LEAGUE OR RUGBY?

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1502, 26 July 1912, Page 6

LEAGUE OR RUGBY?

WHICH IS WANING? ■ TENOR 01 , A RUGBY MEETING. (By Teleeraph.—Special Correspondent.! Christchurch, July 25. There is much discussion in football circles as to tho threatened invasion of Canterbury football by tho Northern League game. At a meeting of the Management Committee of the Itugby Union Inst night a member stated that they liiid come to a criUs now in amateur football. So long as they adhered to the New Zealand and English Rugby Unions they would suffer. If tho Lcnguo gamo_ got one or two strong men to support it, it would get a strong hold in Christchurch, more especially if tho League people had secured the Show Grounds as was currently reported. The game would probably start on a semi-professional basis. During the last ten years the game had gone back in Christchurch. He did not wish to boost tho Northern Leaeue game, but lie considered that it. was the batter to watch. Ho suggested the advisability of adopting tho Northern game out and out as an amateur game. The chairman (Mr. G. H. Mason) said that it was absurd to talk of the bogy of professionalism. There was no bogy nbont it. The League plnyers in Australia were professionals out and out. He was given to understand that already tho League clubs in. Sydney were quarrelling over their gates at the end of the season, and it was commonly believed that tho younger generation would go over to Rugby. His opinion was that the gcntleanen in Christchurch instituting the League ganio were not the men to lead many players by the nose. Personally ho believed that very few players locally would eo over to the League. Mr. P. D. Kesteven thought that tho League game was going to "take on." Ho understood that there was no intention of paying men foT playing. It was simply a case of paying for loss of time, and he favoured referring the matter to tlio clubs. Mr. !P. T. Evans considered that they should have more power in New Zealand in connection with their rules, but he was against adopting the Northern Uiiion game or paying men, though he might not bo adverse to paying men 2?. or 3s. a day for loss of time." He considered that New Zealand should have more nowcr to govern the game than it possessed. The chairman said that it had becin pointed out at the annual meetinT of, tho New Zealand Rugby Union that the Enjlish Union were perfectly willing to allow us power to.govern the Ranio in New Zealand, and preferred that tho New Zealand Rugby Union should not run after it on every pettifogging. litt!r> detail. That was the mistake that the New Zealand Rugby Union had made. Mr. W. M. Allardyce remarked that, if they ma'de no attempt to counteract the Northern Union movement, they would be left "in the,soup." ■■ The chairman asserted that, according to English papers, the Northern Unjon Eilme in England was' on the wane,' and Rugby 61nbs were springing up,'in. league strongholds. Where would the Rugby Union be if they altered'the rules? They would not join the Northern Union on account of the latter's fundamental rules, and they would cut, themselves off from every other body. He suggested, making the matter a question of policy to be decided at .the next annual meeting of ths union.

Mr. Wilson said footballers did not want to go over to the League, but desired an alteration in the Rugby rules. Finally, it was resolved. to circulnrisn the clubs asking them to hold special ■meetings to consider the encroachment of League football and that they, be asked to appoint delegates -to attend a special meeting to be held to consider the whole matter. /