The Spike or Victoria College Review, June 1908
Matches with Sydney University
Matches with Sydney University.
Following on the preliminary meeting held in Auckland at Easter, 1907, when delegates from the Football Clubs of the University College decided that it was desirable to inaugurate home and home matches with Sydney, considerable investigation of the more serious obstacles to the success to the scheme has taken place with the result that when a definite invitation was received from the Sydney U. F. C. to visit New South Wales in Jul 1908, it was at once accepted, and arrangements have now been made to send a team which will for the first time represent the University of New Zealand.
The chief difficulties to overcome have been those of finance and selection. The cost of the trip will be about £250. On this occasion the burden will not fall on New Zealand as the expenses of travelling and entertainment are to be borne by the home team, while individual members will meet their own hotel and personal expenses. At the same this, Sydney could not be allowed to incur such expense this year unless we were prepared to undertake a similar liability in 1909, when they visit New Zealand.
Messers. T. A. Hunter. Of Wellington, F. T. Evans, of Christchurch, and Dr. Hunter, of Dunedin, have work, certain trial matches are to be played. On June 24th Canterbury College will meet Otago University in Christchurch, and after the match a team will be selected to represent the South Island. A meeting between Auckland and Wellington on the same day was considered impracticable, and it has been arranged that the Aucklanders shall nominate their best men, arranged those necessary to complete a North Island team shall be supplied by Wellington. The inter-Island match is to be played in Wellington on June 26th, and a selected team of 20 men will leave for Sydney on the evening of that day. The first match with Sydeny U. F. C. will take place on July 4th. The playing uniform of the New Zealand team, in the absence of any distinct University colour, will be a black jersey with the University seal as a badge.