“SCURRILOUS REMARKS”

Evening Star, Issue 22142, 24 September 1935, Page 14

“SCURRILOUS REMARKS”

AFTERMATH OF RANFURLY SHIELD GAME RUMOURS DENIED , \ Expressions of indignation were made by members of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Football Union at last night’s meeting, when a discussion arose concerning the rumours that were current regarding the dropping of H. Simon as half-back in the Otago team which defeated Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield in the match on Saturday.

Mr D. M. Stuart,'co-manager of the touring team, .introduced the subject, and said he wished to give an emphatic denial to the scurrilous rumours concerning Simon’s conduct on the tour, and to the suggestion that he had been dropped from the Otago team on account of misbehaviour. Throughout the tour, he. said, Simon’s conduct was exemplary ; in fact, every member of the team proved himself to ho thorough gentleman. Simon’s place in tho team was taken ,hy another member (C. Saxton) because the selectors believed ho was a better player for the position. He thought that W. Fancy’s complimentary reference to Simon at the dinner after the game bore striking testimony of the respect in which every member of the team held Simon as their leader both on and off the field. The chairman (Mr J. B. Wootton), who accompanied Mr Stuart as comanager, endorsed Mr Stuart s iemarks, and said that as far as general behaviour .was concerned Simon could not have behaved better. Mr V. G. Cavanagh said that Mr Lauey’s speech at_Christchurch rogaiding Simon’s captaincy of the team was one of the finest things he had ever heard, and it hurt -him a great deal to think, in view o” Fancy’s touching reference, that such scurrilous rumours were being circulated. ‘ ‘ Those who associated themselves with such utterances were not worth calling men at all,” he added. Further remarks by Mr Stuart revealed the fact that Simon had accepted the decision of tho selectors in the best spirit of sportsmanship, and had said to him on the train returning homo that the selectors had picked the best team for the match. Members' were unanimous that an emphatic denial should be given the current