SECONDARY SCHOOLS' RUGBY

Evening Star, Issue 21748, 16 June 1934, Page 8

SECONDARY SCHOOLS' RUGBY

PLAYING OF TERM STUDENTS DR UTTLEY'S EXPLANATION [Psk United Press Association.] INVERCARGIL, June 15. The case for the _ Southland Boys’ High School in wanting to play terms students in the annual secondary schools’ Rugby football to-morrow was given in an interview by the rector (Dr 5. H. Uttley) this afternoon. “I think that on some points Mr Lancaster must have ben misreported,” Dr Uttley said, “ for he has stated that both Christchurch and Dunedin have opposed the playing of terms students ever since the proposal was made three or four years ago. Against this I may say that last year he wrote to me saying he was in accord with my suggestion that bona fide pupils should be eligible for the tournament provided they were under the age of twenty and satisfied the conditions of the senior free place whether they were taking a terms examination or not. Later in the same year, however, Mr Lancaster expressed regret that these students wore not eligible to play because Otago had objected,” Explaining the position of terms stiidents at the school, Dr Uttley said that his school was not keeping boys from attending the university. Thirteen boys had gone on from the school this year. The boys who were doing terms work were those who would not ordinarily go on to a university, but were those who were taking advantage of the facilities provided to advance their education rather than have no object in view. These boys were going in for the degree of B.Com. or 8.A.; yet there were other boys taking the same subjects for the accountants’ professional who were eligible to play. This, Dr Uttley thought, revealed an anomalous state of affairs when such- an unfair distinction had been drawn.

“The boys who are taking terms are senior free place pupils, and are recognised by the depai'tment as bona fide secondary school pupils,” Dr Uttley said. “ The Timaru Boys’ High School is with me in declaring that these boys should be eligible' for inclusion in all fixtures in which secondary schools’ pupils take part. Waitaki is also taking the same stand, although it does not take part in tournament._ Tn any case, the age limit of twenty is a safeguard against older boys being played, and personally I would be quite agreeable to have the age reduced to under nineteen.”