FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 275, 17 May 1912, Page 8

FOOTBALL

tive on the English Union, Mr. C. Wray Palliser.

The K.'A, Academy of Fne Arts applied for si donation to the fund for the establishment of a national gallery. It was moved and 'seconded 'that t\(> 10s be donated, kit it was pointed out that by the rules of the union such a donation could not be made.

REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Thursday. . With the object of fixing the dates for the representative matches a number of delegates to the annual meeting of the Rugby Union met to-day (Thursday). Matches were fixed as follows: Otago v. Canterbury, August 31. Otago v. Taranaki, September 4. Otago v. Auckland, September 7. Otago v. Wanganui, September 12. Otago v. Wellington, September 14. Southland v. Canterbury (at Christchurch), August 10. Southland v. Wellington (at Wellington), August 14. Southland v. Wanganui, August 17. Southland v. Taranaki, August 22. Canterbury v. Wellington, September 7. Canterbury v. Taranaki, September 12. Canterbury v. Wanganui, September 14. Wellington v. Auckland, "August 24. Wellington v. Taranaki (at New Plymouth), August 29. Wellington v. Wanganui, August 31.

It was decided to reply to the Academy's letter' in these terms.

When the school football, grant came to be settled, a discussion arose as to the best means of popularising Rugby with boys. Various members urged that more good would be done by more attention to coaching than by an increase of the monetary grant.

Eventually it was decided to increase the grant from £IOO to £l5O. A letter from the Poverty Bay Union asked the New Zealand Union to consider the reinstatement of certain Hawke's Bay players who had been disqualified for playing the Northern Union game. It was urged that the exclusion of these players weakened the Rugby game in Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay, and it .vas suggested that the New Zealand Union should seek to obtain power from the English Union to consider individual cases.

It was resolved: "That the management committee be instructed to write to the English Rugby Union and ask if permission will be given for the reinstatement of any or all players who have, up to the present, signed any form of affiliation with the Northern League or played the League game; this to be on condition that such players stand down for a year from the date of disqualification."

RUGBY UNION ANNUAL MEETING.

Wellington, Last Night. , The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union was held to-day, Mr. George Dixon (president of the union) presiding. The following delegates were J present:—Auckland l : ).\ McEvedy and Mr. M. J. Sheahan; Bay of Plenty, Messrs. W. T. Parata and G. H. Dixon; Buller, Messrs. A. o<"taync and R. Sproule; Bush Districts, Mr. E. Dade;. Canterbury, Messrs. F. G. Wallburton, G. H. Mason and W. G. Garrard; Hawke's Bay, Messrs. W. J. McGrath and F. Laws; Horowhenua, Mr. J. W. Proctor; Mttnawatu, Messrs. A. N. Gibbons and J. F. Manning; Marlborough, Messrs. J. H. Morrison and J. F. O'Sullivan; Nelson, Messrs. N. Galbraith, K. C. Akers, and N. A. Vercoe; Otago, Messrs. H. Harris, J. Brodie, R. M. Isaacs, J. R. Burt and A. Dey; Poverty Bay, Messrs. G. Lusk, W. H. Hales, and W. Johnston; South Auckland, Messrs. H. J. Field and J. H. Laughton; South Canterbury, Messrs. H. Amos, E. Wylie and H. H. Fraser; Southland, Messrs. George Woods and C. G. Wilson; Taranaki, Messrs. M. J. Crombie and D. J. Malone; Wairarapa, Messrs. R. McKcnzie and. B. Chapman;' Wanganui, Messrs. G. Spriggins, F. K. Tiirnbull and A. Laurenson; Wellington", Messrs. F. Roberts, J. T. King, J. Lynskey, E. D. Hales, and A. E. Wilson; West Coast, Messrs, W. Perry, G. Clark, and A. J. Fraser. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the- report and balance-sheet, said that it was a concise statement of the occurrences of a not very eventful season. Looking at the game from a gen- ; eral point of view the outlook for Rugby I . Union football was extremely satisfac-l tory. Since the visit of the New Zea-' . land team to England the game had gone 1 i ahead, and was increasing in popularity.' As a result of the action of the union ; the game had been installed on the Pacific coast of America, and there was ' every prospect of it spreading across | the continent. The spread of the game ; was not con-fined to English-speaking , countries. Its progress had been parI * ticularly marked in France. He read a r letter from Wales, in which it was stated i that France had now become a real competitor in international football. ComI ing nearer to home, they had seen some troublous times, but he could 1 see no reason why, if they adhered to their traditions and principles-, the game should • not again. assume prominence in this country. He was strongly of opinion | that tours of country teams would ful- ' fll the purpose with which they were undertaken. Some of the players he saw were up to New Zealand form He , did not think the time had arrived when , it was In the best interests of the country to send a team to the Old Country Mr. Sprigging (Wanganui) seconded the motion. Mr Woods (Southland) said that it would be a great deal better for the game if the union, instead of investing its funds with various societies, lent the money to smaller unions at a reasonable rate of interest. In regard to the amount of £330 7s od in dispute between- the New South Wales Union and the New Zealand union, the treasurer (Mr. H. W Kellv) said that the loss which gave'rise to the dispute occurred as a result of the American tour. The proceeds, of the American tour were pooled. The loss to New South Wales was £749 and to New Zealand £682. Mr. Wyllie (Manawatu) suggested that as this matter .had been thoroughly thrashed out before, it should be left to the committee to deal with. Mr. Crombie explained that, with re- ; gard to the American tour, the losses or profits should be shared according to : the proportion of contribution to "the " P 2°:,. T he , Nevv ZeaiMld Uni( >n suggest- : ed that the proportions should be 25 ; per cent, to the Americans, and 75 per I cent, to New Zealand. He could not ] get W South Wales to budge from < the position that, after the first few matches, nearly all the takings came ( from the New Zealand, and not the s American team. s The report and .balance-sheet were f adopted. t

