RUGBY DISTRICT CONTROL

Shannon News, 27 March 1928, Page 3

RUGBY DISTRICT CONTROL

Trtnsr CLUB AND HOBOWHENUA ' OFFICIALS CONFEB.

AN AMICABLE DISCUSSION.

isJUcial meeting of the Foxton BugFootball Club was held in the FoxTown Hall supper-room oil Friday ning to meet the committee of the Rugby Council, on the b ’s suggestion, to discuss various ;ters in connection with the welfare Bugby in the western part of the ;rict. Mr H. Hutchins (President), jided, and there was a large attende. Messrs J. J. O’Connor i), J. Procter, E. M. Ryder and VY rille represented the ED FOB BETTEB UNDERSTAND-

ING. he ‘ President welcomed the rep relatives of the committee and outd the object of the meeting. He i called on Mr J. K. Hornblow to :e the Club’s views before the Unrepresentatives. ; r . ,T. K. -Hornblow thanked the relentatives for -attending the meeta,t such short notice, and said the tb realised that, as an outgoing pifirtee, they were powerless to comtbe incoming Council to anything night. The Club had deemed it isable, hov ever,. to discuss certain ters with them prior to the annual ting of the governing body, as a er understanding between the Club Horowhenua Council would possipromote the Club’s affiliation agiain year. Any past grievances would be .brought up, but the Club desirhe Council to see and to know that as not merely a club in name, but al live body, with ,a financial menihip of 81. and having the backing he. majority of the people of FoxThe -Clnb had secured a _ ground he racecourse and had carried ou lin work there. It was absolutely ssary, however, that a shelter shed irected for the convenience of the ers, and the Club desired the asnffe of the Council in this matter, itically all the other towns in the act had proper conveniences for players provided on their playing s, and the Club thought it only fail they should receive some assistfrom the Union in the special distances, either as a donation or by jrcentage of gate charges. Tht f nated cost of such a building was The Club, ,on its part, was prcd to do its share, and if another existed in Foxton ifc was expect hat it would assist in the erection iich a building if put in hand. DELEGATES’ TRAVELLING ( EXPENSES, r Hornblow added that the Club also of opinion that it should re 3 some assistance in regard to tra ng expenses of its delegates. Delei to the Union gave their services attendance at executive meetings. their expenses should lie paid by Union. Foxton was also desirous iving both a senior and junior rep ;h played locally. Mr Hornblow touched on the classification o.i eA, which, he skid, had not been , very satisfactory nature in the*.

(Air Al. E. Perveau) en S? the previous speaker’s remark: the people of Foxton were en cl to see classical football locally year. He thought it only a fail l that ! the Union should assist tin financially in the erection of a jjrng she'd at the racecourse, as i; Ted all the revenue from . the

r F. A. Mason spoke of the spirit lay that had prevailed in the past he district. There had been ten, l,“playing the man,” and he was r to say that there had also beet, rtain amount of misconduct both re .part of players and certain oflie More care and consideration wa. ired by Union officials in this conSn. s te President said, that last year the had received £5 frorn the Racing , which had been expended on nd improvements since the end o, season.

r CHAIRMAN IN REPLY, r J. J. O’Conor thanked the Club speakers for their remarks. He the committee was unable to comitself in any way, and all the) I do was to make recommendations \*e incoming commit! ee. The elec of a Council, he said, was in the Is of the Clubs thenisehes, who y ruled football in the district, onally, as far as he had been coned with Rugby in the liorowhenu;, ■jet, and those associated with li.in ad done bis best for the game, and e was not a man on the Council had an axe to grind. They were, the mo3t part, old players followup the game. With reference to ■Erection of a shelter shed, Air annor said that these were usual!) ided by the municipality, and ailments made for the use of the ling each year by the Union and JontrolJing body. There was a rule ;he books of the N.Z.R.U. that nc its be made to Clubs, b<ut loans d be obtained by clubs for such )oscs. In this way the N.Z.R.U. l£lo,ooo out to different Unions at minal rate of interest. There was ason why the Horowhenua Rugby cil should not consider any reable request for a loan from any in the district. Mr O’Connor

hed on the Easton Park question, (said he thought the park the most ;ral ground in Folfcon. He was glad ear that, the Club had spent money he No. 1 ground on the racecourse, fever, as this- area was the best ,nd. in the Union, if properly drainWith regard to classification, this been a sore point in the past, and lad known of cases where seniors

3 playing as low as third grade, re was no set rule for classifying, f this year the selector had decided ; there would be no re-classification, teams would remain the same as year. The question of allocating to Foxton would have to lecided at the annual meeting.' He

was sure the committee would favourably recommend the Club’s request. In reference to the conduct of players,and spectators, Mr O’Connor said that tlu most trouble in this connection was experienced where spectators were noi kept off the line. MAINTENANCE OF GROUNDS.

Mr Alexander asked if there was a rale on the Union’s books stating that the Clubs, had to find the grounds and ;he Union maintain them. ’ Mr. O’Connor: That is so.

Mr Alexander: Then why does thClub have to do all the work on tin. ground? It even has to erect a fence for a rep. match. Mr Mason: Wlmt does the term actually mean ? Mr O’Connor: The Club gets the ground in order at its own expense al .he beginning of tre season. Mr Mason: 1 es, and then maintains it. Mr O’Connor: Well, there is practically no maintenance at all. Mr Alexander: The rule is useless, .hen.

Air O’Connor: No; it compels the clubs to provide suitable and safe playing areas. Air J. K. Hornblow said that IluFoxton Club had been granted the use of No. 1 ground, and had spent certain money on it. If another Club existed ai the town and did not prepare a ground, would the Union step in and demand that the other club play on No. 1 ground in preference to the Foxton Club team.

Air O’Connor: Well, that’s a ticklish question. The Union sees to it that each Club prepares a ground. It would be hard to play an important match .m an inferior ground while an unimportant fixture was played on a better ground. The matter would have to be decided by the annual meeting. The club should, however, have prior claim :o its own ground. - • Air O ’Connor said he did not think it would be possible to borrow money from the Union to erect a building on x municipally controlled ground. The Union had always recognised the dilfi•ulty of dressing accommodation locally, and he was sure the Union would be prepared to help the Club in some wav..

COST OF MEETINGS.

With regard to delegates’ expenses, he Union had llied-paying them once and had become almost bankrupt as a result.

Air Hornblow: Are the delegates’ travelling expenses to the Combined meetings paid ? —Yes. Air Hornblow: Then the same thing applies to Clubs. He was of opinion that delegates needed to attend meetings only once a month and that a central committee could carry out ordinary business in the meantime. The President: It-cofet this club £l9 for delegates’ travelling expenses one year. Air O’Connor: It’s hard all right. Air Hornblow pointed out that Levin Clubs were not faced with this expenditure, and it was hardly fair that outside clubs should go unassisted. ,Mr O’Connor said the matter would have to be discussed at the annual meeting. Various other matters were discussed and a vote of thanks to the committee concluded the meeting.