PAEROA RUGBY UNION.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5451, 22 July 1929, Page 2

PAEROA RUGBY UNION.

SPECIAL COMMITTEE MEETING. QUESTION OF K. G. BUCHANAN. A special meeting of the Paeroa Rugby Union Management Committee was held on Friday night last to deal with question of a player resident in Paeroa and playing for Thames, arising out of a letter from the Thames Rugby Union. Present at the meeting were Messrs J. M. Crosby (chairman), W. J. Pratley, H. Robinson, J. Walmsley, and W. A. Fathers, secretary. ■ The letter referred to was read as follows :—- “I have been requested by the chairman, Mr Arbury, to confirm his phond* message to you with reference to K. G. Buchanan being granted permission to play in Thames for the balance of the season. “The College Old Boys’ Club, for whom Buchanan has played during the season, have pointed out that as no objection was raised last season to Buchanan playing in Thames for them, they naturally presumed that his qualifications were all in order. The club therefore played Buchanan, and to lose his services when the competition is nearing a close is going to seriously affect the club’s chances for championship honours. With only a bare back team available, it means that a forward will have to fill the vacancy caused by losing Buchanan, and you will recognise that the combination will be upset considerably, if not lost altogether. The club has also represented to the union that as the club competitions in Paeroa have been decided, if Buchanan, under the decision of the Auckland Rugby Union, desired to play in Paeroa he could get little or no football unless given a place in the Paeroa representative team, which would not be quite fair to the players who have played throughout the season in Paeroa. The club, believing that Buchanan was'in order, has now to pay for its wrong assumption, and has made the request that representations ,be made to the Paeroa Rugby Union respectfully on its behalf for permission for Buchanan to play here for the balance of the season. The chairman, Mr Arbury, has conveyed the request verbally to you, and on the club’s behalf /I beg to respectfully confirm that request.’

After discussion the committee arrived at the following resolution :— “That this union notify the Thames Rugby Union that although willing to agree to the Thames Union playing K. G. Buchanan for the present season, it regrets that as the matter was raised by the Thames Valley Rugby Union (our parent body) the Paeroa Union has no power to give the desired clearance, this union not having taken any action in reporting K. G. Buchanan’s position to the Auckland Rugby Union.” [Upon inquiry it is learned that the anestion of K. G. Buchanan playing for Thames while a resident of Paeroa was first brought up before the Thames Valley Rugby Union at a meeting of that body by a delegate from the Paeroa Rugby Union. Acting on this, the Thames Valley Union laid t’oe matter before the Auckland Rugby Union. —Ed.]