“UNION LET US DOWN”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 746, 20 August 1929, Page 7

“UNION LET US DOWN”

RUGBY REFEREES UP IN! ARMS THAT CANTERBURY MATCH “The Auckland Rugby Union has more or less made us the buffer in this, and appears to have let us down. I have upheld the amended rules myself, but if this sort of thing is to go on it is not in our interests.” r pHIS strong protest was made by the well-known referee, Mr. F. E. Sutherland, at the meeting of the Auckland Rugby Referees’ Association last evening, when questions in connection with the appointment of a referee to control the AucklandCanterbury representative game at Eden Park on Saturday week were under discussion. It was declared at the meeting that the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Football Union had failed to stand by the Auckland referees in connection with the Canterbury request that an “outside” referee be appointed for the forthcoming match. It is understood that the Canterbury objection to an Auckland referee controlling the game was based on the fact that Auckland referees officiate under special rules peculiar to Auckland, and therefore could not participate in representative matches under the New Zealand rules, with which they are supposed to be unfamiliar. Mr. Sutherland stated that he was not surprised at the Southern move. Eulogy had never been wasted on Auckland efforts. The Auckland Referees’ Association had always been loyal to the Auckland Rugby Union, and apparently it was going to suffer and be in the minority. Auckland referees would be debarred from all representative matches. It had been stated that failing Canterbury’s acceptance of one of the Auckland referees submitted, the Auckland Union proposed to ask the New Zealand Union to appoint a referee. PROTEST LODGED Mr. Sutherland did not find a great deal of fault with Canterbury in raising the qtiestion, as the South had always looked upon Auckland’s play under the amended rules with some suspicion. Mr. Sutherland moved that the Referees’ Association should protest to the Auckland Management Committee of the Rugby Union against any action likely to cut out its referees from representative matches. The motion added that failing support from the Rugby Union, the referees should reconsider their decision to act under Auckland rules. Stating that the crux of the trouble was that the New Zealand Rugby Union was holding a pistol to the head of the Auckland Referees’ Association, Mr. W. J. Meredith said that it was telling them, in effect, that unless they conformed to its rules not one of them would be eligible for the matches with the English touring side next season. “The imaginary line for the scrum seems to be the trouble. It is my opinion that it was introduced to combat the League game, and it has got the crowd back. “I suggest that you wipe out the imaginary line, if that is possible, and still allow the referee to put the ball in the scrum. Last year we had a lot of sympathy from other provinces. This year practically everybody is against Auckland, and I believe that unless we make some effort to fall into line, with the coming of the English team we will be osti-acised.” The chairman, Mr. M. Kronfeld, said that the Referees’ Association was up in the air, and had nothing in writing from the Rugby Union. He considered that the amended rules had certainly got the crowds. From a 30s gate Rugby had now got crowds worth several hundreds of pounds on Saturdays. The motion by Mr. Sutherland was carried, and a deputation was appointed to refer it to the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union. REFEREES IN SOUTH “ONLY A GAME” Press Association DUNEDIN, Today. At a- meeting of the Otago Rugby Union a letter was received from the Canterbury Union suggesting that an outside referee for the Otago-Canter-burv match at Christchurch. It was decided to reply that Otago preferred to have a Canterbury- referee. One speaker remarked that football was only a game and if they could not take the Canterbury referee in the match against Canterbury he thought they should not play at all.