The San Francisco call., 1908-12-03

STANFORD RUGBY
MAY JOURNEY TO
AUSTRALIA
Encouragement for Proposed
Tour Is CabIed From the
AnffpOdeS
By William UnmaCk

About a month before the big varsity
Rugby struggle between California and
stanford 1 was talking TO Manager
Stewart OF the Stsnbord university on
the advssability Of sending a team to
Australia and New Zealand He at
once communicated with the antipodes
and I also wrote the different unions in
Australia at The request of the STAN
ford manager. Last Tuesday i received
The following cable from Sydney, Aus
Think your visit here feasible.
Writing Hope our team returning
Vancouver meet you Hill
Eiil Is the secretary OF the New South
Wales Rugby union and one of the
foremost Rugbyites in Australia II
was on him that the bulk OF the prelih-
mary work fell when the Australian
team that Is now in England was sent
away. and 1t is this team that he refers
10 IL his cable
WOULD WELCOME STANFORD
II is not definitely settled that the
Stanford team viii make the trip, put
these letters have been sent TO souno
The Australian unions. Tuesdays cable,
however, sets at rest all doubt as TO
Austraiiais willingness to welcome the
team 1t remains for the stanford
bo-s TO accept. At present no dennlte
terms are talked of. but 1t Is probaple
. that Stanford would be perfectly Will
ing TO 20 TO the antipodes as guests OF
IL ~
KNOWING the Australian Rugbyites
as i 90. I can safely say that the visit
Of an American Rugby team TO Aus
tralia would be hailed with universal
delight throughout the island continent.
Australians are extremely friendly 10
Americans and American athletes hold
a very high place in the hearts Of Aus
tralian sport lovers.
Australia is the amateurs paradise
snd the Stanford players would md a
welcome awaiting them
COULD GET MANY MATCHES
: The Stanford idea is that the team
20 TO Australia and meet for the most
part club teams They would also try
conclusions with the Sydney university,
Newlngton college, Kings school and
the big Catholic colleges Newington
and Kings schools are without oouDt
: the strongest Rugby schools in Aus
tralia- and Kings on more than one
occasion has defeated the English teams
thai have toured Australia
Against the schools the Stanford men
ought 10 put up = good game. and even
should they be defeated the lessons
learned would - invaluable
Matches would also be played against
representative Australia" The Stan
fOrds do not expect TO be successful in
these latter games, but IL Is Rugby ex-
perience they are looking for and this
is the trip on which they Will get II.
NAY DEPART IN MAY
sune. and if the Stanford players de-
eide TO make the trip they will leave
here the latter part Of May. The tour
Of Australia will extend over q period
OF about eight weeks and an average
Of two TO three games q week would be
played Matches viii be arranged for
in Sydney. Newcastle, Bathurst Arma-
dale and other places in New South
Wales. Brisbane, TOOwoomba, Ipswich
Gympie and probably Northampton
would be the itinerary Of the Queens
land tour. In Queensland they would
meet the Past grammar schools
Nudgee Christian Brothers college
team, Ipswich grammar school and
several club teams The Past gram
Eregations in Queensland, and this
year was defeated by one point for
the Queensland championship. The
team Is composed of ex-college men,
Nothing definite viii be done until
Hills letter arrives The letter will
give full details as to terms, and il
expenses are guars nteed il is almost
certain that Stanford viii accept