Victoria Being Overlooked?

During the past week, two senior Wellington representative teams have been chosen for which, apparently, no Varsity player was thought worthy of consideration. The two clubs concerned are the Football and Men's Hockey, both of which contain players who, in our opinion, would be an asset in any representative team. Selectors seem to be picking men, not so much on their merits as on the position of their respective teams in the competion, and unfairly penalising outstanding players on that account.

Football.

From what "Smad" can learn, so long as the First Fifteen playes in the Second Division, its players will not be considered for representative honours. The Club has been striving for some years to regain its former status in local Rugby, and has been lucky in so for as its players have placed the success of the club before personal success. Now that the selector will not consider any Varsity players, the position becomes serious. This season we have Burke and Parsons, two former Canterbury reps, playing for V.U.C. and they are not even to be considered. The former is as good a front row forward as any in Wellintton to-day, and that includes the Petone All Black, while, on merit, the latter is the equal of any other five-eights. What is the future of these two? Will they be persistently overlooked as has been Rae since his arrival from Otago? When in Dunedin, Rae's understudy was Simon, good enough for the South Island team, yet Rae cannot get a place in the Second Division rep. team. What a wealth of football talent there must be in Wellington.

In the Second Division rep. team, too, we have had a raw deal. How the United half-back could displace Rae is beyond comprehension. Eade was undoubtedly the best loose forward in the grade, yet he was not considered. It is time the the Football Club did something to help the players who have stood loyally by it in its time of need. The Rugby Union always say they hope Varsity will soon be back in the A grade, but for practical purposes the statement seems to lack sincerity. The matter urgently needs clarifying. The delegate to the Unon might ascertain whether the selector is going to continue overlooking Second Division teams. It is scandalous that these youg players should be penalised through loyalty to the Club, especially as they have as good a football future as many of the reps. It is enough to break the spirit of any young player. Varsity usually appeals in vain to the authorities on any point which would help it along and one often wonders whether it would not get a more sympathetic hearing and better football in another code.

Men's Hockey.

We admit quite frankly that the mode of selection adopted with regared to the Senior Hockey reps. baffles us completely. There are seven teams in the competition from three of whom the rep. team was drawn-seven players from one, four from another, and one from the third. That one team, which has been defeated once and held to a draw, should possess seven members of rep. standard and four of its opponents none, seems rather ridiculous.

Although the First Eleven is still lying fifth in the Senior competition it is always a formidable combination and can hold its own against any team in the competition. Surely some of its players are worthy of rep. honours! We think so. Having won the Seddon Stick, it is virtually the champion University hockey team of New Zealand. Its brother clubs get members into their rep. teams, but V.U.C. does not. Again, we had two members in the N.Z.U. team which met and defeated the Wellington representatives on the King's Birthday.

The position is absurd and some revision of selection methods is obviously necessary.