RUGBY, FOOTBALL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8839, 16 May 1914, Page 3

RUGBY, FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION

Annual Meeting of Dslagates,

WELLINGTON, May 14.

The annual meeting of the • New. Zealand Rugby Union was held to-day, the President (Mr G. H. Mason) in the chair. . -"-''■:•■ There was a -.-larga attendance of delegates from various unions

Chairman's Address,

In moving the adoption of the report iyid balance-sheet, the chairman said that the year had been an ordinary one in certain directions. They had had the pleasure of initiating once more annual matches between Australia and New.Zealand. He thought they could congratulate themsely.es that the trouble that had existed had been., settled, and that they were oh the way to a very pleasant -interchange of-visits. A good understanding, had been arrived at and he was sure the advent of the Australian team last year had 'been productive of a great amount of good. So far as the Calif ornian tour was concerned, he was sure that it had done a great deal of good for Rugby on that side. The team.had knocked a good number of obsolete ideas out of the heads of the Calif ornians. The fact that a team could go there and play such football as the New- Zealanders did without being attended by an army of masseurs and trainers had set them thinking. Selection of Teams. Messrs 1). 'Weir- and Little took exception to the manner in which representative teams wore chosen. Ihe question of selection, said Mr Little, was. treated in a haphazard manner, and the plavera were not getting justice. He suggested that . wiquld be appointed for the North Is and, and that each selector should choose the team for the island for -.wmea he acted. Both selectors'should wien meeb at the

North v. South Island match and pick a New Zealand team. , . xn Mr R. M. Isaacs admitted that the method of selection was not as good as it might be, but it was the best the Union was able to provide under the existing conditions. '■„-. Mr C. Neilson, on behalf of the Hawke's Bay Union, said it; had authorised him to invite the New, Zealand selectors to witness ■ the Hawke's BayWairarapa match to be plyed on June 3 next. The expenses would be borne by some public-spirited men. Hawke's Bay would then be assured that the selectors would know what the Hawke's Bay players were like- : Mr E. Wylie said the great difficulty was that there were too many small unions. They should amalgamate and so be able to have strong teams for big matches. That, _he felt, was, the best way of getting rid of the inconsistencies that at present characterised the selections. The report and balance-sheet were adopted. Election of Officers. The following officers, were elected for the current year:—Patron, His Excellency the Governor.; president, Mr J. Arneil (Auckland); vice-presidents, Messrs A. E. Devine (Auckland);. T. Clarkin (South Auckland),' W, ,B. Miller (Poverty Bay), W.'T; Parata (Bay of Plenty), W. .J. Palmer (Bush Districts), F. ,T. Bellringer (Taranaki),- G. Spriggens (Wanganui), J. F. Manning (Manawatu), J. Rose (Horowhenua), >D. K. Logan (Wairarapa), G. F. G. Campbell (Wellington), '.R, W. Stiles (Nelson), J. Lord (Marlboroiigh),'J. Golvin (Buller), J. F. Wilson (West Coast) v G. H. Mason (Canterbury), A. Shirtcliffe (South Canterbury), H. Harris (Otago), I. Jenkins (Southland), Frank Logan (Hawke's Bay); hon. treasurer, Mr E. Wylie; management committee, Messrs W. Perry, N. Galbraith, J. H. A|. Laughton, G. H. Dixoh, R. M. Isaacsy G. t>aurenson, I. Hyams; auditor, Mr O. G. Kember; representative on the English Union, Mr C O. Wray Palliser. r Appeal Council.

It was decided that the Appeal Council be located at Wellington. The following were elected its members:— Messrs V. R. .Meredith, M. J. Crombie, and A. Campbell. , Inter-Island Match. The next inter-island match is to be played at Wellington on a date to be arranged. Appointment of Referees. A deputation from the New Zealand , Referees' Association asked that affiliated Rugby Unions be instructed to alter their by-laws, if necessary, so that the appointment of referees for clubs competitions shall be in the hands of the .local Referees' Associations. ' After some discussion it was decided that the. New Zealand Union could not ! interfere with' affiliated unions in the management of local, affairs. School Football. Mr Woods (Southland) moved that the grant for encouragement of school football be increased from £20$,' the 1 amount voted last year, t0£250. ,' , Mr Dixqn (Auckland) said he wished 1 to sound a note of caution. The Union I was nob living within its means, and its i financial position was not as good as it' was. While they should do all they | could for the schools, it should not be j done by encroaching on the capital. Mr O'Sullivan (Marlborough) said if there v/as any cheesapairing to be done, it should not be done" at the expense of the schools. He favoured an increase J of the vote. • I

Mr Wylie (Poverty Bay) said the time was. inopportune for increasing the grant. They should wait and see what the season's matches were going to bring before incurring additional expenditure., ' ;' He moved an amendment that the grant be £200. ; _ The amendment was carried.