RUGBY

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3670, 26 July 1927, Page 2

RUGBY

RANFURLY SHIELD PROTEST.

WAIRARAPA’S PROTEST UP HELD.

The Management Committee of the New. Zealand Rugy Union held a special meeting on Saturday to consider the protest lodged by the WairarapaUnion in connection with 'Hawke’s Bay having included an unqualified player in the match for the Ranfurly Shield against Wairarapa, at Masterton on July 9. v ' Mr. S. & Dean presided, and there were also present: Messrs A. C. Kitto, T. A. Fletcher, E. Wylie, C. L. Mullaney, H. S. Leith, E. McKenzie, W. Hornig, K. Tahiwi (Maori Advisory Board), and A. E. Xeilson (secretary).

Mr. N. McKenzie represented the Hawke’s Bay Uniiti. After considerable discussion the following resolution was carried: “That whereas W. Barclay was a bona fide resident of Auckland until June 23, having fulfilled the qualification necessary under that union’s rule No. 28, and whereas Barclay, did not fulfil the residential qualification as provided in the New Zealand Rugby Union’s rule 43 to permit him to play for Hawke’s Bay, this Committee upholds the protest of the Wairarapa Rugby Union and awards the match to Wairarapa. The motion was seconded by Mr. E. McKenzie, Mr. Mullaney being the only dissentient. “I can now inform you, said Mr. N. McKenzie, “that we will lodge an injunction against your decision, and obtain a ruling from the Supreme Court on the matter. Until that is settled, the shield stays where it is.” There is no doubt that Hawke’s

Bay, in playing Barclay, acted either in defiance or in ignorance of the law of the controlling body and all lovers of fair play will endorse the action of the N.Z. Rugby Union. Mr McKenzie’s threat to apply for a Supreme Court ruling is farcical and the Bay Union will be well advised to call off such a threat. In view of all the facts Hawke’s Bay acted unwisely in playing Barclay and they will earn the good will of all Rugbyites by accepting the N.Z. Union’s decision.

If our national game is to be kept clean and free from professionalism clubs should exercise the greatest care in selecting men of probity as their representatives on the Union. There is a larity in this connection, and the results are evinced in nearly every union in the Dominion. If things don’t improve in the matter of Rugby government, the game will suffer in popularity and numbers of players will find some more congenial form of recreation, MANAWHENUA CAMP QUESTION. The question of training camps for teams before representative matches was again before the Management .Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union at its meeting on Saturday. The chairman (Mr. S. S. Dean) explained that the Manawhenua Union had notified that their team was going into camp for four days prior to their match against Hawke’s Bay. A telegram had been received from the president of the Manawatu-Horowhenua Union (Mr. A. M. Ongley) asking under what rule the New Zealand Union placed an embargo upon training camps. “I don’t see how we can approve of open defiance in this matter,” said Mr. Dean. It was decided to telegraph to Mr. Ongley, pointing out that the N.Z. Union had taken action under the remit on the subject from the International Rugby Board, and the union’s resolution on the matter. Rule 37 provided that any union disobeying a ruling by the parent body could be suspended.

MANAWHENUA AND MAORIS DRAW.

The match Manawhenua v. Maori touring team, which was played at Palmerston on Saturday, resulted in a draw at 24 pbints Manawhenua, especially in the second spell, delighted their supporters with their play. While the visitors were superior in the opening spell, when they acquired a half-time lead of 16 points to 5, in the second half Manawhenua played the better football, and until just before the final whistle led by 24 points to 21, but Harrison badly beat the opposition right on the call of time to even the score.

The following players have been selected to represent Manawhenua against Hawke’s Bay at Napier on Saturday next: —Full-back, Williamson; three-quarters, H. Darragh Hunt, McDonald; five-eights, Brophy, T. Parata; half, W. Parata; wing-forward, Jacob; forwards, Anderson, Hakaraia, Galpin, Crawford, Tatana, Parsons, Payne. Emergencies: Backs, Dewe, Cochran; forwards, Persson, Tremewan.

On Saturday the Foxton Thirds play Shannon at Shannon, at 1.30 p.m.

Ranfurly Shield matches now loom so large in the public eye and create such widespread interest, that there is a danger of the present dispute being carried far be\yond the circle of the two disputants (says the Wanganui Chronicle). To bring a purely sporting matter into the Courts would be to make what should be kept a sporting matter one of serious business, and even the Ranfurly Shield is not worth that. It is greatly to be hoped that, in the best interests of Rugby, the matter will be amicably settled, and that the spirit of the game for the game’s sake shall prevail. Otherwise Ranfurly Shield matches will be in danger of becoming mere “pot-hunting” contests. The Horowhenua Rugby Union advertise particulars in connection with the Nash Cup, Licensed Victuallers Cup and, Third grade trial elsewhere in this issue. On Saturday Foxton Juniors play Hui Mai. Shannon defeated Ohau by 9 points to 8 in the Austin-Banner match on Saturday.