FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 276, 1 May 1915, Page 7

FOOTBALL

LEAGUE TOUR CRITICISED. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, April 30. The Daily Telegraph, referring to the New Zealand League's decision to adhere to the tour, says the action of New South Wales sporting bodies in cancelling ordinary engagements is not due to sentiment or to the desire to repress recreation, but to enable members to drill and to go to tin; front. If the New Zealandcrs persist in coming, they will have to take the chance, that the bulk of public sympathy will be with the course New South Wales has taken. RUGBY PLAYERS AS SOLDIERS. Sydney, .April 30. An incomplete Rugby Union list shows that over tour hundred New South Wales players have enlisted. It is expected the total will reach seven hundred.

NEWS AND NOTES. The Tavanaki Rugby Union will meet next week to draw up the. fixtures for the season. It is possible that the fixtures may not be commenced until the conclusion of the casual camp, which will open next week. Many of the clubs have lost heavily through their' members having volunteered freely for the war, and those serving their country at the casual cam]) should not be called on to play in the opening matches. Football should only be run this year with the idea of keeping men (it to serve their country later if necessary. Footballers and followers of all healthy sport have shown their willingness right throughout the Empire to assist in the hour of need, and arc prepared to do much more- in this respect. The secretary of the Taranaki Rugby Union has written club secretaries, asking for a list of the men who have volunteered for the front. So far only four clubs have replied. It is hoped that all clubs will promptly give the information,, and that a roll of footballers throughout the Dominion who are nobly doing their duly may be kept and handed down as the most glorious episode in the history of the game in New Zealand. Replies have so far been received from the following clubs:— Okaiawa: 0. Mace, G. Phillips and T. Williams.

Hawera: A. Catchpolc, P. Murphy, L. Winks, C. Street, H. Whittington, L. Sheeha'n, L. Bishop, W. Grant, .T. Carruthers. K. West, L. Wills, T. Williams and R. Beamish.

Tukapa: Dawson Webster, S. Paul, Oil Hawkins, Reg Quilliam, Roy Cargo, H. Morshead, Chas. Brown, L. Leary, W. Wiley. W. Patterson and Gi. Tick-

Opunake: W. McLeod, J. McLeod, W. I.ooney, J. McSwccncy, J. Moller, AV. Surgcnor and fi. Ilickey. It has been suggested that the six senior clubs in the Northern Division should be divided into two grades this season—namely, Tukapa, Stratford and Clifton in the A grade, and Inglewood, Star and Okato in the B grade, livery club has lost heavily through the Avar, and; like last year, the matches between members of each trio will be< close, but between teams of the different grades will lie run-away wins or losses. It would create added interest in the game by playing three rounds and making compulsory byes between the grades. It would also mean that each club would have six interesting matches, and three run-away matches, as against four and six respectively last year. Moreover, travelling would be simplified. Football must be fostered this year, and the adoption of this suggestion would help matters in the north.

Clubs have been busy counting heads and getting into form. It is early yet to forecast tho respective strengths, as tlie personnel of the teams is not yet known even to the ollieials. Matters, however, should be pretty bright for football'when the season gets well under way.

The Kasper Cup competition will probably be revived down the coast this season. The, committee would be well advised if they played their matches on Wednesday, the coastal half-holiday. There are several 'players who should be playing for their district teams under the union, and these mid-week matches would leave them free for Okato or Opunake on Saturday. A coastal tournament was played at Puiigiirohu on Wednesday, and some glimpses of good play were shown. Okato eventually won. W. Rowlands (Opunake) and Kupc (Parihaka), two of last season's representatives, p'avoi* we". The Clifton Club forwarded a donation of .£l2 15s to the funds of the union, and in doing so the chairman, Mr. T. Buchanan, remarked that this was not the result of any suggestion made at the annual meeting, but of a feeling that clubs should first see that the finances of tlie parent body were in order, as unless such is kept financial it was impossible that they could carry out their proper functions in fostering the game. Stratford Club also donated ■CIS. A few similar donations and the union's finance would be assured. The Eltham Football Club is entering a junior and second junior team in tlie competition. The club hopes to be able to enter a senior team next year, when the young players have had more experience. Tlie revival of Rugby in this centre is a good thing for tl.e game, and one can only hope that in a few years Eltham will be able to raise a senior team that will uphold the best traditions of the town.

Wanganui has written, asking .the Taranaki Rugby Union to pay the usual visit on June 3, and oll'ering to play the icustomary return visit to Itaweia in Winter Show week.