The Spike or Victoria College Review, June 1908

[review of the activities of the football club]

The following incident is reported by a prominent and reliable full-back in Wellington. Full-back (to weary forward who has rushed him and arrived just after he has safely dispatched the ball)—"Why don't you get back, and held your backs ?"

Weary Forward (with energy)—"Blow the backs!"

Full-back— "But you can't expect them to do anything without backing-up!"

Weary Forward (sadly) —"I don't expect them to do anything! Let 'em go, they'll get out of it somehow !" Whistle goes for a try, and he strolls back and sits down against a goal post while the kick is taken.

The reliable full-back also said that the colour of the weary one's jersey was Green!!! Obviously some member of another team has been masquerading in our colours. The Committee should investigate.

"I never did see such pitiful rascals.

—2 Henry IV.

Sketch of football players

T The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on Monday, 16th March, 1908, Professor Hunter in the chair. A report on the proposed visit of the N. Z. University team to Sydney was read and discussed, and it was decided to appoint two delegates to meet representatives from the other College in Dunedin at Easter and make final arrangements for the trip.

There was a time this season, certainly before we took the field in earnest, when it seemed that our day had at last arrived, and that the bitterness of defeat might be more evenly shared with those who had rioted over us in days gone by. Several new forwards of real bone and muscle were to invigorate the scrum, the best of last year's backs again available, with new men of proved ability to fill the gaps, and to make assurance doubly sure, the old warhorse de la Mare decided to once more tempt Providence in a green jersey. The gymnasium of the Training College was engaged and was the scene of much misdirected energy. All this by way of an auspicious start. Since than troubles have come upon us thick and fast; at one time accidents alone threatened to exhaust our playing strength by a process of gradual elimination.

However we have no great reason for complaint. There are still four teams in the field, and by this time we are surely able to take a licking and come up again smiling for the next. At the worst, championship honours are deferred for another year. The following little list (authenticated) of accidents and injuries may interest our critics : three fingers, five knees, four eyes, two noses, one collar bone, two shoulders, one ankle, one backbone, one head, and a strained heart. It has been suggested that The Spike should inaugurate a guessing competition as to the probable last surviving member of the First XV, abandon the idea.

The Junior ranks have been strengthened by the inclusion of several men who played senior last year, and although there is no remarkable increase in the number of their wins, they are nevertheless a promising combination, and can give most of their opponents a sufficiently keen tussle. In our usual spirit of undismayed optimism we expect to see them do better as the season advances.

The Third XV, usually our most successful team, has not done so well as at the beginning of last opposed to teams of about their own weight and strength, and with the excellent material they have this year, should make a great effort to get in some training and score a few wins.

This year the Fourth XV was entered in the fourth grade instead of as IIIB, and are doing well. They have a set of tall and heavy forwards who should carry all before them, and several of the backs are individually good, but of general combination there are few signs. The scrum does not push anything like its full weight, and a few passing runs would materially improve the back work.

Hitchings was picked to represent Wellington against Wanganui on June 3rd