Ranfurly Shield Tangle Grows

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 114, 4 August 1927, Page 8

Ranfurly Shield Tangle Grows

A SEALED ENVELOPE APPEAL TO COUNCIL Press Association. WELLINGTON, Wednesday. ; The Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union, in forwarding its appeal to the Appeal Board through the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union this evening, did so in a sealed envelope, with a request that the letter should be sent on unopened. It was ! decided to inform the Hawke’s Bay Union that the appeal must be made through the New Zealand Union unconditionally. Mr. S. S. Dean said he had been informed that Hawke's Bay was produc- ; ing fresh evidence to the Appeal Board, and that it was not desired that the j New Zealand Union should be put in the position of prosecuting counsel. The New Zealand Union had decided the Wairarapa protest on the evidence before it. Mr. Dean personally saw no objection to sending the Hawke’s Bay evidence on to the Appeal Board, j The New Zealand Union did not wish to take sides in the dispute. It desired to be absolutely impartial in the j matter. Mr. E. Wylie: I do not see why we ’ should be dictated to as to the procedure by the Hawke’s Bay Union, or any other union. Mr. A. C. Kitto. What fresh evidence ! can Hawke’s Bay bring? The question is, was Barclay qualified to play for j Hawke’s Bay in the shield match on July 9? Mr. W. Hornig: It strikes me that ! Hawke’s Bay is trying to hold up the dispute until the end of the season. Mr. Wylie: Our decision stands until it is appealed against. Mr. Dean: Our decision does not : stand. It has been appealed against. Mr. H. O. Leith: If Hawke’s Bay sends on fresh evidence the Appeal Board may have to decide on different facts from those which were before J us. Mr. Wylie moved that Hawke’s Bay be informed that the appeal could be - accepted by the New Zealand Union only unconditionally. Mr. Hornig: I am not prepared to send Hawke’s Bay’s letter on to the Appeal Board sealed. Mr. Wylie: The position is undignified. Mr. Dean: To my mind it is petty and childish. Mr. Fletcher seconded Mr. Wylie’s motion, and it was carried. A request was received from the ; Manawhenua Union that its match with j Wairarapa on August 6 be a Ranfurly Shield game. Mr. Dean: If we grant Manawhenua’s request what is going to happen if Manawhenua wins? Mr. Wylie: Manawhenua will take the shield. It was decided to accept Manawhenua’s challenge provisionally on Wairarapa holding the shield. It was decided to inform Poverty Bay that Wairarapa could not accept its challenge for August 20, and that another date would be suggested. Press Association. GISBORNE, Wednesday. At a meeting of the Poverty Bay Rugby Referees’ Association members discussed the attitude of the Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa Rugby Union in connection with the ordering-off incident in the Ranfurly Shield match on July 9. After a lengthy discussion the following resolution was passed: “That this association protests most strongly against the action of the Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa Unions in the manner in w'hich they dealt with the men ordered off the field by Mr. McKenzie, thereby casting an unwarranted slur on the referee. This association also is of opinion that any man reported by a referee in charge of a Ranfurly Shield match should be dealt with by the New Zealand Rugby Union, and not by his own union.”