RUGBY ON APRIL 26

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 938, 3 April 1930, Page 6

RUGBY ON APRIL 26

UNION ANTICIPATES BIG SEASON SENIOR MATCHES START ' Senior Rugby football in Auckland is to start on Saturday, April 26. Entries close on April 16, when the draw will be made. Junior football will -start on the following week. Before arriving at this decision last evening, the Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union discussed a suggestion that May 3 should be the opening date, but it was pointed out that the union had a particularly full season in front of it. Mr. A. Billington, commenting on the proposal to commence the senior competition on April 26, pointed out that it was the Saturday following Easter, and the Grammar and University Clubs particularly, having many student players in their ranks, would be rather disorganised. Mr. Billington’s motion that the competition start on May 3 was not seconded. May 10 would be too late for the junior competition, according to Mr. A. Tilly. The juniors always started a week later, as it was most difficult to organise both junior and senior teams on the same day. It was estimated by Mr. A. Belcher that, without making any allowances for wet weather, there were only 15 Saturdays available for club football, playing until the end of September. An early start was imperative, as IS Saturdays might be necessary to reach finality in the senior competition. Another point was that, if there was any wet weather in June, it would be necessary to nurse the ground at Eden Park in view of the possibility of the English team playing there. The entries for the junior competition close a week later than the senior competition, April 23.