OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

Shannon News, 25 March 1924, Page 3

OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

SCATHING COMMENT ON TRAVEL- , LING EXPENSES.

DUNEDIN; March'24. “When sport is commercialised to that extent there is something wrong” said Mr E. V. Fairbairn, when making reference at the annual meeting of delegates to the Otago Rugby Union to .an item of £2|)B4 9s 3d under the hand ling “Treavelling Expenses.” Mr Fairbairn said it appeared to lilm the object of representative games was being defeated. They were supposed to be tests between the best of the provinces. Diuring thie past few years it had not been a question of picking the best men (but advertising for men to go on tour. Some years ago Wellington played Otago in Dunedin and th© same day a Wellington team played Wanganui ,at Wellington. That probably meant that a scratch Wellington team was playing an important district team like Wanganui. Referring to. the great amount of travelling Mr Fairbairn said sooner or later employers would take up ii. hostile attitude if indiscriminate travelling continued to he indulged in, the province would soon he represented only by people in casual work, thus opening the door to professionalism. He thought it should be a recommendation to the committee to curtail the number of representative matches to the extent, of sending an Otago team away only every four years. The chairman said the matter would have the committee’s attention. Mr 11. 11. White was. elected president.