RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 30 March 1928, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

HOROWHENUA DISTRICT COUNCIL.

ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting of delegates to the Horowhenua Rugby District Council was held in the Druids’ Hall, Le J vin, on Tuesday. The president (Miff. J. O’Connor) was in the chair, and 29 delegates were present, representing the following clubs:-r-Wanderers (six), Weraroa (six), Foxton (three), Shannon (six), Hui Mai (six), Hautere (one), Miranui (one).

Prior to the commencement of business, the gathering stood for a minute in silence as a tribute to the memory of the late Mr. Bewi Moynihan, one of the best of the district’s former players and who had passed away since the last annual meeting. The report and balance-sheet, which have previously been published, were distributed, and the Chairman formally moved their adoption. Mr. T. O’Rourke (Hui Mai), in seconding, congratulated the management committee and the secretary (Mr. J. Casey) on the manner in which it had been prepared and the satisfactory position shown. No discussion followed, and the motion was carried. ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

Officers for the enusing year were elected as follovvs: —Patrons, Messrs J. Linklater and W. 11. Field, M.’sP.; president, Mr. W. Hannan; vice-pre-sidents, Messrs T. O’Rourke, A. Richards and J. W. Procter; secretary, Miff. Casey (re-elected); treasurer; Mr J. W. Rimmer (re-elected); delegates to management committee, Messrs G. Mitchell (Shannon), E. M. Ryder (Wanderers), F. Robinson (Hautere), W. S. Joyce (Weraroa), iH. Hutchings (Foxton), S. Hooper (Weraroa) and Les. McDonald (Wanderers); schools representative, Mr. 11. O. McDonald; auditor, Mr. W. Bull; senior selector Mr M. Winiata; junior selector or selectors, appointment left to management committee; third-grade selector or selectors, left to management committee to appoint. Mr. Hannan on taking the chair, thanked tbe meeting v for the honour accorded him by the delegates and promised to try to do his best for the betterment, of football throughout the Council’s area. He had always been opposed to the amalgamation wjth Manawatu, but as it was in force and as he had now been elected to this position, lie would use his endeavours to see that the affairs of the district were managed in a satisfactory maiir lier. SELECTORS’ EXPENSES. Mr. F. Robinson urged that financial help be afforded the junior selectors in their travelling. He said it was hard that these men had to pay their own expenses in going about the district to select the junior rep. team, as they had to do last year. Mr. Bolton said that if assistance in this direction were given to the junior selectors, it should also be given to the third grade selectors.

The Chairman said it was all a matter of expense. The management committee tried to keep down expenses as much as possible. The only way to get over, the. difficulty would. be to make a recommendation for the management committee to go into it. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Bolton, seconded by Mr Robinson, that it be a recommendation to the management committee, to consider paying {he travelling expenses of junior and third grade selectors. HAUTERE CLUB. A letter was received from the new-ly-i'ormed Hautere club, applying for admission to the district with a third grade team, the members not being sufficiently experienced to play in the junior competition. It was stated that the proposed club colours were black knickers, with jerseys of black and white hoops.

The secretary stated that he had replied stating that the proposed colours were unsuitable, as they were also the colours of the Weraroa club. Mr Robson moved and seconded that the Hautere ° club be admitted.

A discussion took place as to the possibility or otherwise of the new club being able to provide a suitable ground, but it was pointed out that details would come within the province of the management committee, and the motion was carried. REFEREES.

