FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 152, 21 March 1908, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

WELLINGTON RUCBY UNION

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of the' Wellington Rugby Football/Union:'was held, last night. Dr. Nowmqn.'.occupied\thq.;'qhair, and about forty delegates wero ih/attondancor Tho 'Butchers, St. 'John's,: and, Railway. Clubs worn admitted to momborship of. tho Union: The first-montiqnod Club,!.will,, take party in ,the competition... , ! - THE ANNUAL REPORT.

■ The - annual .< Report . and ■> balauconsheot. (which have already been published ,iu T nE Dominion),wero. adopted. ' In .tho courso of tho discussion ,upon the contents' of tho documents, Mr. H. O'Leary expressed. ! a hopo that moro.' monoy would 'bo spout during th'o ensuing year:on .grounds wliich arc used for, junior -matches; • Income; 'instances ■ dressing: sheds • only wero .required,, but - in/ others , the,' grounds themselves: required attention. Oil one 'occasion., last sqa- : sqn' a'junior'matcli wiis played ciii a ground at Mirainar upon which,' - lie '.felt sure, : .no medical inaii would havo allowed the'contest to tako ])lace. : i-'i' Mr; D. Weir congratulated tho -.Union upon ' now,: having possession of tho -best grounds available. in ! 1 tho, district. In hisopinion/the: polo ! ground: at Miraniar, ; which had: ; been!'secured - this year, .was..the' best ground for its size in the Dominion. , Mem;bers/;;oftho .',Management.Committee,» he. thought " had up till, now "paid tool much, attontion either to tho- Athletic Park or to their-.own clubs.

ELECTION OP OFFICERS .' :Th6 ; ./6iectibu-' of , ofTice-bbarers resulted ' a? follow: . Prcsidentj■ Dr. . Nowman (reolqcted) ;:'vico-presidoiits, Messrs.. /,(}. Canipboll,. ■J. T. ■ King, J; -P. - Firth, .and iA. ,H. - ; Tur'nbiill : (re-elccted).;-.' hon treasurer, Mf; Fi.'Alpei'.(re-elected); senior.selectors,,/ Messrs, H. , Kelly, -?(I. Hogan,- and .V. Meredith;Management .Committeo,' Mi;.' J; H.' O'Sulli-Z .van (rc-eloctcd /as Wednesday, representative) ; and Messrs.: S.. S. Brown,' E.'/O;- Hales, J; Murray,:. G.' .V. ~Boglo ,- (re-elected), and J; S. Sweeney, J. Burns,/and.V/.'Hardliahv; Wednesday Selection : C6mriiittee, Messrs! ,E. Read, D. Taylor (re-elebted), and W.'Hor.higj/'Junior,Selection.Cominittes,iMessrs. L.' Siovers (re-elected), J./ Brown,: and W. 1 Frd•sorj hon. ■■ auditors, Messrs. Jas. 'Ward 'and : A. ..K., )Viron (re-electcd);;:;:hon., secretary, Mr. W. Gr. Talbot (re-elected) ;'■ delegates to AV.R.FiU.; Messrs. T, , Hunter, /E. 0. Hales, H. M'lntyre, J. Murray , (re-elected),- and J. ..Lynskoy;,/.vice-president', of P. the N;Z;R.U.,- Mr. T; .M.,;Wilfoi'd, :MiP. ■/■-i, DISQUALIFICATIONS. ' I

