FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1920, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGBY GAME. NOTES AND COMMENTS. The majority of football clubs hare already had tholr initial practices, nnd club officials are busy looking out for likely material for the respective tennis. Though it is early to forecast, it seems as if all clubs will be stronger than last year. Clifton will this year have the services of Cain, who has been nt tho war for several years. This popular representative forward played fine football for the New Zealand touring team while In England and South Africa, and should this season bo a tower of strength to both CUt'ton and Taranakl. Ho has kept iu good form through the off season by sculling. The river town will also have the services of Coutts, ex-Stratford and Taranaki representative, and Pennlall, a. Star back, who showed great promise last year. Eltham will this year have the services of Dive, the brilliant Taranakl representative threc-qiiarler of some years back. He, too, has been serving -his country. Inglewood also expects to havo the services of some new men to assist the young players who have battled so well for the club hi Ihe past. B. Roberts, the young OUalawn. back, brother of Dick of that ilk, is in the Okato district at present. inclusion shrwld greatly strengthen tho rearguard of the I'oastni club. It would he pleasing to be able to chronicle [iccession of strength to the weaker clubs who havo battled on gamely year after year. Even though they knew they had no hope of winning championship honors, they cainre up smiling week after week, Accepting victory when It came their way with the same equanimity that they accepted the defeats Ihey were so used to. It undorstoni that Ernie Ward litis infinitely decided to give up the game. Possibly Ernie may be induced to don the blue and white jersey for his old love, Tukapa, once again. New Plvmouth this year will have four teams in the field, so there is little hopo of ihe championship coming this way. However championship honors is not all that Is fo bo played for—though in some quarters there is a tendency to sacrifice much for the honor of winning the championship—and as long the New Plymouth clubs play the .same In a sportsmanllko tmanner and do their utmost to succeed, they will have the public with Ihem, win or lose.

Tho lack of interest taken by headmasters even of the larger primary schools in the Bayly Scholarship, a scholarship that was provided to perpetuate the name of one of Taranaki's greatest footballers and men, formed the subject, of discussion at tho meeting of the Taranakl Rugby Union. In the past, coinpetition has been mainly confined to pupils from tho Stratford D.HS. and New Plymouth Boys' Higli School, whereas the contention was to make the scholarship available to fairly bright primary school boys who possessed average, athletic ability. This year thero were only four lads who qualified in the educational test, anil through various circumstances only one of these lads came forward for the athletic test. As he attained the standard in several events, he was awarded the scholarship The opinion of Messrs D. J. Malone and Ryder was that the educational test was too high, and that Instead of basing the scholarship on the results of the Junior National Scholarship. It should be available to all boys under 14 who had passed the proficiency examination. This would open it to pupils attending schools who were row unable to sit for scholarship examinations. It was decided to confer with the Teachers' Institute with a view to amending the conditions in that direction.