FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

THE RUGiBY LEAGUE. PAYMENTS PREVENT -TOUR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, April 13. It is authoritatively stated that the New Zealand Rugby League team cannot. participate in the Australin tour in England, proposed by the New South Wales League. Neither will a New Zealand team visit Sydney this season, though arrangements were practically completed. This is owing to the arrangements that the profits of the tour shall be equally divided amongst tlie players, this being a breach of the New Zealand League constitution. Mr. M‘Lean (president) and Mr. Oakley (secretary), of the Rugby League, stated that they realised at once that participation in the Australasian tour would be a direct breach of their own constitution and that any asociation with Australia in the proposed English tour would render its players who participated professionals. DIFFICULTY MAY DISAPPEAR. FURTHER DECISION TO-NIGHT. Auckland, Last Night. The football trouble will have to be discussed by the League to-morrow night. It is not anticipated that the offer made in connection with the English t6Ur will interfere with the tour of Australia, and it is hoped if possible to overcome the difficulty regarding the English tour as well. NEW SOUTH WALES’ CASE. THE POSITION EXPLAINED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn —Copyright. Received April 13, 10 p.m. Sydney, April 13. The publication of a cable from Auckland stating that the New Zealand Rugby League has decided not to send a team to Sydney this year because of the New South Wales League’s decision to pay members of the team a certain weekly sum and divide the profits of the tour among the players is a breach of the New Zealand constitution, caused surprise to the New South Wales League. Mr. Miller, the League secretary, states it is intended to pay professional members of the team visiting England £4 5s weekly. The New Zealand League had already written agreeing to make a visit on the term's forwarded to them and thanking the League for considering New Zealand players in the selection of the Australasian side to tour England. So far as Mr. Miller knows everything was settled. He is cabling to New Zealand to ascertain if the Auckland cable is correct and the reason for the decision, which he believes has been reached under a misapprehension. He points out that the rules of all amateur bodies permit professional and amateur footballers to play together, and also that the League’s constitution was used to provide only travelling and hotel expens’es for amateurs, but following on the decisions of a recent conference amateur bodies decided to allow in addition the out of pocket * expenses permissible by amateur bodies.

Mr. Miller feels sure that when the true position is explained to the New Zealand League the latter will adhere to its original decision to participate in the triangular series of matches arranged for .Tune in order to enable the best available side to be sent to England. Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

MATCH AT KAPONGA. Yesterday afternoon the Kaponga sen. iors played a team picked from members of the senior hockey team, the match ending in favoK of the hockey men by 11 points to 8. ' The seniors, who were much the heavier team, had all the best of things in the first few minutes of the game and scored' eight points, and the totfn remained at this for the remainder of the spell. In the second half the opposing team opened up the game and scored eleven points. For the winners tries were scored by Hammersley, Jeffrey and Priest, CHumphries converting one. Malone scored two tries for the Kaponga Football Club, of which one was converted by Scott. Mr. C. Crowley r«fere«d.