Mr. J. Sciascia asked for practical support from every club for the referees He remarked that it was up to every team, if it wanted better football, to give its support to the Referees’ Association. There were plenty of men in the district who \yere suitab'e to undertake refereeing, and the association hoped that all persons interested in the welfare of the sport would attend the general meeting to be held -on Monday evening next. The Chanmnn said that unless the assuc'ai'on received support, the task of the management comm fctee would be a hard one. The game could not live without good referees, and he would like to see a good many of the delegates undertake refereeing. They could show their general sympathy by lolling up to the referees’ meeting. OPENING OF SEASON. When the question of the opening date for the season was brought up. Mr Robson pointed out that the grounds were in a dry and hard .condition at present, and unless there should be a change of weather shortly they would not be lit to play on for a considerable time, especially in view of the fact that players at the beginning of a season'were in “soft” condition,

The secretary stated that the season was opened last year on Saturday, April 23rd. The chairman referred to the advisability of an early start to enable the representative fixtures to be reached,

iii good time—a view which was endorsed by -Mr Richards.,,^ Mr. O’Connor moved and Mr Wall seconded, that the season be opened on Saturday, April 21st.

The Chairman said that there were five senior teams entered for the competition and he thought that the committee ought to take the risk of opening the season on the date suggested; if* the grounds were found to .be too hard, there would be nothing to prevent the committee from postponing the fixtures for a week, or more. An amendment moved by Mr Richards, that the date of opening be April 14th, was lost. Mr. Ryder moved, as a further amendment, that the season be opened on April 28th. This was also lost, and the motion was carried. FREE PASSES FORr INJURED PLAYERS.

Mr Birehall moved, on behalf of the Shannon Club, that all injured players who are financial and on the insurance fund be admitted free to all matches in the district in the 1928 season. The motion was seconded by Mr Richards.

The Chairman said this was a move in the right direction, but it would seem a pity that an uninsured player, who was the most hard hit, should be debarred from the privilege. Mr Robson stressed the importance of the insurance scheme, and was supported in his attitude by the mover of the motion.

At the Chairman’s suggestion, Mr Birchall added to the motion a pro- ; vise that the privilege should only ap- ; ply to the players during their period! of incapacitation; and in this form; the. morion was carried. INSCRIBING OF TROPHIES. ■ - In answer to a question by Mr Bir-j chall as to engraving the Dewar; Trophy, the Chairman explained that I the Council had resolved that all troph-j ies be inscribed at the expense of the j Council. j NOMINATIONS OF TEAMS. j On the motion of Mr Robson, it wast decided that nominations of teams fori entry -in the competitions close on j April 9th. ' ALLOCATION OF REP. MATCHES, j It was lef t\ to the management com- j mittee to allocate the places of the re-: presentative games. APPRECIATION OF PAST PRESI- . DENT. A hearty vote of blanks was passed, on the motion of Mr Procter, to the retiring president, Mr J. J. O’Connor, and to place on record his good services to the game during his term of office. CLASSIFICATION jOF JUNIORS. Mr J. W. Robson, of Shannon, who was junior selector last year, reported at the end of last season as follows: — “In my opinion, junior football in the Council’s area is slightly below standard. This, I consider, is largely due to the abnormal number of players who were classified last season (1926). Two players showed exceptional promise, but both were promoted from the third grade ranks this season, I consider it would be unwise to send them a grade higher until they have had further experience. These players are Stevenson, of Foxton Club, and N. Dalzell, of Shannon.

“It came under my notice this year that at least two of the players classified last year have not played since, this owing to the fact that their services were not . required by any senior clubs. The players I refer to are C. Coyle (Shannon) and B. Vincent (Weraroa). Both the players are light men, and in my opinion will not make senior players. 1 have therefore to ask the Council to consider the advisability of re-grading these men, so that they may' play junior next year and so not be lost, to the game, especially as there is a shortage of players in this grade.

“1 would also recommend that in future two or three junior selectors be appointed, as I found it most difficult ..and expensive to travel sufficiently to see the most important games; in many linsiances the vehicle conveying the players was large enough to carry only the players, and other arrangements had to be made.

