FOOTBALL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3561, 25 August 1920, Page 4

FOOTBALL.

TAIHAPE PLAYERS EXCLUDED FROM EEP. TEAM. Each of the Taihape players who had been selected to travel with the Wanganui representative Rugby team in its tour received this morning a telegram which read as follows.— "In view of your attitude, decided to exclude you from touring team." The message was signed by the secretary of the Wanganui Rugby Union. The attitude complained of is that the Taihape players preferred to continue the Cnp matches rather than to represent Wanganui at P;d<merston North on Saturday last.

WANGANUI UNION SPLIT. The "Chronicle/' has the following in reference to the above-reported decision:—

On Monday evening the Management Committee of the Wanganui Rugby Sub-Union considered the action of the Taihape Sub-Union and four of its senior players —McAuliffe, Cowie, Batley and Murphy —in refusing to play for the Wanganui representatives against Manawatu at Palmerston North last Saturday on account of a local cup match, being arranged for that day. After an hour's deliberating the committee adjourned until Tuesday. On the resumption last evening. Mr J. McLean moved as follows: That the Committee adhere to the resolution passed at the special meeting on the 18th inst. Mr G. Thompson seconded. A notice of motion by Mr G. Hurst, that the resolution passed on the 18th inst. be rescinded, was not accepted, a& being a direct negative to Mr McLean's motion

A lengthy discussion followed. Mr G. D. Fraser asked the mover to add to his motion fie words. "Pro vi '"""~ the selectors can fill "the places." b" + Mr McLean declined to accept, this The motion was then put. with the following result: For. 6—Messrs Meuli, McLean, Wilson. Thompson. Takarangi, and Haywood. Against, 6 Messrs F. and G. Spriggens, O'Meara, Fraser, Hurst, and Parsons. The chairman (Mr E. O'Meara) gave his casting yote against the motion, which was declared lost. Upon this two. of the Union officials

handed in their resignations, when it was realised that one of the members' of the committee who was hot entitled to vote had done so against, the motion. The chairman put Mr McLean's motion to the voices. The resignations were then withdrawn: The selectors will meet this afternoon to select players to fill the vacancies created through the exclusion of the four Taihape players. (The motion passed by the Committee at its special meeting on Wednesday last, 18th inst, and referred to and confirmed as above, is as follows: "That this Committee regards the action of the Taihape Sub-Union as a breach of faith, for representative matches must come, before cup matches The committee considers it absolutely essential that players selected to play for Wanganui against Manawatu on the 21st inst. should do sc. Failure on the part of these players to fulfil the rep. engagement will result in these players being exfrom the team to go en the southern tour.")