RUGBY FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 17 May 1929, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL

N.Z. UNION MEETS. V*

PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL REVIEW.

BY TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSN., COPYRIGHT,

WELLINGTON, May 16 In his address to the delegates at the annual meeting of the New Zea- ' land Rugby Union to-day, Mr G. A. -Maddison, tlie retiring President, said that there were 32,000 players, representing 1919 clubs, in the Dominion ' -and that Rugby fields, their buildings and appointments were unequalled (except,. perhaps, by those of the Racing Clubs).

. STATE AID. Rugby’ he said, occupied an important place in the national life and civil existence. He said the Rugby Unions Were justified in expecting every support from the Government and from local bodies. He hoped that strong representations would' be made to the Government for the cancellation ol the amusement tax. THE RULES. Regarding the South African tour, Mr Maddisdh said there were many lessons for New Zealnad, 'one being the question of eliminating the. wreforward, who Was only a menace, a spoiler, and a decided obstructionist in the game, and was often responsible for the development of unfair tactics. The present scrum formation evidently required some alteration.-.. He considered that no delegation had ever left the Dominion 1 rom which New Zealand had ever received a greater advancement, or that had fostered and advanced a better spirit of goodwill and undrestanding between the two units of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Mr Maddison paid a tribute to the service rendered by Mr A, Mercer to the Now .Zealand team in Africa. PROSPECTIVE TOURS.

Referring to other towns, the retiring President said that New Zealand would be sending a team to Australia this season. It would he opposed by an Australian team for the first time for many years. A new agreement • had bom recently concluded between New Zc"''lid, and Now South Wales governing future tours. Its salient clauses provided • for visits of a’ New Zealand team to Australia in 1929, and 1932, and return , visits from NftWj South Wales in ; 1931 and 1933,, ,each. team to play tight : matches’.on each occasion. The jNew jSouth Wales'Union will take tweijty. per cent of the net profits from the New Zealand tour for the expresj; purpose of fostering the game in t Queensland and l iiiJVrctqria, Regarding 1 Wst year’s N.S.W. tour ; in New Zealand, he said the playing of two extra matches accounted for the New Zealand Union’s year showing a profit instead of a loss. So far. as. the British tour next year was concerned, the Dominion should co-ord-i Jpate its forces to meet the invasion, * develop" a side which-would uphold New Zealand’s great record. The British team would play twenty-one matches, and the cost of the tour would be approximately £14,000. Whatever the result on the playing fields, Mr Maddison hoped the Dominion’ would be given representation po>ver jypn tbp. Imperial, sohrd^V.hi 9 hv wps .. justified by the record. 5 .-He. concluded, by stating that there was reason to look forward optimistically to the. future of Rugby in this country. , THE TOURS QUESTION. COAST DELEGATE’S MOTION CARRIED. WELLINGTON, May 16. \ The thirty-seventh annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union, opened in Wellington to-day, when the President (Mr G. .'A. Maddison, of Hastings) presided. Jt was decided that an invitation he extended to the Home Unions and the International Rugby Board to send delegates to the Imperial Rugby Conference'which it was proposed to bold in New - Zealand in 1930, during the. yisiiTof the British team. . HELPING N.S.W. • t The question of whether frequent exchanges of visits between Rugby teams of New Zealand and New South, ty'ales was in the interests of the,, gtiue was debated, and was answered in the affirmative. • • SMr S. Wilson (Canterbury) declared; that, in Canterbury’s opinion, too fre-j quent visits between New Zealand and. New South Wales teams were not fori the best interests either of the gamp, or the players in New Zealand.

Mr S. S. Dean said that it had been realised that . New Zealand must assist New South Wales, as, if the game went out in that State, New Zealand would be completely isolated. He read a letter from an official of the New South Wales Rugby Union, stating that that Union regarded the visits from the New Zealand team as their very life blood. The writer stated that it would he impossible to alter the dates of the New Zealand team’s tour of New South Wales. Mr Dean proceeded that they had had a bard fight, but they were now making splendid headway, as the game had been started in Victoria, and restarted in Queensland, and was flourishing in the country districts of New South Wales. If the game had gone down and out in New South Wales, it would have been a very serious thing for the Rugby game in the Dominion. When New South Wales had become established on a sound financial footing, they could look to visits with Victoria ana Queensland with loss frequent visits to and from New Zealand. Mr E. Little considered that by having these tours to Australia, they were helping New Zealand football. There was little hope, lie said, of introducing the game in Victoria, and it would be wiser to concentrate upon New South Wales and Queensland. Mr J. Prendcville contended that the arranging of an overseas tour was a matter for. the delegates at the annual meeting j and not for the Management Committee. Those’■in charge of the game knew how difficult it was to get a team away for a fortnight, let alone- for some months. If they had too frequent tours, there would be a danger .of fostering professionalism. ; . A voice: Rot!

Mr A. A. Adams (West Coast) said that lie could not agree that the Management, Cominittee bad no right to enter into agreements. It would be absurd to suggest that any Union should have to refer all matters to the Unions. - Decisions might have to be made at a moment’s notice. Mr MacFavlqne agreed that the Management Committee tvas the proper body to make overseas tours. The President (Mr G. A. Maddison) said that much misunderstanding would be avoided if the Management Committee were to submit drafts of all important agreements to the affiliated unions j » • M :

Mj; T.; J. King (Wellington)’ said that, ,N,ew Zealand had sown the seeds bf ! siicCes's irt ; New South Wales, and weiFe' now about 1 .to the benefit. They; had almost brought, the standard of, play in. ; New ijlquth. Wales up to that i !of New, Remind. 1 ’* Anyone Who saw' tW New South Wales team play jm : the} Dominion ’.would! i Subscribe' to 1 '- ! < I / I i . ! this view.

