AN ULTIMATUM

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 123, 6 March 1936, Page 2

AN ULTIMATUM

WARNING TO PLAYERS. STRENGTH OF SENIOR TEAMS. DECISION BY RUGBY UNION. CRITICISM OF TOWN CLUBS. RAISING (STANDARD OF PLAY. Seeking to raise the standard of play in the senior grade competitions the Ashburton Rugby Union last evening held a meeting of senior players and issued a warning against a repetition of the state of affairs last season, when great difficulty was experienced by the town teams in fielding at normal strength. The clubs were told that unless full teams took the field each Saturday, one of the town clubs would have to drop out and allow its players to make up the full quota of the others. There was an attendance of 23, including members of the Rugby Union and the Referee’s Association, and the president of the Union (Mr J. C. C. McLaclilan) presided. One-sided Matches. The chairman said it was to be regretted there were so few representatives of town teams. Things had not been running so smoothly as they might in recent years, and while the Union had been “waiting for something to turn up,” nothing had turned up. There was a time when senior teams were at full strength, with several emergencies, but lately teams had a struggle to take the field at lull strength. This had meant that country teams had no incentive to play good football against teams that were not full teams, while the public would not attend to witness one-sided matches. The finances had suffered as a result. The meeting had been called, therefoi'e, to see what could ho done about the question. Mr 11. Porter said there was no doubt that something would have to be done to improve the standard of play and in turn make the game attractive, and bring large numbers to the grounds. Senior players had never been looked after more than they had last season, when the Union had done everything to foster the game. An effort had been made to bring junior players up to the higher grade, but little success had been met with. It was up to the clubs or the players to bring before the Union some plan that would justify the existence"of the senior teams in the competition. Something had to be done, and primarly it was up to the players to display more enthusiasism in the game. Ten to 15 years ago, there had been no trouble in haying full-strength teams, especially in the towns, hut nowadays the country teams and the country public were the enthusiasts. The players were available;’ of that he was convinced, but the trouble was to get them on to the grounds. He would like to know if the players thought the Union had been at fault. Mr A. Thomson said that the Union should put its cards before the players, and so far nothing had been said that showed why any senior team should be eliminated. The Union had called the meeting and it should explain its reasons. Not Fair to Young Players. The chairman said that the indications on last season’s play, were that some clubs bai ely had sufficient players to have one team on the field, let alone two. It was not fair to ask young players to take the field against mature and heavy men. There had been players for only two teams in town last year. Mr Thomson: Don’t you think the Union had it in its own hands? It appointed a grading committee and players were put down without justification. There were better players in the junior grade than in the senior. You know it, and you must admit it. Mr D. E. McDougall disagreed that the grading committee’s work had been at fault. The annual meeting had voted it out. Air Thomson: That goes to show that the players control the Union, and not the Union controlling the players, as it should be.

Material From: the Schools. Mr D. F. McDonald said the players came from the boys and attention should be directed that way. The New Zealand Union had spent thousands of pounds on tours, but no international or provincial tour w r as going to help Rugby football; they left too many men on the bank. Club football should be built up before tours were thought of. Of late, it appeared that it had become professional football, and the honours went to the province which had most money with which it was able to buy up good players. The clubs liatl been at fault in not catering for the junior players. He thought that the grading committee had done its work fearlessly, but the clubs bad not thought so. The clubs had not promoted its juniors as they should have done; in fact, one club, which he had represented in the past, had not played the game in that connection. The problem’s solution rested with the three town clubs to pool their men and put on two senioi teams instead of three teams as was the ease last year. Till there was a town team strong enough to beat the country clubs, the game would not have a public following. Each year the schools were putting out a large number of boys, avlio were good footballers, but what had become of them? The chairman: Goodness knows. Pooling Not Favoured. Mr F. Kennedy said that by strengthening the town teams it was going to build Bugby in the town at the expense of the country. In the past the honours had been shared. He did not favour the pooling of the three town clubs’ men. It would mean putting the Union back as a sub-Union. The chairman: In what respect? Mr Kennedy: How could we be a

