MEDAL WITHOUT BAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 141, 17 June 1930, Page 6

MEDAL WITHOUT BAR.

At a recent meeting of the Management Committee of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union," Mr. W. Britten proposed that some recognition should be made to the members of the Canterbury team which defeated the British team. He suggested free tickets for the Test match. The Wellington players had had jerseys, socks and pants given them after their match, and he moved that the Canterbury players should be given two free seats each for the Test. Another member thought that some memento would be better, and eventually it was decided that as the players did not appear to want photographs of themselves it would be better to strike -a special medal for the occasion, the design being left in the hands of Mr. Britten and the secretary. The striking of special medals to commemorate great and important events has the sanction of history behind it. Josephus tells us that in the third century B.C. golden buttons were presented for deeds of heroism, and this might appeal to players for whom the camera has lost its charm. Some ideas might be borrowed from the "Ark in Flood" medal struck to commemorate the Armada in 1588. Even the motto could be adapted to read: "The whistle blew and they were scattered." A special medal with • the inscription "Annus Mirabilis" (the wonderful year) was struck in 1759 to commemorate the victory of Admiral Hawke over the French .admiral Conflans in Quiberon Bay, and the victory of Wolfe at Quebec. Wβ might have our own Annus Mirabilis medal with the names round it of all the victorious New Zealand teams. But for the fact that it might seem unpatriotic to borrow an idea from Germany, the Canterbury Rugby Union might copy the medal struck in honour of the submarine campaign, only instead of Neptune with his trident sitting on a periscope we could have a kiwi sitting on a goalpost, the motto remaining as before, "Gott strafe England." A correspondent has written to the Chrietchurch "Press" suggesting that the idea of a special medal to commemorate the great victory by the Canterbury representatives over the British team shows that we are a little mad where sport is concerned. But the victorious players certainly deserve some recognition and a ,medal does seem more appropriate than free passes, photographs, or even jerseys, socks and pants. Cromwell struck a special medal to commemorate deeds of exceptional heroism and ordered that with it "there go a chain of gold to the value of £100." Canterbury might follow his ■ example. In the meantime the instructions "Decorations will be worn" is given a new and interesting significance. They will be won) on Saturday afternoons. ■'. ' —W.M.