On resumption in tie evening, the following officers were elected:--Patron His Excellency the Governor; President,' Ir, m ' H ' T)lxon > vice-presidents. Messrs i'. T. Bellringer (Taranaki), G F C Campbell (Wellington), H. Harris (Otago), Thos. Clarkson (South Auckland), A. E. Dcvore (Auckland), p. Logan (Hawke's Bay), D. K. Logan (Wairarapa), A. N. Gibbons (Manawatu). G. H. Mason (Canterbury), W B. Miller (Poverty Bay), J. G. Hankins (Horowhenua), A. Shirtcliffe (South Canterbury), G. Spriggins (Wanganui), R. W. Stiles (Nelson), M. Vance (Bush Districts), E. Kussabs (Bay of Plenty) ■ C. J.'H. Dobson (West Coast), Hon. J Colvin (Buller), Dr. Ritchie Campbell (Southland), J. R Bennett (Marlborough) ; management committee, Messrs. R. M. Isaacs, M. J. Crombie, N. Galbraith, J. 11. A. Laughton, A. Lauren son. F. G. Wallburton, and Dr. P. F McEvedy; hon. treasurer, Mr. Ed<*ar Wylie (Wellington); appeal council "to be located in Auckland), Messrs J A R Neil, G. H. Dixon, and H. Frost;' auditor, Mr. O. G. Keniber; representa-

Wellington, Last Night. The delegates to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union tolight decided, by 57 points to 15, that the union should continue to be an affiliated body of the English body. Mr. McGrath (Hawke's Bay) moved: 'That by-law 2 be repealed, and the folowmg by-law be substituted: It shall idopt the laws of football as from time ;o time fixed by the English Rugby Foottall Union, but shall not be affiliated to hat body, and shall have,-power to aodify that body's rules as to profeslonalism." He said that as far as they fere concerned in Hawke's Bay it was vital matter that something of this ort should be done. They should be ble to reinstate the men. Many -•anted to come back, but they could ot take them. The time had arrived ;hen they could act on their own in apier. There were throe senior teams nd six junior teams play'ng the League ime. This 'disease' of professionalism ad gone as far as Poverty Bay. The lily thing to do was to cut the painter Mr. Harris (Otago) seconded the moon. _ Though Otago were favorable to icession, they were against allowing any ispended player to come back into the i me. They knew that practically all ie suggestions they sent Home had been turned down." The time had arrived for New Zealand to cut free, even though Australia did not go in with them. He would like to see secession carried, if it were only to prevent a team going to England again. If it had

not been for the All-Blank tour they would have heard nothing of the Northern game. Mr. Sheehan (Auckland) said that he was instructed to oppose this motion It was felt in Auckland that they would be isolating themselves. The Otago Union at one time would not join the New Zealand Union, and they nearly died from inanition. How did they know that Australia would confer with them if they cut off from the English Union? Dr. McEvedy (Wellington) opposed the motion. If this new rule was adopted and they admitted professionals back into the Union, would not they gradually become Northern Union? Why not go to the Northern Union right away' If men did not want to play Rugbv let them play Northern Union. Mr. Woods (Southland) said that with I the English Union they were up against

