RUGBY AFFAIRS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 233, 25 May 1932, Page 6

RUGBY AFFAIRS

HIKUWAI PROTEST REQUESTS FGR MATCHES RECEIVED FROM OTHER CENTRES TAUPO UNiION'S POSITION The management committee of the Rotorua Rugby Sub-union held its weekly meeting on Monday evening. Mr T. S. Robertson, president, presided over a fair attendance of executive members and club delegates. A letter was received from the Arawa Park Domain Board giving authority to the union to use three grounds at Arawa Park, conditional on eertain requirements being fulfilled. The committee accepted the conditions. A protest from the Hikuwai Club concerning the ruling of the referee in that club's match against Rotoiti last Saturday, at Mourea, was received. The club objected to the awarding of a field goal to a Rotoiti player. It was pointed out, however, that this was a question of fact and that the referee's ruling was final even if he had been wrong. It was definitely laid down in the rules that a referee's decision could not be altered. The representative team submitted by the seleetor, Mr. T. Anderson, was approved, and Mr. Leslie Clarke was appointed manager of the team on its trip to Taupo on Saturday. The team will leave from Fuller's corner sharp at noon so that the players may be able to have a spell at Taupo before taking the field. A member of the Frankton branch of the St. John Ambulance Association, Mr. Wright, who is now resident in .Rotorua, waited on the meeting with a request that the union support the re-formation of the Rotorua branch of the association. Mr. Wright said that there were three former members of the branch still in Rotorua and that they were keen to commence activities again. He pointed out the necessity for such an organisation in the town and laid stress on the value it would have been to the union when several aceidents occurred on the football field' reeently. Referred to Clubs Mr. Robertson said that he felt sure that the members of the union wuuld support the movement and asked the club delegates to mention the matter to their members. He thought that perhaps each club might persuade two of its members to join the association and that the union would do what it could in the matter. H was eertain that the delegates would get the players interested. Mr. W. Henderson said that ths revival of the St. John Ambulance Corps in Rotorua wTas an exeellent move and promised his active aid in assisting it to gain support. He considered that the existence of such a body in the town was very necessary. Mr. Wright thanked the members for their encouragement. A letter from the Thames Rugby Union asking that a match be played there, and making eertain offers to assist in covering the expenses of ihe Rotorua team in travelling, was received. It was also suggested that a combination of Rotorua sports bodies make the trip and thus divide the travelling costs. The Thames Union would arrange games for any of the sports bodies desiring to visit there. The matter was postponed until further information could be obtained regarding the holding of a general sports visit to Thames. The Bay of Plenty Union wrote to the effect that as Taupo had sent their affiliation fees to the Bay, they considered that Taupo still wished to be connected with that centre. Delegate Appointed It was decided to communicate with Taupo on the matter. The committee understood that some misunderstanding existed between Taupo and Rotorua as to the position that union would hold if affiliated through the Rotorua sub-union to the Waikato. The situation is to be fully explained to Taupo and the manager of the team to travel there on Saturday, Mr Leslie Clarke, is to finalise matters and to obtain a written statement from Taupo regarding its intentions. A verbal report from the referee's delegate was received praising the exeellent sportsmanship of the Hikuwai Club who, the report stated, had lived up to the traditions of the sport and played good clean football. The committee set up at the previous meeting to go into question of badges for Rugby officials, was instructed to finalise matters and procure the necessary badges. The president took exception to a statement in the "Morning Post" in the "On the Ball," column referring to the representative fixture to be held at Taupo on Saturday. The writer questioned the advisability of holding representative matches so early in the season, saying that the union was paving the way to repeat the mistakes of last year by running a series of representative fixtures to t^e detriment of club competitions. Mr. Robertson said that as a result of this statement in the Press he had been asked by several people what series of representative fixtures the union had decided on, and he had told them that this was the only one, no others having been arranged to date. He considered that such comment was unfair. Mr. A. G. Cottrell said that the "Morning Post" was perhaps under a misapprehension concerning the fixrnre with Taupo, as decisions relating to it were not, on account of eertain circumstances, made public. He then explained that the fixture at Taupo was an honour match. At he commencement of the season the anion had promised them a game ■.here and had praetically left the fixng of the date in the hands of the Taupo sub-union. The Rotorua Union had made this promise to assist Taupo, who were in financial difficulties. After a further brief comment on he part of other members the subject lapsed. I Mr. Robertson reported that he had | obtained the necessary timber for the ■erection of seats around. the play4ng fields and that these were in the ;ourse, of erection. The fence borderng number three field was also being frected. . r Consideration of a request from the i 'utaruru union for a match with the j- Rotorua Union at either centre, in five J or six weeks' time, was deferred. V- . . . * •