CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2785, 16 September 1924, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To The Editor.) Sir, —As an old Rugby player, I witnessed the League game between Manawatu and Wellington on Saturday and if the exhibition was to usher in a game that is to oust Rugby, then League has got Buckley’s chance of success. I understand that Rugbv has been very loosely governed in this dNfrict and a recent happening in Cliristokim-li has embittered a certain section against the N.Z. Rugby Executive for its action in upholding-.the Canterbury Union and dissatisfaction against the local Union is the boost for League. These little disagreements occur in club affairs and cause a breftk-awav to the temporary or permanent advantage of some other branch of sport. But sport, like water, will find its level in the estimation of Ihe public. My regret was to know that some ex-Rugby players of promise will no longer he permitted to play in the National game. This, to my mind, is rhe worst feafnre of the break-away from Rugbf If the disqualification penalty was removed and League placed on the same footing as Soccer, dissatisfied ones would have a chance to cool their heads. —Yours etc. OUTSIDE RUGBYITE.

Sir. —In your issue of Saturday last I notice a letter in reply to statements I made in a recent issue in which I endeavoured to show why Rugby football has been displaced in the Horowhenua Rugby district. In the first place lam not to be drawn into the merits or demerits of the Juniors, neither am T going to u=e any particular team as a weapon for my arguments, my attitude being that the treatment doped out by the H.R.U. to all tenuis outside of Levin has been the main factor in bringing Rughv into disrepute and incidentally fostering the superior game “Rugby League” From that attitude I will not waver. ‘•Junior Player” says I am far from the truth when. I said the Foxton teams included fathers of Seniors down to the Fourths. Then he im-

mediately qualified my statement by admitting they played Juniors, Thirds and Fourths. I am quite aware the .Juniors were short, but that is because there was too much “Raffety” in the team. As to the gate, well I heard the Town Clerk inform the Council' that their share of the gate was the huge sum of 7d. Further, he says that at our last match we had about forty spectators, mostly officials. Well, we have only seven officials. Now what about the truth? He Trould not have been at both games, as I take it he was playing Rugby. Take the result of last Saturday’s game, the Council’s share of the gates at Easton Park is 4/2. the Rugby League match at the racecourse was the right side of £ls. The gate at the Park was £1 S/-j which shows that the public went where they got the best value for their money. I quite agree with him that cutting off of the third round from the Juniors practically lost them the. cup. That I pointed out beiV'fo, ns well as the question of making the Fourths travel twice to the next team's once, with the same object in view. And now he says that only three -Juniors have gone over to Rugby League. Well let me tell him that live Juniors, some of them discarded from his team played Senior Rep. League code on Saturday against Wellington and right well they acquitted-themselves too. Also more of them are- going to play. I say again that the H.R.U. will not give l tieiu a c-hanee to play'big gam<s. Take the Horowhenua Junior team that got beaten here on Saturday. Was that not a fair sample of the treatment they have been getting? Could not a local team have "cleaned them up” too ? Look at the beating the Senior reps, got at Palmerston N. Most of that team are a standing order. What chance does “Junior Player” get? None whatever. No, “Junior Player,” your team was a good one until you had the misfortune to play under the same referee who at a later date, was disrated for inability to give > our local “has beens” a fail- run. Your team's bubble was prieke'd at Shannon, when you were beaten on your own merits, and most of all because of internal troubles. There is one i hiiig 1 would like to ask “Junior Player.” Will he tell us who the grandfather was? 1 am a member pf the League team, but 1 am not aware there is one in it. Among the pioneers of the League code here are those who gave time and money to assist the younger players to and travel, hut have got fed up with the meagre, biased, aud parochial attitude of the H.R.U. We are here, aud here we stay, despite their animosity to a code, the reason why they cannot say, not even Trooper. Thanking you sir, E. <l. MARTIN.