FOOTBALL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4567, 23 May 1923, Page 2

FOOTBALL.

PAEBOA RUGBY UNION. COMMITTEE MEETING. . The weekly meteing of the Paeroa Rugby Union was held last night, when there were present: Messrs J. Walmsley (chairman), W. Power, T. P. Vuglai, H. M. Shand, G. Jenkinson, C. Potter, B. Neil, and the secietary. In connection with the corresponderce from the Thames Rugby Union concerning non-resident players, it was decided to ask the Thames Union to send two delegates to- meet two delegates from the Paeroa Union at Hikutaia next Saturday, when the qusetion of residence of the players in question would be gone into. It was decided that in future all Junior matches commence at. 2.45 instead of 3 P-m. It was reported that last Saturday the senior match did not commence until half an hour after the scheduled time. The secretary was instructed tn notifiy all clubs that matches must commence at 3 p.m., otherwise the Union would take action. The following are the matches and referees for next Saturday:— Seniors. —West v. Netheiton (Mr E. Shaw), at PaeToa. Suburbs v. KomataEast (Mr A. Eklund), at Hikutaia. juniors.—Suburbs v. Komata-East (Mr B. Neil), No. 2 ground, Paeroa. West v. Karangahake (Mr E. Moore), at Karangahake, 2.45 pm. Third 1 Grade. —East v. West (Mr E. Smith), No. 1 ground. 1.45 P.m. TEAM FOR SATURDAY. The following will represent East juniors against Suburbs at Paeroa. on Saturday:— A. McKenna, L. Smith, Tukekino, D Haskell, C. Treanor, H. Moore, H. Thorp, J. Neil, M. Pennell, H. Mitchell, F. Fitch, G. Lawrence, K. SlyHeld, G. Strawbridge. Emergencies : J. Walls (back) ; J. Southby. A. Jenkinson (forwards).

PLAINS RUGBY UNION. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the Hauraki Plains Rugby Union was held in the Ngatea Hall on Monday evening. Mr J. Costello presided, and there were present. Messrs C. Hayward and H. Berney (Waitakaruru), G. Gray and G. Porteous (Turua), J. H. Nicholson and W. Thompson (Kerepeehi), L. Wallis and W. J. Dalzell (Patetonga), D. A. Vincent, secretary (Ngatea), and a large number of supporters of the game. ' . TURUA PROTEST. The secretary of the Turua club wrote on behalf of his club entering a protest against the decisions of the referee in the Turua-Ngatea senior mafph on the following grounds : (1.) That the ireferee should have awarded Turua a try instead of a. free kick, according to the section of the ru’e book dealing with unfair play; (2.) that the try awarded to Ngatea was deliberately passed off the ground ; (3.) that the referee had no cause to order T. Ryan off the field. The section of the r,ule book referred to read: "The referee shall award a try if, in his opinion, one would undoubtedly have been obtained but for unfair play or interference of the defending side.” 1 After hearing the evidence of the Turua delegates,,.Jhe captains of the teams and the referees, and after discussing the matter at length, it was decided that the protest should be left over until the Thames Valley Rugby Union had given a ruling as to whether the sub-union could handle the matter, and whether it could over-rule the decision .of the referee on a point of the rules of the game. No decision was arrived at on the actual points raised in the protest, but the refereeing for the whole of the season was favourably commented upon. The referee justified his action in ordering a man off the field, and the Turua delegates agreed to drop the matter. The players ordered off the field at Turua were cautioned and reinstated and it was decided that in future such offences would be dealt with more severely. PATETONGA PROTEST. The secretary of the Patetonga club wrote, on behalf of his club, entering a protest against the ruling of the referee at the match between Patetonga and Kerepeehi seniors on May 12 on the following grounds : — ,1. The referee disallowed a try gained by J. Millingtpn on the grounds that, when Millington fell on the ball after crossing the line he did not actually have his hand on tpp of the ball, but only had his aim curled round it. It was contended that as Millington fell by himself on his side it. was quite impossible for the referee who was a,t least a chain away to say whether the ball otr the man hit the ground first. Millington also contended that he did actually fall on the ball and force it, and that it is quite unnecessary to have the hand on top of the ball to score a try.

2. When a defending player kicked the ball out of bounds from within his own twenty-five the referee ordered a line-out from a point on the line opposite the spot from where the ball was kicked, which is contrary to the rules, 3. When, from a free kick, the ball was kicked clean out of Bounds, he ordered a scrum on the spot where the ball was kicked from, which is contrary to the rules. 4. He over-ruled the line umpire and then appealed to an opposing player to uphold his decision. This action of the referee is against all rules set for the guidance of referees in general. 5. On two occasions he gave free kicks for collaring, or attempting to collar, below the knees, a palpably absurd ruling. A footnote stated: “Please note that there was some considerable boo-hoo-ing after, the match by the spectators. We particularly wish to explain that none of the players took part in this; on the contrary, they did their best to stop it.” This matter was also deferred, pending the decision of the Thames Valley Rugby Union.

SCHOOL GRANT. ; The Thames Valley Rugby Union wrote enclosing a cheque for £2 17s Bd, being a grant from the N.Z. Rugby Union to encourage school football. It was decided, after much discussion, to keep the money until the next grant was received, as the sum was not large enough to do much with. RECOMMENDATIONS. The recommendations of the Referees’ Association were brought up, and the question of the appointment of line umpires raised considerable discussion. It was finally decided that, the referees were required by the rules to appoint their own line umpires and it be a recommendation from the Union that they appoint members of the' association who happen to be on the line, and that it would be an act of courtesy tp the home team to appoint a home referee as one of the line umpires. The recommendation that players be numbered was discussed, but members thought that the idea was impracticable. The recommendation that official timekeepers with bells should be appointed was adopted. PRESS REPORT. The Patetonga delegates brought up the question of the correctness of. a report in the “Gazette,” and alleged that it was stated that the referee had to be escorted off the field under police protectoin. After much discussion, during which it was suggested that the police be asked for a statement Mr Wallis moved, and Mr Hayward seconded, that the “Gazette” be asked to withdraw the remarks. On a copy of the paper being produced and the statement read by the chairman, it was agreed that the statement did not refer to anything that happened on the field. A Kerepeehi delegate spoke in defence of the report, contending that it was justified. The Pafetonga delegates admitted that, like the press reporter they were working an secondhand information, though they contended that the incident was exaggerated. They were not concerned except as Patetongaites with what happened after the match though it was the duty of the club to protect the referee. The mover and the seconder agreed to withdraw their motion, and it was unanimously decided on the voices that the previous resolution on the matter be rescinded. TIME OF MEETINGS. It was finally agreed that the union meetings should be'held duiring the evening, but that if only one Patetonga delegate could be present owing to the time taken up by travelling to meetings over bad roads that he be allowed two votes.