LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 76, 31 March 1931, Page 14

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

QUESTION OP STATUS. SUGGESTION BY OFFICIAL. A suggestion that if New Zealand Rugby League teams were to succeed against overseas sides a departure should be made from the amateur status under which the game is played in the Dominion was made by Mr. A. Ferguson, a member of the New Zealand Council, speaking at the annual meeting of the Devonport Club last evening. Mr. Ferguson, who presided over the meeting, referred to the splendid committee which had established a new League constitution, and said that better football was confidently expected under it. He advocated the development of the Australian type of play by the Devonport Club. In the early days of the League game, he added, he was satisfied with the amateur game, but now he was convinced that New Zealand, if it intended to compete successfully with overseas thirteens, must adopt fresh methods. Mr. Ferguson went on to mention the comparative failure of the purely amateur League " Ali Blacks " on the occasion of their recent tour of Australia, when they were called upon to meet highly-trained combinations. The teams in the Commonwealth fully demonstrated the value of physical fitness, which was produced by intensive, scientific training. In rounding off his advice to the local club, Mr. Ferguson said, " What Shore has learned about football will have to be forgotten ; it will have to learn the Australian game." DEVONPORT CLUB. The report and balance-sheet presented at the annual meeting of the Devonport United Rugby League Football Club last evening showed that the club had experienced a fairly successful season. Mr. A. Ferguson presided over an attendance of about fifty members. The balance-sheet showed a crodit balance £9 7/2. The following officers were elected:— Patron, Mr. W. D. Meiklejohn : vice-patrons, Messrs. H. Rider and W. C. Coldicutt; president, Mr. A. Ferguson; vice-presidents, Mine as last year, with power to add; secretary, Mr. A. H. Saxon ; treasurer, Mr. M. : auditor, Mr. J. Ford; club capMr. F. Bolger; coach, Mr. ,T. L. 3'Brien; delegate to the junior management board. Mr. G. Emirali; committee, Messrs. H. Gerrard, F. Sadgrove, P. Morgan md C. Rhodes; primary schools' delegate, Mr. M. Scott