AMATEURISM IN SPORT

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24905, 19 June 1946, Page 8

AMATEURISM IN SPORT

“IMPORTATION ” OF RUGBY PLAYERS RICCARTON COUNCILLOR’S ALLEGATION In amplification of the report of his {remarks at the meeting of the Riccarton Borough Council on Monday evening on amateurism in sport, Cr. F. C. Evans yesterday made the following ißtatement: “In the face of persistent interruption from Cr. O. D. Fraser, I endeavoured to say that when a member t>f the Masterton Borough Council, I ,was approached and invited to subscribe to a fund to import certain feawke’s Bay players to Wairarapa and provide for their future employment, jffhat this scheme materialised and a business established is history. The '{grudge game between the depleted {Hawke’s Bay side and the bolstered-up IjWairarapa team is known as the of Solway’ and prompted the Jthen Mayor of Masterton to wire the Scaptain of the Wairarapa team (A. E. Cooke), when in Christchurch, to dump £he Ranfurly Shield overboard when returning by ferry steamer. “My point was that strictly speaking there was no such player as an amateur in any branch of sport and the late Chief Justice Sir Charles Skerrett, as chairman of a meeting in Wellington, supported this contention.”