RUGBY FOOTBALL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 203, 23 August 1940, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL

UNFAIR COMMENT RANGITAIKI UNION ATTACKED "Although it is fully aware tliat nine members of the Opotiki Representative "football team have been called up to join the Forces, and that next Saturday will be the last opportunity a full Opotiki team will have of taking the field against Rangitaiki in the final challenge for the season for the Hurinui Apanui Memorial Shield, the Rangitaiki Union refuses to meet Opotiki on that date. Next Saturday was the day decided upon by the Bay of Plenty Union for the final match for the Shield, but the Rangitaiki Union has disregarded this, and, going over the head of the Bay Union, has arranged a Parata Cup match with Te Puke, without the authority of the Bay Union. In view of the fact that the Opotiki team is to nine of its best players shortly, one would have thought that Rangitaiki would have been sporting enough to 5 have met O'potiki on the only available date. The Rangitaiki team sustained two casualties in last week's match against Opotiki, when Opotiki carried off the shield, but a team must always be prepared for losses of this sort which can be replaced by emergencies. Opotiki also could not have fielded the same team which met Rangitaiki last Saturdajr. "The general opinion is that Rangitaiki is still smarting from its , two defeats by South Auckland ! and Opotiki, and is not prepared to face another such possibility of defeat." That clipping, which is repro- i duced for football enthusiasts in general and Rangitaiki players and supporters in particular, is from the "Opotiki News," Wednesday, August 21. Unfortunately space on this page is somewhat limited, this issue and precludes the full comment that quotation deserves. If our contemporary were so strictly moral a fuller investigation into the position would have been made before issuing the statement. It is-sufficient at the present time to point out that the- fixture witfli Te Puke was arranged by the Rangitaiki Union on the evening of August sth, before the shield was won j by Opotiki, and that Te Puke will not, even in the light of later Events, release the Plains Union from that obligation. It is also of interest to note that the Opotiki challenge game was played one week ahead of the scheduled date at the Opotiki Union's request. It had been fixed for to-morrow, August 24th. Further, Opotiki may lose plaj'ers through enlistment (nine, it is said: a fortnight ago it was two) and the same applies to Rangitaiki, members of which team are awaiting orders. Casualties have nothing to do with it. Then again, at Te Teko on Saturday an Opotiki official informed Rangitaiki that his Union would! not require the Plains team to play Opotiki for two or three weeks. The last sentence in the quoted paragraph can be dismissed as ridiculous and infantile. Lastly, the "Opotiki News'" opinion is reproduced because* constituting an unfair attack, the Rangitaiki Union and players would have no chance of defence. "Without the reproduction they would know nothing of the childish argument used against them. JUNIOR TEAM The Rangitaiki junior team to play Tc Puke at Te Puke to-morrow will be selected from the following: Hataraka, Wharau, K. Civil, K. Char ley, J. Eowell, J. Sutton, A. Elliot B. Fowell, W. Jones, A. Corbett, Nathan, C. Evans, A. Black, W. Magee, Th-eo Anderson (Capt), Fraser, E. Hapgood, McCarthy, Cobden. Cars leave Edgecumbe at 11.30 a.m sharp, WHAKATANE STAR The following will represent Whakatane Star in the game against Paroa on the Domain at 2.45 p.m: Howat, Milner, Jackson, Rayner, Morpeth, Lvsaght, Merito (4), Fitchett, Cleland, Sharman, Dennehy, Henry, Robson, Kernot, Francis and Oswald. Final arrangements for the Te Awamutu trip will be made before this game.