FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8549, 5 October 1907, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

Apropos of the professional team's visit to England, an old player who was at one time captain of a Northern Union club has been giving his views on the subject of the tour:—"lf they send Home a team as strong as the 'All Blacks' I think they will win almost as easily as that team did against the Rugby fifteen, but not quite so easily. I should judge that about £B,OOO is as much as they could expect to take in a tour of 27 matches. They have fine grounds there which will accommodate 25.000 people; but I think 10.000 would be a fair average, wet or fine. Some of the players expect to get positions as coaches • and so on after the tour. Well, most of the positions as coaches are filled, but I expect that Ihey will have no difficulty in being taken on as players. They will get, say, £IOO down each, and perhaps £4 a week salary. Then, if they want to work, positions will be found for them at fair salaries. When their playing days are over the sooner they get out of it the better for them, for their positions will be wanted for somebody else. As soon as a man is no longer a good player, out-he goes, and he can look after himself. Wales is full of derelict players from-the Northern Union who have been unable to stand the strenuous game of the north. Of course, they cannot play again under the Rugby code, and they are thus absolutely frozen out."