FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1931, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

WEST COAST RUGBY UNION. The weekly meeting o',' the West Coast Rugby Union was held last even, ing at G'reymouth. Referees’ reports were read and received.

The Star Club’s application for tlife reclassification of J. Cooni from senior to junior was granted. The Westland Sub-Union advised that they had decided to hold their annual seven-a-side tourney on July 18th and asked approval of that date. They also asked that the Union cooperate with them by postponing all fixtures for that date. Members generally were of the opinion that the fixtures should not be held up, and it was decided to notify the Sub-Union that the date mentioned was considered unsuitable, but that the Union would he willing to consider another date later in the season. The Excelsior Club applied for permission to play L. Martyn, who has been temporarily trails erred to Kuniara, which town is on the Greymouth side of tile Rugby Union’s boundary. The application was made under the “extraordinary circumstances” clause in the Union’s rule, which is to the effect that a player must play for a team in the district in which be resides. Martyn also wrote asking permission to play for the Excelsior team, stating that lie considered his transfer only temporary.

Mr Eggleton said the Union had had quite enough trouble over a similar matter last year. He did not think the application should be granted. Mr Williams: If the transfer is only temporary, Martyn should be allowed to play for Excelsiors. Mr Eggleton: But we have no guarantee that the transfer is of such a nature. We had an enormous amount of trouble last year on a similar thing, and if you are going to disregard your rules, there might just as well be no Rugby Union at all.

Mr Steel said that the cases last year were quite different. The players then concerned were bona fide residents of the Grey district at the commencement of the season. Martyn was only just over the boundary and there was the probability that the transfer would not be permanent.

Mr Kvle agreed with Mr Steel. He thought that the application should be

granted. The Chairman said it was for the Union to decide whether the circumstances of the application could be regarded as extraordinay or not. Last year the New Zealand Union had decided that a player must, except under extraordinary circumstances, play for the district in which he resided. Martyn was certainly now residing in the Grey district, but whether permanently or not. was not known. Mr O’Donnell did not think that it was a case of extraordinary circumstances.

Mr Mclntosh thought it a very reasonable application, and considered that the case came under the “extraordinary circumstances” clause.

Mr Eggleet-on: 1 am not against Martyn playing for Excelsiors, but I think that the Union should enforce its rules. As there will be no senior fixtures until July 11th, it was resolved to hold the matter over until the next meeting, by which time the exact nature of the transfer will have been ascertained.

The Merivale Club advised their inability to send a senior team to the West Coast this year. Mr T. Mclntosh was appointed manager, Mr M. Houston captain, and Mr J. Bell vice-captain of the representative team, the members of which are to assemble at the Post Office at 8 a.rn. on' Saturday.

RUGBY LEAGUE. (Australian Press Association.) BRISBANE, June 30. The New South Wales representatives to-day defeated Brisbane by i 3 points to 16..