Decision Accepted

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 165, 30 July 1937, Page 4

Decision Accepted

RUGBY PLAY-OFF Sub-Union Agrees Under Protest

FUTURE SAFEGUARDS Acceptance, though not Without protest, of the decision of the Hawke's Eay Rugby Union to play the seventh and eighth series of club matches in tlie meantime and the outstanding games of the sixth series at the end of the season if necessary was agreed upon at the special meeting of the Hastings kugby Football Sub-Union last evening. Mr C. H. Bunker, president of the sub-union, presided, and there were only three absentees. The resolution read . as follows: "That the Hastings subunion disfavonrs the result of the Hawke's Bay union' a decision after the matter had been , finalised and an agreement reached by the combined fixtures committees held in Hastings; and that in fiuture this sub-union will abide by the decisiong of the combined fixtures committee." The negotiatrons, which resulted from tb.e postponement of the games in Hastings on July 17 but not of the games set down in Napier, were reviewed this morning liy Mr A. R. IMclvor, representing the sub-union. He said that on Tuesday evening last the two fixtures committees — Messrs J. W. Norne, E. Young and W. Anderson, of Napier, and Messrs W. Burnett, E. Wall and A. R. Mclvor, of Hastings— met and actually came to a decision. He pointed out that Napier desired that tho seventh and eighth series should be played immediately, but that Hastings wanted to play the sixth, seventh and eighth series, preferably ' the, sixth and eighth. \ "After some discussion Mr Norrio moved, and it was agreed by the whole of the meeting, that we should play the sixth and seventh series immediately and the eighth series on September 4," said Mr Mclvor. "There was complete agreement and no deadlock tvhatever about it. At the time we did not think there was any necessity to report back to the union the following night because generally the fixtures committees control the competitions. ' ' Mr Mclvor went on to say that when the matter was discussed by the union at its meeting on "Wednesday night it would seem that the Napier fixtures committee reported the conference inccrrectly. "In fact, in is quite wrong to say that there was no decision arrived at by the committees," he said. "We agreed upon a settlement and the meeting was closecL After the meeting, however, Mr Norrie said something about 'not being too popular with Napier' about the decision, and h6 wanted to open the question again. but of course that was not done, as the meeting had been closed." Last evening the management eooimittee of the sub-union held a spocial meeting to discuss the position that had arisen, and after a lengthy discussion the resolution anentioned above was carried. "We agreed to accept the decision of the union," said Mr Mclvor, "but we have sent forwaTd a recommendation that will ensure that a similar position will not arise again in the future. Members took strong exception to the union's turning down the proposal after the two fixture committees had agreed upon it."