‘ ‘ The junior reps, were seen in action twice, and it is to be hoped that in /future more rep. matches will be arranged; a home-and-home arrangement with both Manawatu and Wanganui should be fixed if it is possible.’’ Mr O’Connor said that last year there were seven sen.or teams as against five this year. This meant that unless some 40 of these players were reduced in grade, they would be standing on the bank. Mr Robinson said that last year some of the best men playing in this district were juniors, -as shown in the match against Wanganui. Sometimes there was a great injustice done to a junior club.'. Some of the juniors might be brought up during the season to the detriment both of the senior and junior teams, and it would be better if the classification were deferred till the end of the season.

Mr E. M. Ryder said he was sure that no club was going to push its players up in grade if this was going to spoil a team. The chairman said he had always been in favour of classification at the end of the season. Last year nobody raised a voice at the general meeting objecting to those who had been classified. Once the classification was carried by the meeting, it was finished with.

Mr Moynihan said he was convinced that some of. the juniors that he saw playing last year could well stand being promoted. Mr Eobson explained that his idea had not been to do away with classification at the end of the season; but that if players were classified at the end of the last season, they should continue this season in that .grade and should not bo classified again until the end of the next season. He thought that the classification would be better left to the clubs. Mr O'Connor said there were 130 senior players last year, and there

would be about 90 this year. What was going to ' become of the 1 senior players of last year? Were they going to be put on the bank? He knew several players in the Nash Cup competition of last year who would not get a game as seniors this year. The chairman stated that a man only had to apply to the management committee to be reinstated as a junior. THIRD GRADE CLASSIFICATION.

Mr J. Kilsby moved that the third grade selector or selectors be instructed to classify third grade teams. The motion was carried. SEASON TICKETS.

Mr Birchall stated that only six season tickets were sold last year. In view of this fact, the Union should reduce the price, or else the season tickets should be done away with. The chairman stated that these tickets were issued by the, Combined Union. The sale of them was not pushed last year. The secretary stated that the season tickets served the purpose of passes for secretaries of clubs and members of the management committee. They constituted the uniform pass for the whole district. .

Mr Birchall moved that it be a recommendation to the District Council to apply to the Manawatu-lloroivhenua Union to reduce the price of the season tickets, in order to make them more popular. The chairman said he thought that the present charge of £1 Is was quite reasonable. enough. The tickets were of benefit to interested in the game. The motion did not find a seconder.

FOXTON’S REQUEST FOR AID, Mr O’Connor reported that several members of the Council had attended a meeting of the Foxton Club, which asked what chance there was of obtaining a grant towards a dressing shed on the racecourse. He had given them the opinion that the Council, which was unable to make grants to clubs, could provide Foxton with a loan for the purpose named. He thought the Council would.be acting rightly in accepting that suggestion, as dressing accommodation was badiyq needed at the v ground. ' ' ' Mr E. M. Ryder said that the Foxton, Club had contended that the grandstand was too far away to be used as a dressing-place, but he did not concur in this opinion. With reference ta,fhe suggestion for a loan, Mr Rimmer (treasurer) said rhat the Council would not have any security in this case, as neither the ground* nor the., building belonged to the club. . « Mr O’Rourke said that if guarantors were secured, the proposal could be considered favourably. . The chairman said that if a recommendation was sent to the m au Ug emen t committee, it would be fully considered. .

Mr Robinson said that with the grandstand available the Foxton Club was in a better position than some of the other clubs in the district.

Mr Ryder stated that the club was in a-strong financial position and did not need to apply for help. Mr Hutchings (Foxton) said it had not been found practicable to use the grandstand for a dressing pavilion, the players preferring to change under the trees in proximity to the ground. The ; club thought it was ueeessary to have a shed not merely for their own pur- ; poses, but for the benefit of visiting teams. ' Mr O’Connor said he was not referring particularly to Foxton, but to the sprinciple that where the Council had j money in hand it might be applied for by clubs in the way of a loan for imjprovements. ( ■ No motion was put to the -meeting, 4 and the subject lapsed.

At a meeting of the management (Committee held subsequently, it was to hold the next- meeting on Aprd 10th. Messrs Ryder, Richards land .Hutchings were appointed delegates to the Combined Union.