Mi: Wilson said that the Canterbury! Union had served its purpose in promoting the discussion, and he withdrew the remit.

* HELP FOR MINOR UNIONS. Mr A. A. Adams (West Coast) moved: “That five per cent of the proceeds from the Ranfurly Shield games should he paid to the New Zealand Union--to .forny the nucleus- of a fund for the assistance of such Unions requiring it.” Mr H. Frost (Auckland) suggested that a Sub-Committee he set up to consider the question of financially assisting the minor Unions. , „ Mr S. S. Dean thought it might he a good idea for .the New.,Zealand Union' to ’ set aside a portion of tile proceeds from the profits of the British team’s visit next year to the assistance of the minor Unions.

Mr J. McLeod (Taranaki) said that it was not money that the minor Unions wanted, but games. If the major Unions would exchange visits with the minor Unions, it would do a great deal of good lor the game. Mr J. Prondeville (Wellington) said that the playing of matches with minor Unions would he placing too great a hurdle upon the players of tho major Unions. The motion was carried, almost unanimously.

Complaints, that the contest for the Prince of Wales Cup interfered too much with the inter-provincial programme were found to be groundless. Air K. Tahiwi, Secretary of the Maori Hoard, said that if the New Zealand Union was satisfied that it could control Rugby amongst the Maoris, then they could do 'away with the Maori Advisory Hoard. In order to do so, however, it was necessary to understand the phychology of the Maori race, The Maori Advisory Hoard comprised the most influential members of the Maori' race, and their sole aim was to encourage the Rugby Union game amongst the Alaori race. He was sorry that any suggestion had been made that any other object actuated the Maori Advisory Board. The Prince of AVales Oup had been donate.! for competition amongst the Ataoris by His Royal Highness the Prince of AY ales, and they only asked that they should be able to hold the contest each year. Mr i>7 McKenzie (Hawke’s Bay) suggested that the Maori Advisory Board . should furnish the Unions with the dates of the Prince of AA T ales Cup trial matches as early as possible in the season. In the past Maori players had been called upon without consulting the Unions. The President (Air G. A. Maddison) moved that the affiliated Unions be supplied With particulars concerning the Prince of AATales Cup competition, and that the dates for the Prince of \A r ales Cup matches I*s arranged at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union. The motion was carried. VOTING POAVER OF UNTONS. WELLINGTON. May 1(5. At the N.Z. • Rugby Union meeting lAlr 11. Harris moved on behalf of the Otago Union; “That Unions having

under 30 teams shall have one vote; 30 teams and under (50 teams, two votes; 60 teams and under 90 teams, three votes; 90 teams and under 120, four votes; 120 teams and over, five votes. The number of such teams shall be supplied to the Secretary of this Union, prior to the date of the annual meeting. For the purposes of this rule “teams” shall mean all teams, exclusive of primary school teams, affiliated to a union.” The remit was seconded by Mr J. McLeod (Taranaki). Mr N. McKenzie (Hawke’s Bay) sa : d his Union favoured the present allocation of voting power. Mr S. Wilson (Canterbury) considered that the sub-unions should have some representation. Mr Casey (Auckland) said the question was: Were tlie football players of the Dominion adequately represented on the governing body? Voices: “No.” On a vote being taken, the remit was carried by 38 votes to '3O. THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

The election of officers resulted as follows:—Patron, His Excellency the Governor-General (Sir Charles Ferguson) ; President, Mr A. A. Adams (West Coast); Vice-Presidents: Messrs •J. Arneil (Auckland), J. Silcock (Thames Valley), M.. Quinn (Waikato), R. Masters (Taranaki), R. J. Smith (Bush Districts), C. H. Mills (Marlborough), W. Brown (Otago), Q. A. Davis (Southland), L. J. Brake (North Auckland), R. S. Webster (King Country), Dr. G. Adams (Wanganui), A. S. Parker (Poverty Bay), J. A. Colquhoun (Manawbeuna), K. S. Williams (Fast Const), A. S. Beiinut (Hawke’s Bay), Dr. P. F. McEvcdy (Wellington), E. A.. Truman (Wai.rarapa), A. E. Max (Nelson), H, Mano.v (Golden Bay-Mbtuoka.), «T. C. Bradley (Biiller), J. Guy (West Coast), S. Wilson (Canterbury), H. M. Fraser (South Canterbury), G. B. Stevenson (North Otago), W. F. Warren (Ashburton!. Appeal Council: Messrs J. Arneil, P. Mackie and .T. I. Conlon (all of Auckland); auditor, Mr O. 0. Kcmber; rcmmsontative Vice-President, Mr E. Wylie (re-elected); Management Committee—Messrs S. S. Dean, J. G. lleache, T. A. Fletcher, E. McKenzie, H. S. Leith, A. C. Kitto, and H. H. Sterling. OLD RULES NOT ADOPTED. “ That in view of the coming British tour all matches during the 1929 and 1930 seasons he played under the rules as laid down by the International Board. The above motion was put forward by the Management Committee. It evoked lan animated discussion. The majority of the delegates preferred the rules' as played by New Zealand to the old rules retained by Britain, and the motion was defeated, but an amendment was carried agreeing to ivav the North v. South Island match this season, and the trial matches next year under the. rules as laid down hv the International Rugby Board.