FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1921, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

TARANAKI RUGBY UNION. THE ANNUAL REPORT. The following report is to be submitted at the annual meeting of the Taranaki Rugby Union, which is to be,held at Stratford on Monday, March 21: — “The season witnessed the firm re-establish-ment of the various clubs after the unsettiement due to the Great War conditions, and was notable mainly for the large increase in the number of players taking part in the various Rugby Union competitions. It would, however, be incorrect to say that the standard of play generally had shown any' great improvement, and this aspect of the game is one your committee desires to impress on the management of all the clubs. It Is vitally necessary if Taranaki is to continue to be a worthy rival of the largest unions in the Dominion, in both club and representative football, that much more attention must be given to training, to study of the rules and tactics of the game, and inferentially to coaching. » During the season under review much imore attention was devoted to school football by your committee than formerly, and some very interesting competitions eventuated. It is hoped to still further! extend this attention until every school in the province is linked up in one or other of the various centre competitions. To cope with the large number of young players offering in the northern division, a fourth-grade competition was instituted, and this gives every promise of being permanently successful. One of the most pleasing features of last season’s operations, was the almost entire absence of cases of rough play, and of language, and players are to be congratulated on this good feature. The want of •unanimity in our province concerning the half-holiday, which to a large extent has affected club football, at last gives every indication of being ended, and your committee is confident that a universal Saturday half-holiday will operate throughout Taranaki from June 1. The active interest of every footballer and supporter in this movement is confidently anticipated. In anticipation of all matches taking place on the one day. It is felt that the time is ripe to consider the whole question of re-organisa-tion of club and district football, with a view of improving the standard of play, increasing club rivalry, and stimulating public' interest. In an attached circular the chairman of the union sets out for consideration by the clubs, his view as to how this re-organisation may be most effectively brought about.

The balance-sheet showed that receipts had amounted to £1914 16s 9d, the principal items being club subscriptions £55 13s, 10 per cent, gate receipts of clubs £l9 4s lid. New Zealand Rugby Union on account of schools £2O, proceeds club matches (finals) £377 9s sd, proceeds representative matches £1243 5s sd, Bayiy Scholarship interest £2O Bs, sundries £26 16s Bd, benefit, Clifton Football Club £l3 13s, Waimate Football Club £4 Is, balance from previous year £134 6s 4d. The principal items of expenditure were: Expenses club matches (finals) £241 6s lOd, representative matches £651 16s 3d, expenses tours £505 0s 2d, management. £lO3 0s sd, schools £2O, insurance £lB, Hawera winter show £lO 10s, N.P.H.S. £lO 10s, referees £5, Bayiy Scholarship £l3 15s; total £1637 6s 2d, leaving a balance in hand of £277 10s 7d.