:-;Mr: : W. Hardha'm .moved..that it; bo- ; a, ro-coniniendation':-to / thbr.- Managdmont/.-'Com-T' iniftco of ; tho /New ' Zealand. Kugby Union tliaVthoy.lifo. disqualificatidh ,on-J./Price'for a; breaph';pf/rules of. a' player -,in : a .niatclv. tlirqo.'iye'ars ago be-'. ' tweqiV.;the "Petdiie rajlway vi'drkshops and tho iAddington ;'-raihvay'.: workshops,''bo y . removed; WeirVsecbiided-thb motipji'.' '■ jTlie. hiotiqh -. was carried ;, .- It/was'resolved "that, the; matter,,of., tl^e! 1 disqualifications':,of Harnett,,i'who was, ■ disqualified, three years ago 'for, a;- pbriod of live: years, for,-, a breach, in connection with,.a > ; match' 1 between . St.S. : James aiuli -Kii Ora,' toams, an'd''df. .tho,clis.qualiflcatioris ;of Messrs,-. 'A. T;-Parsers, 1 L.:C.„Pama, and P; M. SherT. • woQd^ l r qualifi^''in;;i9o6,for, tivo.,years,'iibo-ref erred- ' toManagement'; Cpmmitteq : . for ,/ con-; sideration. • > ;;'■ PROCEEDS 1 FROM MATCHES ' Mi-. ; arict . Mr*, i seconded':'; That ' in: all matches played .-under - tho dii-ect' control- of the /N.ew Zeala nd Union half: the, net ;■ profits/ bp; paid to tho Union in whoso district:tlie^natpli,is.played;. .and'that 'in,the case of, a teajn frbhi beyond-. Now 'Zealand .touring 'thd 'Dominion l , one. •half of.-tho net profits obtaiinxl as a result 1 of such; taur' betweeh' the Union's in :Moso^,ffi|£pcts,^ol;'liiat'clies 1 have --.beei^ played Ij^jLjla^MesbjclausesshbuJdgpvbnV' tho Ilaufurly Shield matches/ -'v.;-' : :: The' motion "was unanimously - approvod.. THE ATHLETIC PARK Mr... yvhotlior-. the f-Uiiioii; had: Minpleted 'arrangements;, fob a' lease'.'pf • 'the"AthlEtie, : Parlj 'fpr .a' .furtheriterm; - ~ ; ,Mr;:-, Brp,)vn,-.. in -■reply,.■ stated /'that. it' was: p'mbabld-that, tho'.negotiations. b.er; tween; .the; Unionand'. i ; tlio'-' Atb'.etio Park Company,, would result in/the' Union securing, tliojusb of.-the ParkMuring'-.thp nest : sevenyears..; --:; :.;^i .Dr. ' Nowman vobseryecl. that r mombers ; ofthe.': Unions might rest'assured that: an ' exor;bitaht ront would,hot: bo. charged for 'tho 1 .iise of ..the,-Parle, : .and that- 1 pfforts-'would 'be inado- td ;obtaiii .a'. controlling : '.interest : in it.' PROFESSIONALISM. ;' ,Mr. ( M'lntyro brought 'iip;.,the 1 question - of the ,present. state: bf.'.tho-rules'::relating :to-' professionalism.. According to tho existing i;ulqs-.o!ily players : couldj.' h.o; Said, be declared professionals. There was liothing.in :tljo pre-. : sent rules to prfivont, : for i'iristiißie, the. manager of the professional, "All Blacks-' from' being elected- tP a seat ;on itlie,' Management Committeo. of: the ISf.Z.R.U...' Mr. Gilchrist, one of tho members of.the.team referred to, :had, he noticed.; beon appointed; coach to the . Melrose .Club. - Ho . (Mr. Mlntyre), .wished to.see everyone'wlio doi'ived.-pequriiary gain fijom',:football declared - a profbsaional..; : Owing to tho lateness" of the-' hotirj-/and - the ,import ance of the question," it was agreed-, that, a special -njeeting be held on Wednesday ; week to 1 : colisider the matter.:: '-.'' ■* ■'/ GENERAL. ; On : tho motion ,of Mr. Halos it .was decided, to issue certificates to tho teams .which' win. the'/.various, championships 1 in/future, . : ,Tho'; question' "whether ...jlio - Union- ; could' objectto,;t-he; 'appoiiitriient, of; a disqualified' porsdii' to tlie.'.Maiiagomeht 'Cominittee ; of an• club was referred ito!- the- Manage-, nient Committee.

!. It>»s' agreed;tha,fc, it, be ;a necommendation to<thq,-Management.Comiriittcb.that a special enclosure ■ for. past, representative players be providedyat'all' matches. ',■[ \,-. ; ' A'proposal liy : Mr. Bogle',' that, in .the- case' : of-a;player being.found.guilty of rough,play one.point be .deducted fvonvjthe championship points gained by tho' club' to' which tho. player belonged, was not entertained. • ' " •; Mr.: AVeir moved,, and Mr. M'lntyre seepnde*d,;'tliat. |( the expensqs pf ; players in; the' fifth-grade, .matches bo paid ,by■.■tho;:Union.;,.\Tlio-mption was,lost by\ a. small majority.; ;Vv" ■• :■■ , l . •.■,■ '

' >■ The proceedings terminated with- thei'cus-tomai-y : vote of thanks to the Chairman.