FOOTBALL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 9009, 19 December 1907, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

A South Island member of 'the New Zealand football team now touring the distric*, in England under the jurisdiction of the Northern Rugby Union, writes follows to a resident of Masterton: --"The footballers in the Northern R"gby Union play very roughly. We have had several men hurt. Amongst those on the injured list are Watkins, Wrigley, Gilchrist and Wynyard. Wrigley is suffering from an injured ankle, and will have .to stand down for a few games. Several of the members are la ; d up with colds. The grounds we have played on up till now (November 4th) have been very rough. They play such a different game here to what we are used to that we really have to learn to play all over again. We expect to be defeated several times before the end of the tour. Our toughest games will be Hunslet and Hull—Kingston Rovers. On our return home we will play matches in Sydney.,, Our tour is, I believe, going to bo a bigger financial success than that of the 'All'Blacks.' A New South Wales team will visit England next season, and our captain ("Bumper" Wright) has been asked by the secretary of the New South Wales team to select six of the best players in the New Zealand team for inclusion in the 'Cornstalks' team. We are being treated right royally everywhere, and the tour is really a picnic on a big scale. At St. Helens we were entertained by a millionaire to a dinner, and in the evening to a champagne supper."