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Inter-Island Rugby Match

1st XI's Fifth Successive Win

Football.

The N.Z.U. Football Council has been negotiating for some time now with the N.Z.R.U. for representation against overseas teams visting New Zealand. At the last annual meeting of the Rugby Union the claims of the Council were again advanced and application made for a game against the Australian team which will visit this country later in the season. A conclusion satisfactory to the Council has not been reached, the Rugby Union giving as their reason the fact that they owed a duty to their various Unions and were unable to allocate a game to a New Zealand University team.

There can be no doubt that such a team vould provide good football and there is every chance that they would defeat even a strong visiting team. The best N.Z.U. team would include many who represent their provinces, and at a casual galance the names of Bush, Watt, McAuliffe and Parsons (backs) and Burke, Chapman, and Green (forwards) to mention only a few, tends to the impression that a powerful team could be assembled.

It is considered that the N.Z.U. team would supply bright, open football which the pessimists claim is fast disappearing. It is easy to see the Union's viewpoint, but if they are anxious to see the game brightened up they should use any legitimate means open and this despite their unions.

However, what is, will be, and at the moment there is no game against the visitors. During the vacation two games were played, the first of a series, one between O.U. and C.U.C., and the other between V.U.C. and A.U.C. The respective winners were O.U. and A.U.C. From these displayes the Council has now picked teams representing the North and South Islands to play a game in Wellington on 8th July. While it is too much to expect that a game against the Australians will be arranged, it should go a long way towards a game against the South Africans during their invasion in 1937.

It can only be hoped that the Council will maintain the North v. South match as an annual flxture.

The game next Wednesday will be at Athletic Park, and spectators are assured of an ecxellent exhibition of Rugby. As a curtainraiser, Victoria will play a return match aganist Massey. It is hoped that all enthusiasts who can will come aong.