eeils. the opposing team, were, lieaten by 24 points to ."). L. 11. Todd, the other New Zealander who luin joined the .Northern Union, also took the Held the same dav, ami helped Wigan to defeat Bradford.' In connection with the action of the Taranaki Rugby Union in refusing to aliow the. s ( i- mutch, okaiawa v. i'atea, to be postponed and declaring it forfeited to I'atea. Dr. Fookes, a member of the executive, has been good enough to explain to us the circumstances of the case ami the reasons actuating the committee in arriving at the | decision it did. He explained that on | the morning of the match— just, as a matter of fact, when the I'atea team was entraining—a .wire was received that it would forfeit the match. A few days afterwards a letter was received by I'atea from the Okaiawa Club thanking the Patea Club for agreeing to the "postponement of the match." I'atea had not even been consulted as to postponing the match, the wire received irmii Okaiawa intimating that Okaiawa intended to forfeit, and, of course, the letter came as a big surprise, and was treated as the by-play of an ollicial not. devoid of a sense of humor. I'atea, however, had no objection to the match being treateu as a postponed one, providing the Union would raise no objee tioii. But, Dr. Fookes said, the Union had been quite ignored iu the matter. It knew nothing ii'bout Okaiawa'-wi-hert or intentions. News of Mr. •loll's death was known in Okaiawa on the Friday morning, and I here was, the Union held, ample time for the Okaiawa Club to have consulted both the Union and the I'atea Club in regard to postponing llie match. In these circumstances the Union, while sympathising wiib the Okaiawa Club- had no option but to declare the match forfeited to I'aVa. We are indebted lo Or. Fookes

I to,- the above information. From the iialnrallv curtailed report of il„ dclilicrati >ns. it certainly looked as though the I i. on had treated Okaiawa in an uutcc'iug ami harsh manner; but in Ihe li»-:| of the above fio-ts. the blame mils! 1..- placed on Okaiawa. who ought at lea i lo have consulted I'atea about postponing the match, and not. as il did. have intimated its forfeiture of the engagement and afterwards treated it as a postponement. Had it lieen that th ■ po-lponeinent was mutually agreed up.mi, as we thought was the case, and th- Union then have declared the match forfeited because of its not lieing acquainted with the arrangement, we would, considering Ihe exceptional portion Okaiawa was placed in at the time, havo thought the Union just as callous and unreasonable as we said in yesterday's issue. Air. P. Skoghmd. secretary of the Itugby Union, writes on the sanio matte-, inter alia, he says: "The Okaiawa Club wrote to the Union stating thai i'atea had agreed to postpone flic matches, and asked the I iiion to endorse the agreement. Had (lie above statement been the facts of the case, no doubt the Union would have granted the request of the Okaiawa Club: liow-S'-ar. it was found that Okaiawa had wired Pa lea to say that they were forfitting both matches for the '2nd inst.. and it ,was not until Mrmdav. 4th im»l.. thev wrote In Patea asking them to plav the matches on a later dale. To this letter the Patea Club had not replied at the date of the Union meeting, and had not agreed to play the matches on a later date, as stated by the Okaiawa Club. Under the circumstances the Union had no option hut to declare the . forfeited by Okaiawa. Should • an application come before the committee from both the Patea and Okaiawa Clubs to plav the matches later on. the matches to count for the championship, the application w-uld probably recciv a favorable hearing." We hope the clubs will make the application and the matches be played.