RUGBY MATTERS.

Shannon News, 17 June 1927, Page 4

RUGBY MATTERS.

- MEETING OF DISTRICT COUNCIL. WANDERERS PROTEST. The weekly meeting of the Horowhenna Rugby District Council was held at Williams’ Tearooms last even- ' ing. The President (Mr. J. J. O’Connor) occupied the chair and there were also present: Messrs Rimmer, Ryder, Procter, McDonald, Wrigley, Anderson, Joyce, Robinson and Neville (Foxton), Casey (secretary), Richard®, and Robson (Shannon), and M. Winiata (selector). MIRANUIGROUND. A letter -was received from Mr._ McGregor, who refereed at Miranui, in which he reported that the side-lines were too deep and there was a risk of players spraining their ankles, while the goal-posts were not in order. —Referred to the Miranui Club for attention. AWAHOU’S DEFAULT. The referee, (Mr. Coyle) in the third grade match Awahou v. Wanderers . reported that Awahou were three-quar-ters of an hour late in arriving, anu he awarded the match to Wanderers. Awahou, were fined 5/- for failing to '.••notify their opponents of’their intention tc default. _ .... BEBBINGTON SHIELD REFEREE. The Bush Union wrote asking that an outsidp referee be appointed for their ’ Bebbington Shield match with Horowhenua on July Id. They did not reflect upon the ability of local referees, but thought outside referees wire more satisfactory and were only following the course taken at Horowhenua’s instance last year. They suggested Mr. F. C. Atkinson, of Wanganui, as referee.—Referred to Appointments Compiittee ... A challenge was received from the Oroua Sub-Union for a match for the Bebbington Shieid. —Accepted. . .OUTSIDE REFEREES FOR CLUB GAMES. The Shannon Club wrote asking that outside referees be appointed for all competition games. •■'The-chairman said the Appointment Committee had appointed two outside • referees before the letter came to the Council.. . ■lt was decided to inform the Shannon Club that as far as possible this was the policy of the Council. THANKS. j

The Paraparaumti School -wrote thanking the Council for a donation • of a football. EXCURSION FARES ON SATURDAY The Railway Department wrote stating excursion fares would be granted by all'trains for the Manawatu-Horo-whenua match at Shannon on June 13. This was in the nature of an experiment and the Department asked that it be made as widely known as possible. • NEW RULES.

A number of copies of the new rules were jeceived from the N.Z. Rugby Union.—-It was decided to supply all clubs with copies of the rules. JUNIORS ORDERED OFF.

The referee in the Foxton-Miranui

junior match (Mr J. Sciascia) reported having ordered off two players, Stev- : enson ‘(Foxton) and Lee (Miranui) for fighting during the progress of the game. He considered they had been ■ sufficiently punished. Letters were received from the offending players, each stating that the other struck the first blow and that they retaliated in self-defence. Messrs Neville (Foxton) and Robson (Miranui) who were present both considered that the breach was not a serious one. The incident happened very quickly. The chairman moved that Stevenson be suspended for one playing Saturday and Lee (who was cautioned last season) be suspended for two Saturdays. Mr Neville opposed the motion on the ground that more severe measures were being taken against thirds and juniors than against seniors. The chairman himself bad stated that ho had seen four senior matches and' all had been marked by fighting and blows being struck. Yet no senior player had been reported. He did not know whether it was that referees had not the

backbone to tackle men high up in football, but it Avas unfair that juniors and thirds diould be dealt Avith and seniors let go free. Mr Robinson (Awahou) said this was a case of men fighting and they Avere very lucky they Avere not going. out for the season.

Mr NeA T ille: The referee did not treat it as serious.

Mr Robinson said he luieAV both players and they Avere very respectable young felloAvs*, but it Avas fighting and he thought they were being leniently treated. He seconded the motion. Mr Robson moved an amendment that both players be stood doAvn for one playing Saturday. He agreed Avith Mr Neville that senior players should not be allowed to get aAvay Avith a lot of rough stuff Avhile junior players Avere penalised. He had seen a senior man lying on the ground struck three times in the face and nothing said.

Mr Richards (Shannon) seconded the amendment.

Mr Anderson (County) did not see whut the senior men had to do with it as no one had been reported. The chairman said Lee had been cautioned last year and warned that if he came before the Union he would be more severely dealt with. That was the reason for treating him differently. The motion suspending Lee for two Saturdays and Stevenson for one day was carried. WANDERERS’ APPEAL DISMISSED A QUESTION OF FACT. The Wanderers apealed against the , referee in the match, Wanderers v. County, changing his decision from a scrum to a free kick, on the ground that a referee, having once given his decision could not alter it. (Law III.) The referee (Mi- B. George) was in attendance and denied altering his def. cision. A scrum was formed and County got the ball. Their half used the blind side and the wing three-quar-ter came down fast and got over the line and was about to score. Jacob, the Wanderers’ captain, was repeatedly appealing, the referee, considered for the purpose of taking his attention off the man with the ball. He therefore blew his whistle, cautioned Jacob, and gave . County a free kick. He did not change

