Chance to Make Amende Honorable

Shannon News, 9 August 1927, Page 3

Chance to Make Amende Honorable

HAWKE'S BAY AND THE SHIELDAUCKLAND, last Night. With the Ranfurly Shield there is now-a great chance for the Bay to make an “amende honorable” (says “Polity”). Manawhenua’s victory over Wairarapa furnishes Hawke’s Bay with a glorious opportunity to get “onside” again.

On July 27th and 2Sth two leading HaAvke’s Bay journals published- Avliat was obviously an officially . inspired statement in an alleged justification of a decision to air their Ranfurty Shield grievances ki the Supreme Court if an appeal against the NeAV Zealand Rugby Football Union’s decision (that the trophy must be returned to Wairarapa) be not upheld. Last week, hOAvcver, one of the two papers editorially called a halt to this ill-advised intention, while the “sealed” appeal business further aggravated the position. The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union nOAV has an easy Avay out of the whole wretcheW business as most of the feeling in the Bay has been engendered by Wairarapa getting the Shield back on a protest. Surely honour is satisfied by ManaAvlienua’s defeat of the greens. Why not now withdraw the appeal at once ? It is really long odds against legal procedure being invoked and the abandonment of the appeal to the Rugby Council (Messrs. J. Arnoil, J. L. Conlan, and Peter Mackie, of Auckland) would be a recognition of an undoubted obligation to ManaAvhenua. Down South a leading authority has suggested cancellation of .the Canterbury fixture at Napier on September 3rd if HaAvke’s Bay refuses to acc yt the Appeal Council's decision as final (provided it is against the Bay) and carries on to the law courts. At a time when feeling was at its height ManaAvhenua raised no such objection to Hawke’s Bay’s lack of sporting spirit and kept faith with the Northern Union by fulfilling its engagement at Napier on July 30th. Now consider Manawhcnua’s position if Hawke’s Bay continues with thi ir appeal proceedings and they are .successful: —

(I)*Manawhenua goc-s to Napier on July 30th and the New Zealand Rugby Football Union tells it the game isn’t a Shield flutter because Wairarapa holds the trophy. (2) Manawhenua proceeds to Carterton within the week and after winning the “Shield’* the Appeal Council says “It wasn't a pukka challenge because Hawke’s Bay held tlie championship” (of which the Ranfurly Shield is the Outward and visible sign). Could anything be more farcial ? HaAvkc's Bay certainly erred in the spirit of the game in challenging Wairarapa at all this season and in bringing pressure to bear on Barclay to break his obligation to captain the Maoris at Auckland on July 9th (date of the Solway classic) had he indisputably re-qualified for the Bay.

There is thus some amends due to Barclay, one of the best sportsmen who over stepped on the Rugger field,

_ n - Mirn t*. i| j ■iHjl —lfl If any .shadow of doubt remains as to

what ijj a proper attitude to adopt why not let Barclay decide whether tho appeal be prosecuted or abandoned ?

Were the spirit of atonement to move Hawke’s Bay there’s no reason why the Ranfurly Shield shouldn't reach Palmerston North by the midday train on Tuesday.