THE NEW ZEALAND

RUGBY FOOTBALL ANNUAL 1885.

All over the world football Is annually becoming a more popular game, and it is satisfactory to be able to note that we in New Zealand are not behind-hand in our appreciation of the manly sport. From Invercargill to the Bay of Islands clubs are everywhere springing up. School, colleges, traders, districts and industries send out teams to represent them. Whatever difficulties New Zealanders may find in the way of continual practice in cricket, the climate suggests football as pre-eminently our national game, in which we ought to be easily first. In this colony it may be observed that Maori’s and English are equally fond of the great Rugby game, and are alike good at it.

In another column is chronicled the table of victory in New South Whales, where a representative team last year won eight matches out of eight played in Australia.

Having shewn that New Zealand need not fear to be measured by a standard outside their own islands, I venture to express a hope that we shall ere long see an English team coming round the world to try their manhood against ours in the football arena. When forty days will bring such a team to their first match here, the task of bringing them out does not seem too Herculean. It would be a Gala for the lovers of the game to have fifteen from the old country, to beat us, if so the gods will, or perchance, as all good columnists will pray, to suffer defeat at our hands. The temptations we could offer our visitors in the way of scenery and so forth would count for much if bare expenses were forthcoming.

Now I have a word of advise to offer to our Unions on the desirability of adopting a uniform method of scoring. At present some Unions score by goals and tries, while others score by points. My strong opinion is that all should score by points. Who has not seen many a game where the manifest superiority lies on one side who have kept the ball three fourths of the time in the opponents’ twenty-five, and scored repeated tries- while a lucky kick from the field has given a goal to the other- and a nominal victory? At any-rate whatever method is adopted it ought to display a rigorous uniformity if out annual annals are to tell the reliable history, and not display the eccentricities of mediaeval legendary lore.

I make many apologies in anticipation for the errors and shortcoming in the first annual. I know that patience is not a virtue common amongfootballers, it is conspicuous by its absence as a rule. Still I ask my friends when they meet with an error to content themselves with a – mark.

To those gentlemen who have furnished me with reports and information I take this opportunity of tendering my most sincere thanks.

S. E. SLEIGH.
DUNEDIN, March 1, 1885