his decision from a scrum to a free kick. Mr Ryder: Has the captain not the right to appeal? The Chairman: Only on two occasions. Mr George: He can appeal as much as lie likes until he is cautioned and then he must stop. Mr Robinson: Should not all the players be cautioned before play begins if there is to be no appealing. The Chairman: It is not necessary. Mr George said players should know the rules. Why should they have to be addressed by the referee every Saturday ? Mr Ryder wished to question the referee as to what ruling he had given throughout the match when the. ball Was passed forward, but the chairman ruled that discussion must be confined to the incident on which the appeal was based. The chairman pointed out that the referee was sole judge of fact. Mr Anderson said the referee might have made all sorts of mistakes, but they could only discuss the ruling that was cnallenged. To Mr Robinson, the referee stated the scrum was still down, and the bali was in play, the County man being over the line. Jacob was appealing and he blew the whistle- “dressed Jacob down,” and gave County a free kick. Asked what he said to Jacob, the referee replied: “You have gone too far with this. You have been appealing ever since the game started and it must .stop.” He denied thpt he asked Jac-01, what he wanted. The chairman said they had a clearcut statement from the referee and it was a matter of fact they were dealing with, on which there could be no appeal. To Mr Anderson, the referee said the County three-quarter was over the line and there would have been a score. Jacob tried to attract liis attention from the three-quarter. Mr Ryder asked scrum" was given, for. The referee: For an infringement of the rules that I cannot remember now. Mr Ryder: Very peculiar 'you can’t remember. Mr Joyce: You could not expect a referee to remember everything £hat occurred. Replying to further questions, the referee said the whistle stopped the County man from grounding the ball. It- was almost a try. Mr Robinson: Why did you not give County a try then. The referee: I should have. To Mr Wrigley, .the referee denied altering his decision. The chairman said the referee had made a statement on a point of fact and could not be shaken on it. He did not see how the protest could be sustained. Mr Ryder asked that the captain of Wanderers be called. If not he asked that the hearing be adjourned to give an opportunity of proving that the referee changed his decision. Mr Anderson: Outside talk cannot be taken into consideration. Mr Ryder said the Wanderers’ captain approached the referee to get a few facts on which to base the protest and from what he heard then, he was satisfied he had changed his decision and they put in the protest. It would only be fair play to call the captain. The Chairman: It is useless in tlu face of the referee’s statement. Mr Anderson said he supposed County would have the right to protest against, the “referee not giving them the try they would have scored. The Chairman: It would not matter if you called a hundred witnesses. The referee is the sole judge of facts. Mr Robson said the onus was on Wanderers to prove that the referee had altered his decision and 110 would like to see them have a hearing, but lie did not see how they could succeed in view of the referee’s statement. Mr Ryder: You must hear the other side. • Mr Rimmer thought there was a mistake in tlie statement of the protest, and that a County man had taken the ball out of the scrum, the referee giving another scrum instead of a free kick. Mr Ryder: How would you prove a case where a referee had changed his decision? The Chairman: You could not prove it unless the referee admitted doing so. Mr Wrigley: That was why I asked him whether lie altered it. The chairman moved that the protest he dismissed on the ground that there can be 110 appeal on a matter of fact, the protest fee of 10s to be refunded to Wanderers. Mr Neville seconde 1 the motion, which was carried. Mr Ryder protested against the decision. It would only be justice to the club to hear their captain, even if it had no bearing on the matter. The chairman said the fact that the deposit was returned showed that the Council did not consider the appeal a frivolous one. SATURDAY’S REP. MATCH. Mr J. W. Procter was appointed manager of the Horowhenua team to play at Shannon on Saturday. HUI MAI JUNIORS FINED. The Hui Mai Junior team was fined 10s in respect of four players who played in wrong jerseys. FOXTON GROUND UNDER WATER. Mr Neville stated chat two grounds at Foxton were unplayable on Saturday owing to the water lying on them. It Avould be serious for the Bebbington Shield game arranged for Foxton if there Avas heavy rain about that time. He did not want to see the match g, away from Foxton, but the Union should Avatch the matter. Mr Robinson suggested playing on Easton Park if it could be obtained. He Avould undertake to see if it could be got and to have it marked out. The “Soccer” people were very reasonable. The matter Avas left in Mr Robinson’s hands. GENERAL. The Levin District High School Avas granted permission to play Palmerston on i.he Levin Domain on Saturday ingThe Shannon-Foxton third grade match Avas ordered to be played at a later date, oAvir.g to Shannon being unable to get across the 'punt over the ManaAvatu river. The Bebbington Shield match agair.st Oroua is to be played at Levin on Wed- j nesday, August 10th.