major union with only two teams? The chairman: Four teams. Air Kennedy: Well, even witn four teams. It seems the players are lost between the third grade and the junior grade. Years ago, they were all struggling for promotion, but now everyone wants to go down. The Recruiting Factor. Mr AlcDougall thought the previous , speaker had hit the point. At one time there had been a recruiting committee on the Union, and it had done good work. He thought the clubs should do more recruiting. Mr E. S. Chambers said the school boy players were keen, but they were lost when they left the schools. The trouble was the clubs were not looking after the youngsters, and there was no good beating about the bush. It was a disgrace the way Old Boys had turned out last year. The other two clubs had managed to “dig up” boys somewhere. Air Thomson said he could not agree that The clubs had not followed up the younger players. He declared it was a very rare thing to see a member of the L nion at a third grade match. They did not even bother to hand over the grade cup. The Union members could run to Methven to present a senior grade cup, but they neglected the boys. In reply to a question, the chairman said the Union had the power to select junior players of last year, who were fit to play senior this year. That had been done before, hut it had caused a good deal of dissension among the clubs. Air J. Macmillan agreed with the chairman that it would not be wise to revert to that system. Bricks had been thrown at Old Boys club and they had been deserved, but he knew of cases where junior players, when promoted to the senior team, refused to accept the promotion and had dropped out of football altogether. He thought recruiting among the younger was the thing that would save the situation. He did not think it was a case of lack of interest on the part of Union members that kep& them away from the 1.30 matches. Air Thomson had been a bit harsh to the members in his remarks. Mr Thomson: Not a bit harsh. Air Alacmillan said it was a pity there was no expression of opinion from the players themselves. Air Porter • said the Union wanted the players’ opinions, and it wanted to know if the town clubs had made any effort to find out if they would be able to fill their engagements during the coming season. That was what the Union wanted. It wanted a better assurance than had come from some clubs last year. A player: You are making it pretty tough, asking us to say now whether we have a team or not. Air Porter: Well, years ago, we could say at this stage of tne year whether we had a team or not. Bolstering of Teams.

In reply to a questioner, Air AlcDougail said it was not practicable to have teams entered by a certain period. Clubs had in the past put in teams, which included the names of men who had no intention of playing. The chairman: It is frequently known that a player is coerced into signing a registration form. Mr Alacmillan admitted that had been done. The chairman: You must see the invidious position of the Union. Who is going to the grounds when senior teams are being filled up with third grade players? If the clubs do not take the position in hand, the Union will have to do something. We want some concrete proposal from the clubs as to what is to be done. If nothing is going to be done, we can’t carry on. No Union in New Zealand could carry on in such conditions. The speaker added that the boys were being withdrawn voluntarily and by their parents when they were pushed into higli grade teams because tiiey showed promise in the lower grades. Mr McDonald said there was a lot of truth in what Air Thomson had said, that the Union had been looking after the senior players, and neglecting the juniors and third grade players. If the senior players were not going to give good football, senior matches should be put on at 1.30 o’clock and the lower grades at a later hour. This might mean the loss of a certain number of players, but football would benefit in the following year. Drastic action would have to be taken with the clubs this year. Air S. Kerr thought the meeting had been called a little early in the year. The clubs had not yet held their meetings. The chairman said the meeting could not have been held later. The Union desired to know what was going .to happen. Allowed to Slide.

In a general discussion that ensued, the chairman said that the clubs had allowed things .to slide. Mr Thomson said that in 1921 the position was that players had to fight to keep their places in the teams, which in those days, were kept fit by their coaches. Mr McDougall: Recruiting is going to save the position. Two kefen men in each club could do all that is required. The chairman said that the position had been put before the clubs and he wanted them to know that the Union avoul d take drastic steps if something was not done. There Avas a rule Avliich forbade a player turning out for tAvo clubs in one season, but if teams Avere depleted, the Union would grant permission to the remaining players to join another and more lively club. ‘ Mr Chambers thought the meeting had served a useful purpose in placr ing before the clubs the seriousness of the position. It Avas up to them, and lie felt that this year there might be three decent-sized senior teams in Ashburton.