RUGBY ADMINISTRATION

Chronicle (Levin), 6 May 1948, Page 4

RUGBY ADMINISTRATION

Union Execulive Meets • The management commiUee of :he ftorowhenua .Rugby Union met .n Levin on Tuesday night. The president, Mr. A. Gillespie, was m bhe chair and there were- also pyasent:- Messrs,. D. Olliver, E. J. Sook, N, Kingi, F. G. Carrington, C. Wfikmson, J. C. MacDonald, D. Cole, T. Winiata and J. E. Fullarton (secretary). •Intimating that a gala day in aid of the United Nations' appeal fqr the relief of distress aifiong children in war devastated countries- was being held on the Shannon D.omain on Saturday, a letter was received from the Mayor of Shannon, Mr. D. A. Fit?gerald. He asked 'that the union 'donate the gate takings of the match set down for that day to-this worthy object. It was decided that the union take £8 nett and the balance go to the appeal. It was pointed out that the fixture was a senior one and the gate takmgs woul'd be larger than usuaj, while the chairman remarked .that similar requests might be received from other to'wns. Messrs. T. Kohika (Shannon) and C. Pussell 1 (Otaki) were appointed joint third grade representative selectors, and Mr. L. Smith (Otaki) fourth grade selector. Mr. Carrington opposed the motion an'd asked that his vote be recorded against it. He said that Messrs. Kohika and Pussell were coaches of the Shannon and Rahui thirds respectively, and maintained that a condition of their appointment as selectors shoul'd be that they relinquish their positions asi CQciCllGS t The attention 4of members was drawn to the f act that the Mana- , kau School's diamond jubjlee cele-' hrations were being held early on Saturday afternoon by Mr. Olliver,! Who suggested that .the senior j game between IJui Mai and Otaki- ; Rahui, whiich was set down to be! played at Manakau at 2 p.m. be' postponed until 3 p.m. to avoid clashing. This the committee agreed to, and Mr. Cook undertook to make 'arrangements with Otaki- . Rahui accordingly. The Horowhenua Coilege notified that R. Hohipuha, who last year played for Co.llege thirds, was this season playing for Otaki fourths. Mr. Cook eommented that Hohipuha was within the » fourth gra-de age limit of 17 years on May 1, "but ne was an outstanding player. ■ The.meeting resolved to notify the Otaki Club that it would have .to make application and have Hohipuha, regraded. , bef pre he.. could'play in fourth grade "f 0otba,H, and that he woul'd, thqf'ef qre^, be ineligible to -play on Saturday 'fiext., ! A lengthy letter was received from the New Zealand Rugby Union- in regard to the boundary ,issue between the Manawatu and 1 Horowhenua Unions -by which Fox- , ton and Awahou are playing in the | Manawatu ' corfibetitib'ny 'this Season. It stated that no reeor'd could be found of a gentlemen's agreement whereby Foxton and Awahau were permitted to .play in Horowhenua. 'It seemed tnat negotiations had been carried on between the two unions ' from time to time witho.ut. 1 the result being communicated -to- ! the New Zealand Union, an;d the lonly decision which could be arrivj ed at> was that Foxton and Awahau were in Manawatu. If the itwo unions agreed to a change anc! i the business was done constitujtionally, the New* Zealand Union j would agree, but at present it qould only be governed by the hcundaries stated in the rules. The communication was received. The position of Foxton schools was later discussed and the delegates to the New Ze'alan'd Union's annual meeting, Messrs. Gillespie and Winiata, were instructed to obtain a ruling on the matter. Mr. Cook raised the question of race day football, pointing out that Otaki-Rahui were to play Shannon, at Otaki, on May 15, the 'day bf the Otaki races. He asked whether Otaki-Rahui could not be given the bye instead of Athletic. In view of . the fact that this would complicate jthe position in regard to grounds, the committee gave approval to the i playing of the game in the morning, subject to mutual arrangements being made between the two clubs concerned. The delegates to the New Zealand Rugby Union's annual meetI ing will endeavour to arrange senior representative matches as follows: Versus Manawatu, at t Levin, June 19; versus Bush (Bebington Shield), at Bush, July.3;. versus Wanganui, at Wanganui, jAugust or September; versus Wairarapa, at Levin, July of Aug;ust; versus Wellington B, at Levin, | August 28. * At the conclusion of the business, Mr. Coehrane, who is the deleIgate of the Awahau Club, tendered -his resignation consequent* on the .decision that Foxton and.. Awahau play in Manawqtu, fle said he was isorry to have his connection with ; Horowhenua severed, as he had ienjoyed his assoeiation with the I union. The committee would accept the resignation with very great regret, said the chairman, 'as it closed a phase of football which hqd been -a very great help to Horowhenua. The New Zealand Union's 'decision had been a severe blow to Horowhenua, as both Foxton and Awahau had been good clubs. He hoped and felt that • the present position would only be a tempcirary one. Foxton had always seTit men of great ability to the committee, an'd men who ' had been able to place the .fiiterests- of Rugfiy before those of particular clubs. Mr. Coehrane had not been an exception. He had been a member of committep fpr mariy years, while he also belonged to a number of other- organisations in Foxton, and th® committee could ill

afford to lose men of his calibre. Ile was very sorry that Foxton had found it necessary to apply to Manawatu for affiliation. . Endorsing the chairman's remarks, Mr. Carrington saM'it was' a tribute to Mr. Cochrane's ability' that Manawatu had delegated tp him the care of its Rugby interests in Foxton.