Rugby’s Steady Progress

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 610, 12 March 1929, Page 13

Rugby’s Steady Progress

Auckland Union Reviews Year Improvement in Club Football MARKED by increased enthusiasm on the part of the players, a splendid improvement in the standard of club play, and strongly maintained public support, the 1928 Rugby season in Auckland was a year of sound success. The profit for the year was only £269, as compared with £2,757 the previous season, but as against this a tour as far south as Invercargill and other trips accounted for no less an amount than £1,698. Auckland will reap the benefit this season, however, when a big programme of liome matches will be played at Eden Park.

fjHHE best feature of the annual report , of the A.R.U. is the gratifying increase recorded in the gate receipts from club matches during the season. On two occasions these exceeded anything since before tho war, a clear indication that the standard of play appealed to the public. Bad weather adversely affected most of the representative games played in Auckland, and the Taranaki match resulted in a financial loss instead of the usual handsome surplus. Notwithstanding tho shrinkage in revenue, the committee did no.t omit its duty to charity, philanthropic institutions and the schools. With only £2 69 available as profit, an amount of £963 was appropriated to deserving institutions, the difference between the available profits lor the year and actual disbursements being paid out of capital. For the last six years, appropriations to charity and the like, amount to approximately £5,000. During the same period, school football has been encouraged financially to the extent of £I,OOO. This means that a total of £6,000 has been donated from the union’s funds over the slTort period of six years, an average of £I,OOO per annum. The union was represented in the All Black team whicn toured South Africa by F. W. Lucas, T. R. Sheen, R. McWilliams and S. Hadley. Five Aucklanders also played for New Zealand at home against New South Wales, viz., V. C. Butler, L. Hook, W. Batty, H. Palmer and A. Knight, and a sixth, P. C. Minns, was also chosen, but was unable to play owing to injuries. Two of the tests against New South Wales were controlled by Mr. F. E. Sutherland. Other honours gained by Aucklanders, not already mentioned, during 1928, were a place in the North Island team by A Finlayson, in company with Knight, Batty and Palmer, and the selection of L. Paewai, A. Falwasser and J. Rata for

tho Maori team which beat the Waratahs by 9 points to 8. Tho senior grade competitions (A and B sections) provided keenlycontested football, the play-off between University and Ponsonbv for the club championship being one of the most thrilling contests ever seen in Auckland. Record entries were received for the junior grades, and a fine standard of play was witnessed. The sub-union also made steady progress during the year. Secondary school football fully maintained tho high standard of former years, and in the primary schools it is estimated that there were upwards of 2.250 players. Great keenness was also shown in the Catholic schools’ competition which was inaugurated last season through the efforts of tlio principals of the Marist School, Vermont Street. The report also deals with the alterations to the rules which were recast during the year* and the. question of insurance of players. Several alterations and additions have been made. Increased amounts are now payable, and a new rule provides that grants up to £25 may be made in cases where players are incapacitated for a lengthy period through injuries. The conditions have also been tightened up, the committee considering that the time has arrived when no benefits under this fund should be granted where players are not subscribers to the Accident Fund. In its review* of the new season's prospects, the report forecasts the possibility of additional playing areas being available fairly close to the city. It urges the adoption of the union’s original proposal in respect to wingforward play that no player shall advance beyond an emergency line through the back line of bis own scrummage while the ball is being scrummed.. The outlook as a whole for tlio new season is regarded as most promising. The report will be presented at the annual meeting of the union at the Chamber of Commerce on Monday, March 25, at 7.30 p.m.