RUGBY UNION MEETS.

Shannon News, 1 June 1923, Page 4

RUGBY UNION MEETS.

LOCATION OF REP. MATCHES. PREVIOUS DECISION AFFIRMED.. The weekly meeting of the; Horowhenua Rugby Union Management Committee .was held on Tuesday, Mr J. Procter occupying the chair, there being also present Messrs Bevan, Austin, Sciascia. Grimstone, McMillan, Hutchings and the secretary, Mr L. Carmichael.

In connection with the ShannonMoutoa match, which was awarded to Moutoa by default, this decision of ie referee being confirmed at last committee meeting, Mr Grimstone asked permission xo re-open the question, explaining that he had brought witnesses who could explain fully the difficulty of getting across to Moutoa on this particular Saturday owing to the flooded condition of the road. He moved that the witnesses be heard. This was seconded by the secretary pro lorma, but was lost on the show of hands. A letter was received from a club

t’o the effect that at the last game played there, certain men had entered the grounds before the match and refused to pay. It was decided that in

future the names of such men be taken and forwarded lo the Union for further action. It was decided that the classifl.-'a-tion of Larsen, of the Te Horo club, in connection with which a protest was received, .be allowed to stand.

The Hovers Club .wrote asking for permission to play a match against Petone on the Levin grounds cn June 4.—Granted. It was decided that the transfer tf W. G. Marshall from the Otaki Club | be agreed to subject to Otaki’s approval. The United Football Club wrote asking for the transfer of 'a player from the Foxton Club.—This was refused, the chairman stating that as the player in question resided in Foxton, the Union could not transfer him to a club (Outside the Union. A deputation from the Tokom'aru Club waited on the Union in reference to the classification of players from that club, and explained that if the three men classified were taken from the club, they would be unable to play a junior team. The men in question were only 20, 19 and 18 years of age, besides being light-weights, and really too young to play against senior players. They contended that it was not fair to Tokomaru that when last year the club had got its team into first class form by hard training, that they should be penalised for their keenness a® was being done. After considerable discussion it wa’s decided that the classification must stand, members pointing out that the players in question were well worthy of senior rank, and that they were not younger than many other senior players in the Union. S. Smith waited on the Committee re his re-instatement to Rugby from League football. It was decided to refer the matter to the N.Z. Rugby Union

It was decided that permission be granted to any club wishing to enter a team for the seven-a-side competition in Palmerston.

Letters of protest were received from the Shannon and j Foxton Clubs against the decision of the Union to hold all rep. matches in Levin. Shannon further protested against what they designated as the erroneous and misleading statements to the effect that rep. matches in Shannon had not been a financial success, made by the chairmlan of the management committee at last week’s meeting.

Mr Grimstone .explained that this protest was the result of an indignation meeting held in Shannon to protest against jt,he committee’s decision to play all yep. fixtures in Levin. Very strong exception was taken to toe committee’s decision and he assured the meeting that the attendance from Shannon at rep. matches would be very small if the decision were adhered to. it was well-known that last year the financial result of the Shannon rep. match was the best in the Union. His Club ialso wished to know what the chairman had meant by the word ‘otherwise’ in his statement.

The chairman explained that his words did not refer to Shannon, where it was 'agreed the match had been a success, but to the whole system cf distributing rep. matches throughout the Union instead of holding them in one centre, land he was .very sorry | that Shannon through placing a | wrong construction on his Words should have cause for complaint. Re-| garding the word ‘otherwise’ cohi-i

plained of he had referred to the question of young players who could leam considerably from attending a rep. match. Whilst these young players could travel eight or ten miles they would 1 not be prepared to travel from one end of the Union to the other. For this reason, as these yoUng players had to be considered as they would be the rep. players of the 'uture, he considered it advisable .to hold these fixtures in central posi-

tion in the Union .where they could attend from, either end.

Mr Hutchings said that the Committee’s decision was particularly unfair to Foxton. Foxton players had to come further to games than any other in the Union, and besides having no railway were under great expense for car-hire. He thought gome consideration should be shown them. Further he considered that the public of the different centres of the Union should be considered. They were the people who supported football, and their wishes should have some weight with the Union. In reference to the last rep. match played in Foxton, this had been held on a Wednesday, which was an unsatisfactory day in Foxton as the men from the mills could not attend. He was willing to guarantee that if a rep. match were played on a Saturday It would be as successful finmcially as in <any other place in the Union.

Mr Bevan said he did. pot consider the matter should be reopened. It had. been decided finally at last meeting, and the only thing to do was to consider what action should he taken against those players who had refused to play in the match -against Hui Mai. Mr Austin: You took the discussion of the Shannon-Moutoa match, which had been decided at a previous meeting. Why not discuss this?

Mr Bevan: The matter has been decided by the Union, and reasons given, so why re-open the question? Mr Hutchings: Mr Austin and I did not know that this matter was coming up for discussion. In important cases like this I consider that notice of motion should he given.

Mr Bevan: This is the case: this matter has been decided—voted on, seconded and so forth. If we are going to keep on bringing up matters like this every question that comes up for discussion will drag through several meetings, and we’ll never get anything done. If you were not prepared at last meeting why did you not ask .to have the matter held over? Mr Grimstone said that the matter had been so rushed that he had overlooked doing this. He went on to say that Foxton was prepared to guarantee a gate of £25 for a rep. fixture. They (had not got one last year and should have one this year. He asked that the motion of the last meeting be rescinded and the question opened up again.

The secretary explained that the reason for refusing to give Foxton a rep. game last year was the fact that the Foxton representative had refused to guarantee a gate. Finally it was moved by Mr Austin and -seconded by Mr Grimstone that the motion regarding the rep. matches be rescinded. This .was lost on the vote.

Mr Bevan asked what was going to be done with the Foxton men who re- | fused to play in the Hui Mai game. 1 The secretary explained that the had | rung up the secretary of the Foxton | Club and asked him who thiese men were, and that the secretary had said he did not know.

Mr Hutchings explained that the trouble in this connection arose through a misunderstanding, and said that at a general meeting held on Friday night it was decided that the game against Hui Mai be proceeded with, and that the question of rep. fixtures be decided later. However, when they had tried to get into touch with Hui Mai they had failed to do so.

After a long discussion it was pro- . posed by Mr Hutchings, seconded by Mr Austin that the Foxton-Hui Mai match be re-played, subject to Hui Mai’s consent. Mr Bevan proposed an amendment, ' which was seconded by Mr Sciascia,, that the match be awarded jo Hui Mai" • by default.—Carried. The Taranaki Rugby Union wrote asking for a fixture, and it was decided to notify them that the Union would be prepared to arrange a match for any Wednesday in August, Proposed by Mr Bevan, seconded by Mr Austin, that the appointment of referees be left in the hands of the Referees’ Association. This was carried, a donation of £5 being made to the Association's funds. In regard to the protest of the Weraroa Club against the inclusion of

two school players in the Royer Third team against Weraroa, it was decided that, fa's it was against tine rules of the Union that a member of another club should be played as a substitute, the protest be upheld. This ruling to also apply to the Hui Mai-Te Horo game, where Te Horo played ian Otaki man. As in both cases this protesting club merely a'sked that the match be replayed, this was agreed to. An application for a general meeting was received from the Shannon and Foxton Clubs to consider the question, moved by Foxton and seconded by Shannon that in lieul Of the senior representative team having three selectors as at prestent, there be one appointed ias a sole selector.

It was decided that a general meeting be called for Tuesday, June 5, at 8 p.m., in the Cosmos Theatre, Levin, to consider the question.