RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 18 May 1926, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. On Tuesday the management committee of the Horowhenuia District Rugby Council niqt in the De Luxe rooms, Mr J. J. O'Connor being- in the chair. Present: Messrs J. Rimmer, W. N. Anderson, J. McDonald, B. Brawn, J. Procter, F. Robinson, H. Lynch, N. Emmett (Referees' Association), W Hannan, W. Neville. Matters and correspondence under discussion included the following subjects. REFEREE ABUSED. Mir H. Hern/, referee of the Junior Awahou v. Miranui match on Saturday, reported having to caution Buckman, a Miranui player, for rough play. Prior to the cautioning, a disqualified player had been very abusive but after the warning given to his .brother he had used objectionable language towards the referee. The latter asked the management committee to make arrangements -,o prevent, a recurrence. , "A serio/us position," commented the chairman.

"Some of these people ought to appear before 'the Court," added Mr Neville. The referee, who appeared in person before the meeting, said that the disqualified player had been all over the playing-field, .as had practically all the spectators, and it was an absolute misery attempting to referee, at Miranui- nuder the conditions obtaining there at present. Mr Procter: Y6u should take a sixshooter. Mr Hemi: That's what you need, anyway. (Laughter). Mir Anderson asked' if the ground were a private one, and was told that the property was part of that belonging to the Miranui proprietary. Mr Procter remarked that if this were so the Grounds Committee should wait upon Mr Seifert and ask him if he would be agreeable to the Union having sole control of the ground during the football season. II they could not get control the Union should refuse to play any further games at Miranui. ' Mr Procter moved to that effect, ana was seconded by Mr Robinson. Mr Casey said it appeared to him that the Union was sending the referees to Miranui as "Aunt Sallies" for some of the spectators who bawled at the referee and acted like wild animals. If the crowd refused to act decently, then the matches should-be taken from there. Mr Robinson: No referee could successfully control a game under conditions like those existing on Saturdav " Mr Rimmer said that as the disqualified player referred to had been warned off all football grounds m New Zealand, the Horowhenua Union should see that this sentence was enforced, and that the Miranua ground be included in this sentence. The motion was carried, without dissent. FOURTH GRADE PLAYERS.

Only players under 16 years of age at May Ist are eligible to play in fourth grade teams, and each player must sign his name on the team slip, also stating thereon his correct age. PLAYER SUSPENDED. Mr P. H>. McGregor, who refereed in the Junior Tokomaru v. Foxton game on Saturday, reported J. Taylor, a Tokomaru player, for striking a player while the latter was on the ground. Taylor was suspended until lie ap pears before the management committee and states his case.