Rugby Football.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 194, 19 March 1904, Page 20

Rugby Football.

Annual meetings are now the ordei of the day. Since ray last notes were written, the Athletic, St. James, Poneke, Petone, and Old Boys Club members have discussed their annual reports and balance-sheets, and it is more than likely that before these notes are read the Oriental and Wellington Club members will have done likewise. ♦ * # The Old Boys paid a fitting compliment at their annual meeting to Mr. Walter Bethune by electing him the first life-member of the club. Since its inception he has worked both in season and out of season for the welfare and advancement of the club, its successes making him elated and its defeats depressing him. By acknowledging Mr. Bethunes services in the way the club have done must be indeed pleasing to him. Ernie Dodd has been elected the Old Boys club captain, S. R. Gawith and A E. Wilson, being re-elected secietary and tieasurer respectively. Foity new members were elected, and the club starts its new season with a credit balance of £37 odd. • * • The Poneke Club had a satisfactory financial year, its credit balance being £12. W. J. Wallace was re-elected club captain, but, up to the time of writing, a successor has not been found, for Peter McColl, the secretary, who declines re-election. Charley Mitchells success with the finances made his reappointment as treasurer a certainty. An enlarged photograph of the present and old members of the club was presented to Dr. A. K. Newman, to mark the esteem in which he is held for the keen interest he has taken in the club during the many years he has held the office of president. An important motion at the Poneke Club's meeting was the instruction! to its delegates to the Rugby Union to vote in favour of the selection of re-

piesentative teams being controlled by a three-man committee, as was the custom previous to the last two seasons. « * * Mr. A. Prichard was elec ed to control the affairs of the Athletic Club during the new season, and associated uith him are Charley Atkinson as secre--taiy and It. Sieveis as treasurer. This club has had a bad passage in senior matches in recent seasons, and the departure of W. S. Joyce at this stage for Auckland will not assist the executive in their endeavours to put a senior team in the fie'd. I wish them success in their effort, and their fair shaie of wins on the field. * » * The Petone Club were a very happy family party at their annual meeting. Dr. Newman declined re-election as president, and his mantle has fallen on Mr. J. T. King, a consistent su~ ->orter and well-wisher of the club. Mr. W. Hardham, V.C., Dan Fraser, and H Selwood were re-elected captain, secretary, and treasurer respectively, and this alone points to the fact that the best of good feeling exists in the club. Amoncr the nev\ members elected were — Duncan McGregor (the New Zealand representative wing three-quar-ter, from. Christchuich), and Tom Cross, the burly one. With the form shown by the Petone Club last season fresh in on^'s mind, the addition of these two players would seem to point to the conclusion that the handing of the shield

to the Petone Club will be a certainty at the end of the season. * * * A new clvb — by name the Railway — has been formed among the lads in the big building in Featherston-street, and they intend to oomptte for either the third and fourth-class competition, or to enter two fourth-class teams. Daw Logan, the ex Old Boys player, recently passed his final law examination. He is now a partner of Mr. C, F. Gawith, barrister and solicitor, of Masterton — the father of the secretary of the Old Boys Club. Enquiries are being made, so it is just as well to mention that the Rugby Union have secured sufficient grounds at Miramar to Dlav its matches on this season. A paddock of 28 acres, beautifully level, and sown in grass, has been placed at the Union's disposal by Mr. Crawford. Congratulations to the St. James Club on their determination to go up a step, and compete in the junior championship this season. Not many years ago the Rugby Union had a bye-law which prevented clubs affiliating with it whose status was less than that of a junior. Since the alteration of this bye-law many clubs have joined the union and in the case of the Southern and St. James Clubs have worked themselves up to the junior grade. May they Jeep on the up-erade, and, as they set older, the-p will find their wav into the senior ranks. [(Jnnti)nii'd on piiqe 21.)