RUGBY FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 1, 26 September 1917, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL

MEETING, Of; UMOiV. Mr. D. Weir presided over last evening's meeting 'of the Wellington Bugby Union.' ,■'..■ ; A letter was received from I'eatherston Camp asking that a ground be set apart if possible-tor a match on Saturday between C Company of the 30th Beinforcements and G Company of the 31st. The secretary was : instructed • to' see whether Wakefield ■ Park was available. St. Patrick'e College notified the union that it was desired to withdraw the College team (retrospectively) from the Sixth Grade competition. It appeared that a boy who was over age had played for the College, but that the College authorities -were not aware of his age. The boy himself thought that he was within the age limit as fixed at the beginning of the season.:' ' . On' tho chairman's motion, it was decided to award the matches in which the boy had played to the opponents of-the College. The' secretary was instructed to send a letter expressing sympathy with the College Club upon its' losing the competition in eucli a way.' ■ The- Selwyn Club found itself .hi a •position similar to that of St. .Patrick's College. The secretary wrote that a player who was over nge had engaged io fifth-class football wliilc he .was over age. ' In this case also the matches won by the offending team were awarded to its opponents. The committee of the Wellington Public Schools' Rugby Union thanked ths meeting for a grant of <£10 towards defraying tho expenses of the boys' visit to Palraeiston North. , ■ It was decided to send seventeen players and a manager (Mr. Ivitto) to Auckland for the match to ba played with a team representing that province on October 6. it waa also decided to play a. representative match between Trenthani and .Wellington on Saturday. The match will bs preceded by a hockey match, also between Trenthani and Wellington. An allegation, that the Wellington Union hadshown discourtesy to the Canterbury Union in not replying to an oll'cr to arrange a match in aid of the Athletic Park Fund was referred to.

The' secretary stated that, he had received telegrams from Canterbury containing tho offer referred to, and that he had also had a conversation with Mr. M'Phail, a. representative of the Canterbury Union. He had made it clear to Mr. M'Phail that no match could bo arranged during September, and lie had thought that Mr.' M'Phail would make an explanation to Canterbury. "We want to make it quite clear to Canterbury," said the chairman,: "that our secretary took it for granted, as a result of his conversation with Mr. M'Phail, that Mr. M'Pha.il would explain in detail to his union how tho Wellington Union was placed. It is very regrettable, but the secretary should advise' them that the trouble was due merely to an oversight. Tho last thing in tho world we should do would be to offer any discourtesy to another union. We are very sorry, and after the matter has been Bet out in detail, Canterbury will probably accept our apology, for they are certainly entitled to an • apology." Mr. Millard remarked that it was not yet too late to thank the. Canterbury Union for its ofl'er, and the meeting concurred. It was left to the chairman and secretary to draft a letter to' the Canterbury Union, A Bugby match between representatives of the Railway Battalion of Engineers and the Post and Telegraph Engineers was played •on "Dominion, Day. It resulted in a draw, each side scoring nine points. For Railway, Croiichcr scored one try and Thomas two tries. Dobson scored two tries for Post and Telegraph and Holland one. Mr. Kitto was referee.