RUGBY REFEREES ACCEPT GAMES FOR TOMORROW

Chronicle (Levin), 13 August 1948, Page 4

RUGBY REFEREES ACCEPT GAMES FOR TOMORROW

/ ' ' . The Horowhenua RugbyReferees' Assopiatiqn has pgreed to prqyjde members to "cpptrol games s,che(|uled * for tomorrow following" 'a rejquest from the Horowhenua Kugby Union's- management committee, and there is very indication that a settiement may yet be reached befcween the two bodi.es. An emergency meeting of "the management committee last evehjng "discussed the decision made by "the Referees' Association not to a certain recommendation which draw any inferen.ces which the had been made to it by the union, ■md decided to tmreseryedly withr draw any inferences which the recommendation might , have inferred. . ■ " ^ Members .expressed. concern and jurpnse at the interpretation which had been put by the a ssopia.tion on the union's letter. " ; Tiie cuimination of the discus-' sion, which began at 5-30 p.m*. qnd ended at 8.30 p.m., was the decision to forward a letter to the Referees' Association^pointing out the following:— (a) That 110 slur was intended on any referee or the Referees' Association. (b) -That the question of the union having a member on the Appoin&ients Board qf the assqciation was a suggestion only, and passed on as .such to be confirmpd or otherwise "by the association. (c) That if the Referees' AssQciaticn still maintained that~a slur had been cast cn any referee, then the union wo'CLd unreservedly withdraw any reference which might be read into the letter in. question. To expedite the conveyapce of these points in order that some arrangement could be made so that association refereps could perhaps be made available for Saturday's games, the secretary was authorised to hand a draft of the letter to the referees' delegate on the committee, Mr. C. E. Wiseley. After reading the association's letter to • members,' the chairman, Mr. A. Gillespie,. said that he was surprised at the inference placed on the union's recommendation that a union member and a referees' association member constitute the Appointments Board. The idea the union. had in mind at the time was to help the association in that if the union had a member on the Appointments Board, the union could take' the "knocks." The union had always stood behind the referees. Expressing similar sentiments, Mr. T. Winiata said.. that it was not a matter of the union having . 110 confldence in the association, as ■had been expressed, but that the union was of the opinion that 'the two bodies -should work tqgether. The union delegate would probably 'have little to say in the . appointments, but he would be there . to take some of the "lqaocks." He had felt when the matter came forward that it was with a view to bringing about a harmonious co-operation that the decision had been made. Various other members voiced a similar view, all stating that no slur was intended and that they implied nothing against the integrity of the referees. Stating the case for the association, Mr. Wiseley said that the referees objected to .the forwarding on of a lecter from the Shannon Football Club in which questions of fact had been raised by the plub in regard to the ruling of a referee. In other words, by its action iii forwarding the letter the union had indicated that it consiaered Shannon's action corroct. Replying to this, the chairman said that the letter had been in the nature qf an enquiry by a club, not a protest and he had ruled acpordr iii^y. The club had a^ked some questions and they had been forwarded on to the association for comment, " *•" Continuing, Mr. Wiseley said that in regard to the recommendation that a member of the union and a member of tne Rererees" Association constitute the Appointments Board, he had specifically asked at the union meeting, when the matter - was first raised, who would decide in the case of a deadlopk, and it had been stated that the president of the union would make the decision. The association was not agreeable to such an arrangement. If that had been stated by anyone at the meeting he certainly had not agreed with it, replied the chairman. He did npt want anything to do with it. Mr. Wiseley: It was suggested here. Mr. Wiseley added that a member had stated that a refere£ of a game had been incompetent. Surely it was for the association to decide that, and it had showed its, confldence in that referee by appointirig him. * 'The chairman: That man will have to stand up for himself if he said that. . Mr. Wiseley: All referees make mistakes. We are not infallible, but pone go on the field with the intention of being biassed, which has also been iriferred. Mr. D. Cole: I expressed the opinion that a man who had not had the experience should not be given a senior game like that one. After a long discussibn, the chairman ask'id Mr. Wiseley if it would not be possible to have a 4iscqs_ sion between the two bodies.." The dlseussions that night had certainly cleared the air a great deal and he thought that a round tatile ponference would result in much good. • Mr._ Wiseley said that he did not think there was anythihg, ta stop

sjich a meet|ng, He added that the". - unipn's fecpmrpendations , coming jpihe.diately .after ' a pomplaint from the Shannon Club had made all the difference. Ask.ed if Re cpnypyed a' letter to the asspeiatipn whether it would agree tp parry ori fof thi^ Sat-urday, Mr. Wiseley replied that the diffieulty would lie " in arranging a meeting of the association. He wpuld. however, see what could' be done. .In a statement tihis morning, the presiderlt of the Referees' 'Association, Mr. J. A. Zuppicich, said that the referees had b.een informed of the new development ' and that appointments would made made for thjs Saturday. A meeting of the association "had been called for Wedpesday night, when the whole niatter -would be discussed, In view "of the upion's -wjljipgness to unreservedly re'tract wha't the association considered was a .vote of no-confidence in it, he considered that tHer.e was now hope of a settiement being rcached. -