NEW RUGBY UNION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 213, 8 September 1923, Page 11

NEW RUGBY UNION.

THE ISTHMIAN TEAMS. J IN PRIME MIXISTER-S LAND,Tlie amalgamation of Franklin nnd Manuakau Sub-Unions, taking in also the town of Pukekohe and the districts of Uaikare and Waiuku, to make one large Rugby football union, was practically decided at a meeting at Pukekohe on Thursday. At a former meeting this combine was suggested, and was favourably received all round, and on Thursday Colonel McKenzie- and Messrs. Pollock, Short, Findlay, Smeed, and Proud met Me-ssrs. H. Frost (chairman of the Auckland Union executive) and A. Patterson (A.R.U. country adviser) to get the proposal put into shape. It was stated that the Waikare and Waiuku representatives, who were not present at the second meeting, had agreed to support the amalgamation. After fully considering the matter, with Mr. Frost as chairman, the meeting unanimously affirmed the principle of a single union for the district mentioned, and appointed a sub-committee of the presidents of the sub-unions concerned to draft a constitution and rules. Whether the new union will be affiliated with the Auckland Union or direct witli the Xew Zealand Rugby Union is to be decided later, but Mr. Frost assured the meeting that tlie point was immaterial so far as getting assistance from Auckland was concerned. The Auckland Union was prepared to do all it possibly could to help along Rugby in the province, and as an earnest of this he promised to make an endeavour to have a team sent from Auckland this season to ; meet a combined team from the live districts concerned in the amalgamation. This merging of the sub-unions into , one strong body is expected to do away with the vexatious disputes which have occurred repeatedly over players just over the several boundaries playing for clubs for which they were not elio"'*' e according to the letter of the law. On that point thcro has been a deal of discord, but it is pleasing to find that through the good offices of Mr. Patterson (as a liaison oiiicer between the Auckland and the country authorities), and the shrewd sense of the country officials, this discord has worked for union rather than disruption. It was recognised by the latter that although the idea of the small separate bodies almost eliminated the travelling inseparable from country football, it equally limited the development of the game and the opportunities of talented players getting recognition outside their own districts. With restricted competition local interest in the game languished, and it is felt that though the travelling in future will 1*» greater under the conditions of one big union the game will be given an impetus by the stimulation of local interest in club matches ordinarily, and by the players getting greater opportunities for displaying their prowess against visiting teams of a higher calibre than the several small unions can bring to the district. For one thing, the new union will be eligible to compete for the Peace Cup, which is the big local trophy of the Goldfields and Thames Valley teams, and there is no reason why this Greater Franklin Union (which has yet to find a name) should not make of the name on which it may decide something that will put the district on the map of big football in Xew Zealand. After all, the players concerned, living in the great fertile isthmus of the Dominion, are the stalwarts of the Prime Minister's special country, which runs from sea to sea, and they should be a power in the national game of New Zealand.