FOOTBALL NOTES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8392, 11 April 1907, Page 3

FOOTBALL NOTES.

(By All Black.) The Canadian Rugby Union has reduced the drop goal from 5 points to 4 points. Dodd, the ex-Wellington representative front-ranker, is now permanently situated in Oarnaru, and haa retired from active participation in the game. Cross, who han represented Otago Canterbury and Wellington, will, I hear, throw in his lot with the Poneke Club (Wellington) this year. The opening of the football season in Canterbury has been set down for April 13th. Hugh Murphy, the one-time brilliant Southland back, will be missed from the football field this season, as he has announced his intention of giving up the game. Walter Milne, an ex-Wyndhamite, who last year gained his interprovincial cap as a Southland Rugby footballer, will this year be playing for the Alhambra Club, Dunedin. Glasgow, from Taranaki, an "All Black," is now in Invercargill, and has thrown in his lot with the Star Club. Mr G. W. C. Macdonald, was unanimously elected president of the Otago Union for the ensuing year. In taking office he said that. Rugby football was now on a much higher plane than was the case some years ago. Among the large number of Rugby players fully 95 pbr cent, consisted of straightforward, manly fellows who "played the game." There were thus not more than fi per cent. of players who did not "play the game" in the way it should be played. Foothrill in Otago stootl on as high a level an anywhere in New Zealand. They had broadened the basis of football in Otago very much by their'action in bringing in country players. In order to settle the question of boundaries once and for all the New Zealand Rugby Union has drawn up a list of boundaries suggested for all ] affiliated unions. This list will be i submitted to the conference of delegates to he held at Wellington prior to the annual meeting of the New .Zealand Union, and there should be no difficulty in arriving at an understanding which will prevent trouble in the future. /

The Wellington Rugby Union is opposed to the proposal to abolish vice-presidents in the New Zealand Union. It nls>o passed resolutions that meetings of the New Zealand Union should be open to the press, and that selectors of New Zealand teams should be chosen by delegates instead of by the Management Committee. The balance-sheet presented at the annual meeting of the Wellington Rugby Union shows a surplus of assets over liabilities amounting to £1,030 9s. The assets include £7OO on fixed deposit, £IOO shares in the Athletic Park Company, £76 lis 6d credit balance insurance fund. The receipts for the last season included £lO5 refund from the New Zealand Union with interest, £46 4s clubs' subscriptions, £OS 10s defaulers' subscriptions, £923 5s Id, competition and represcntaive matches at Athletic Park,.£43 15s 2d, Athletic Park Company'.' 1 , share of surplus for 1905, and £SOO share surplus 1906 account.