MOASCAR CUP

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 37, 6 May 1927, Page 7

MOASCAR CUP

‘GLADIATORIAL CONTESTS” PREJUDICE IN SCHOOLS fFrom Our Resident Reporter.) WELLINGTON, To-day. The special recommendation of the yew Zealand Rugby Union, in the annual report, that the Moascar Cup competition should be abandoned, has provoked a reply from the trustees of the cup* At the annual meeting of the union to-day the trustees expressed regret that the suggestion had been made, and suggested that before the competition was abandoned the Secondary Schools’ Headmasters’ Association should be approached, and asked to arrange a conference to bring about some better arrangement, which would be satisfactory to both sides. The historical associations of the cup should be considered. NO CHALLENGES

When the discussion began Mr. Borman McKenzie, Hawkes Bay, gave his opinion that it was regrettable that there were no challenges last year, but that this was due to the strength of the Te Aute College team. They were certainly very big boys, and there had been a disinclination to play them, but this year the Te Aute team was a very different proposition, and there should be no lack o i challenges. Mr. J* H. Colquhoun, Manawatu, thought it was much to be regretted that the competition might lapse. Last year Palmerston North Boys’ High School had had a challenge in for the eup, and had played Wanganui Technical College, which also had a challenge in, and had been defeated by the Wangar.ui team. The Technical College was to have met Te Aute, but there had been some hitch, and Palmerston had felt that it was little use fning on with their challenge.

Mr. McLeod. New Plymouth, said that undoubtedly there was a prejudice against these matches on the part of the headmasters, who had called them “gladiatorial contests.” He thought that this might be got over by the trustees in conference with the headmasters. There had been a prejudice against the competition since Its inception, and they should endeavour to find out what it was. This prejudice had been sufficiently strong to make New Plymouth Boys’ High School refuse to challenge last year. He had seen the headmaster before he cahie away, and tried to get him to ray that he would challenge* this year, but with little success.

Mr. W. J. Prendeville, Wellington, raid that in the case of Wellington city, Wellington College had its own triangular tourney, while the other two colleges had boys who were felt to be too young to play in the matches, since Te Ante had many players near the age limit. NO MYSTERY Mr. J. W. Norrie, Hawke’s Bay, gave his opinion that the age at I * pier High School would be higher than at Te Aute, and Napier High School had JOC boys to pick from, while Te Aute had only 60. “There is no mystery about the position,” said Mr. G. Pownall, Wanganui. “There is no hope of inducing King’s College, Wanganui, or Christ’s College to play for trophies.” Mr. McLeod: The thing is due to conservatism.

The president said that the course Proposed by the trustees was the best way out of the difficulty, and the resolution was carried.