The following remits from Wanganui, suggesting alterations in the laws of the game were carried:—That the value of a penalty goal be reduced to two points; that after any score by either side, play be re-commenced by a kick-off (place kick) from half-way. The following Wanganui remits were defeated:—That each wing forward play on the right hand side of his.serum; That all free kicks and kicks at gbal be "free," [and shall not be charged by the opposing side; That in all free kicks, marks or kicks at goal, the kicker, or any other player may handle the ball, whether on the ground or otherwise; That the penalties for a knock-on in the field of play be restricted to an intentional knock-on, and to any knock-on of more than two yards; That if any player outside his own twenty-five make a full kick into touch, a free kick be awarded against him at a point ten yards at right angles to the touch line where the ball went out; That there be some defined maximum duration for spells in a game. It was resolved to recommend to the management committee that the rules be printed in Maori. The management committee was au-

thorised to advance a further sum of £I4OO to the Southland Rugby Union, provided satisfactory security is given, the loan tij be at 4 per cent, on call. It was decided to adopt the same course as last year in the matter of sending the North and South Island country teams on tour. It was resolved that the North and South match be played on July 13. The location of the game was left to the management committee, with a recommendation that, if possible, it be played in Wanganui or Hawke's Bay. It was decided to ask the ruling of the English Union as to whether any union has power to make a by-law authorising persons other than referees to report rough play, etc. It was adopted as a recommendation to the management committee that an effort be made to send a New Zealand team to America in the near future. A recommendation to unions was made to the effect that the rule allowing the game to be playod in four spells of twenty minutes each should be put into force only when, in the opinion of the referee, the weather conditions warrant it.

RUGBY AND NORTHERN LEAGUE. NO SECESSION. RUGBY UNION STANDS BY THE OLD COUNTRY.

a brick wall. They did not intend to take back Northern Union players wholesale. They did not want the majority of Northern Union players. The public standpoint n:n ; t lie considered. There was plenty of room for improvement. If they were going to stop the downward tendency of Rugby they would have to take aetion now.

Mr. Cnrtayne said that they had educated' tlu> public to such a point that they wanted more and more. They should make a rule that each player, before scoring a try, should turn two somersaults. He had heard no complaints bv the players against the game itself.

Mr. Mason (Canterbury) did not think the time had arrived to secede from the English Union, more especially in view of the fact that they had just had appointed a representative on the board at Home.

A voice: "A drop in the mighty ocean."

Mr. Dey (Otago) said that it did not follow that Recession meant playing the Northern Union game. They did not want to bring in the Northern Union players. They had gone out and let them stay out. As regarded their representative on the Board, it must be remembered that they had only a portion of him. New South Wales and Queensland "had a cut" in him. New Zealand was quite capable of managing its own game.

Mr. Kelly (Wellington) said that the English Union was doing its best for New Zealand. Where did the cry for reinstatement come from ? Not from the Rugby players, but from the Northern Union players. They had 1 found that they had got into a hole.

Mr. Spriggins (Wanganui) said that he could not support the motion. They would practically isolate themselves if they seceded from the English Union. The league was going to very strong in Wanganui, but he would strongly oppos* admitting the Northern Union" players back.

The meeting went into committee while correspondence .relating to the. English Union was read. Upon resuming, Mr. Crombie said that apparently there were only two reasons, viz., that the game was not altering fast enough, and that they were not dealing leniently enough with the Northern Union players. The conservation of the English Union had been their safeguard. It could not he gainsaid that, the trip of the "All Blacks" to England had benefited the game immensely. Mr. Vercoe (Nelson) thought the. game would be in a chaotic condition if they seceded. As far as the league was concerned the players it had taken were men they could afford to lose.

Mr. Malone (Taranaki) said that the great fault of secession would be isolation. No game could go ahead when isolated.

Col. G. F. C. Campbell expressed regret that this thing .had come up at all. England had not "turned us down" at all. He did not consider the game was deteriorating. They must look upon the matter from an international view. Mr. McGrath having replied, the motion was defeated by 57 votes to 15. The division was:—For— Hawke's Bay, Otago, and Southland. Against.— Auckland, Buller, Bush Districts, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Marlborough, Nelson, Poverty Bay, South Auckland, South Canterbury, TaTanaki, Wairarapa, Wanganui, Wellington and West Coast. ' .

At the instance of Mr. McGrath, other motions standing in the name of Hawke's Bay dealing with professionalism were withdrawn.