AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 94, 20 April 1906, Page 6

AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION.

The annual meeting of delegates to the Auckland Rugby Union will be held in the Sports Club this evening. Following is the annual report of the management committee.

-"Your committee beg to report that, taking into consideration the fact that last season was what is usually looted upon aa an 'off' season, interest in football matters generally was ■ weil maintained. The visit of the New Zealand team to Great Britain was, of' course, the great feature of ,the year, and tlie splendid performances of the Team excited enthusiasm, not only in football circles, but among all classes of the community. The following Auckland players were Included in the team as finally selected:. Messrs D. Gallaher, G. "ft". Smith, G. Trier, G. -Xleholson, C. Seeling, W. Cunuinghani, and w". Maekrell, Mr Gallaher having the honour of being appointed captain. Tho team, which returned to the. coir i •ony via America, had a remarkable reception from the public on its arrival in. Auck- I land, a compjiment which it had thoroughly ■ earned. There were a larger number of representative matches than usual, and with better results than in the two previous sea-1 sons. The Sew Zealand team played Auefc-, land prior to its departure, the home team making a good fight against its formidable \ opponents, hut being.beaten by !» points to 3. The first visit of a combined Australian I team to the colony tool; place last season. | The visitors defeated Auckland by 10 points to 8. We also received a visit from Hartc's Bay representatives, .the match ending in a | win. for Auckland by 28 points to 3. The uiinai return visits to Taranaki and WelHngton were paid, and a match with Wanganui I was also played. The match with Taranaki | was won by t> points to 5, ami that with Wellington'by 10 polDts to. 6, while a loss was sustained against Wanganui by 4 points j to nil. By defeating "Wellington, your re- I presentatlves recovered possession of the ■Ranfurly Shield lost to Wellington the previous year. Four matches were played i sga = Jtst affiliated sub-unions, namely, out aud home matches with Thames, with Goldpalds' Union, at Paeroa, and with Northern «Vairoa. at Auckland. Both the matches I with Thames were lost, the other two games being won by Auckland. Matches were also played between the Anckland junior representative team and Franklin and Whangarei Union representatives. . Though putting up a good fight in each case, tbe juniors were beaten by narrow majorities. The senior championship was somewhat easily won by City District! which won all its matches, while Xewton District was successful in the second and Ponsonby District in the third grade. Vousonby District has the distinction of being the first holder of the silver challenge football presented to the union by lit Moss Davis, and which the committee decided should be held annually Try the district having the best combined results in all grades of championship matches. The secondary schools' championship was won by Auckland College and Grammar School. In the public schoolsmatches, the championship in the A section was won by Ponsonby School, and in the B section byßayfield School.. The Fnblie. Schools Old Boys' competition was won bj- Devonport team. An important step was taken at the end of the season in the direction of altering the district boundaries. The number of districts was rednccfl to six by the elimination of Suburbs District, which found itself unable to carry on. The statement of accounts shows a loss on the season's operations, as is usual when it is this union's turn to travel, but the treasurer is able to bring forward a credit .balance, owing to the Kcw Zealand Rugby Union having, with commendable promptness, repaid" to this union, in common with others in a similar position, the. money advanced for the purposes of the tour to" Great Britain, together with Interest at 3 per cent. The ground trustees have, entirely out of , the ground revenue, paid £100 off "the df-ht !on the ground, the capital account of which now stands at £2356 15./ S. The thanks of the union are due to the Auckland Referees' Association." Mr G. H. Dixon (delegate to 1 the N.Z. Kugby Union). Mr F. S. Murray | (sole selector of teamsl. Dr. Peter Molr (the union's medical officer!. Mr H. Montelth Doull (St. John Ambulance Association), and his colleagues for their valnable' serI vices." ,

The halanee-eheet shows receipts to have totalled £1371 5/1. including £463 14/4 carried forward, while the expenditure was £11<57 14/ a, leaving a net credit of £203 10A1- Tbe receipts included £41S 19/3 procpeus ot matches. £250 debentures returned, and £316 9/ Hawte's Bay match. The expenditure included Sonthern tour £l-« 3 14/. percentage to Tramway" Co. £i<r» jyo guarantee N.Z. team £230. expenses of matches £148 16/11. The ground fnnd "showed land at Three Kings at cost. £342* J2/S against which is a mortgage.of £1100; .