N.Z. RUGBY UNION

Chronicle (Levin), 3 May 1946, Page 8

N.Z. RUGBY UNION

-Pror.s Association

ANNF1L MEETING YESTERDAY

jSv Telegfavh—

WELLINGTON, 5£ay 2. Approximately 60 delegates .attended the .annual meeting in Wellington today of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. • The president (Mr. E. V. Phillips) in extending .a •.welcome t-6 delegates, referred to the fact tliat it was the first postwar meeting. Their thoughts immediately wqnt back to the losS of manhood from among those who had responded sO nobly to th-fe eall. It was a v/ondecful thing to see how many Rugby players had risen to -be leaders of men. Delegates paid a silent'tribute to the fallen and also to Mr. D. M. -Bpedding, a former president, who.se • death -occurred during the year. Moving the adoption of the annual report, Mr. Phillips said 'tliat it was most gratifying to see tlre widespread increase in the number of players', particularly.in the lower grarles. Unions and clubs, he said, had done. a wonderful ,job in keeping the Igame going as thev had during 'the war. "He paid a high tribute to the Kiwi team, whicli had raised considerable funds for worthwhile .pmposes and had done a tremendous ainount to . resuscitate the game in the Old Country. On tlie ffnancial side, said Mr. Phillips, almost £1000 had -been -paid e.ut in school grants and the union had wiped off .£1175 worth of interest owed by unions on loans. The sooner the next . international Rugby conference between the 'Home unions, New ZeaLand, Bouth Africa and Australia was hehl, said the president, the lietter. klany differences could then be smoothed out and the game \ could go right ahead. The speitkei' paid a high tribute to the.services given during the war by j referees. throughout the country. Pros- | pects for the coming season were j bright, particularly in view of the Anstralian team's tour. "The tour will be a severe one for the Australians," said 'Mr. Phillips, " with matches every Wednesd-ay and Saturday, .lint tlie 'Aussies are tough •and I have no doubt that tliey will be 1 able to take it. " Mr. J. /N. Millard (Wellington') thought that all delegates -would be interested in seeing in the annual bal-jance-sheet a complete statement of the { (inancial indebtedness of unions with | a record of amounts paid off during the year. 1 In replv to Mr. Jolly (Otago), Mr, J Dean said that tlie exeeutive had talcen ! the attitude that grants to major j unions to cover visits to minor unions j were to be paid only when the visit j was outside the. union 's regular proI gramme. I Alr. Dean thought that the local J unions should also give publieity to the 1 manuer in which their funds were dis1 bursOd. IJnious which -had their own I grounds were entitled to .generotis | treatment by local bodies in respect to I ratcs. 1 'Mr. A. Baker (Auckland) thought j the union should go further and .apj proach the Government, with a view i to obtaining , relief in respect to the pavment of -rates. ■ > • -* '