FOOTBALL CHALLENGES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4977, 21 May 1926, Page 3

FOOTBALL CHALLENGES.

INTEB-UNiON TROPHY MATCHES, CONSIDERED BAD PROPOSITIONS. During the Thames Valley Rugby Union meeting at Paeroa on Tuesday evening, when the arrangements Tor m the Poland competition matches and the tour of the union’s representative z team were being discussed, a dele- , gate mentioned that his sub-union A had entered a challenge for the Peace Cup. ' . For the next minute or two the business of the meeting interrupted while delegates expressed their views on the folly of challenging for such trophies as the Peace r Cup and the Birch Cup. It appeared that all the unions affiliated with the Thames'Valley Rugby Union had challenged' the Thames ' union for these trophies, but from the tone ot th e discussion the Thames union might not be called: upon to defend its priz- . ed possessions against teams from the Valley. i Delegates ’ express m tee opinion tha,t sub-unionsi had a duty, first to their own supporters., and then to their own union, which was the Thames Valley Rugby Union- By sending teams to Thames '■ to play . challenge matches the sub-unions - were incurring expenditure from which they .got no return, and the •Thames union ,was. being greatly assisted financially. In fact, it lived on such matches. With a little assistance from its . sub-unions the-Thames* Valley Union had been able to arrange a, suitable tour for its representative team, and ■ other matches had to be declined owing to lack of available days. The unions to be visited on the tour/ had promised substantial assistance to-’ wards df travelling, and iu - return for the match would arrange to visit the Valley when their teams toured. This would mean big matches in the district, and, with the Valley team’s own tour, would give players a dhance of being seen in action by "big” footbhll selectors. ~ As the Birch and Peace cups were the challenge trophies that had introduced .the discussion, it was. natural that should compare the treatment- by the Thames Rugby Union as they knew it with that experienced apd promised by other unions. There was no match in rer turn by the Thames team, and the treatment of players and officiasl while in Thames was not characterised by its generosity. Even after the meeting the matter . was the subject of some discussion, delega ; tes reiterating that the visit to Thames was a Saturday wasted in s a season with few spare dates, and that the aim of sub-unions should oe to render all the assistance possible to their own union rather than to another.