LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 304, 23 December 1937, Page 15

LEAGUE FOOTBALL.

u POACHING" OF PLAYERS. DECISION OF CONFERENCE. B\N TO BE REIMPOSED. (Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, December 22. The Rugby League football conference decided that , ''poaching" of players will I cease from this date. The ban was reiinposed. by a big majority. Both the Australian and New Zealand Leagues have made vigorous protests from time to time, about substantial English clubs "poaching" colonial players on attractive terms. Apart from prominent men in the League code itself, there has been activity of late among Rugby Union players. Since news of the refusal by J. L. Sullivan (Taranaki) of an alluring contract, G. D. M. Gilbert, the West Coaster who distinguished himself as full-back in Britain with the 1935 All Blacks, has accepted a signing-on fee of £650 and several years' contract with the Bradford Northern Club. This Yorkshire club, although it finished | 19th in the Northern Rugby League last I year, won its first ten games this winter (excepting the match against Australia, in which the Kangaroos were victorious, 19—6). THE CITY ROVERS CLUB. SECRETARY'S LONG SERVICE. Officers elected at the annual meeting of the City Rovers Rugby League Cluli Patron, Air. Itaynes: president, .Mr. <1. Hunt: vice-presidents, same as last year, with power to add: captain, Mr. J. Kagg: committee, Messrs. J. O'Sullivan, T. Cherinside, S. Kelshnm and \V. Johnson, with the balance to be elected by grade teams ; secretary and treasurer. Mr. E. K. Aslier. Members expressod appreciation ot the services of Mr. Asher, who is now in his twenty-eighth year as secretary, having been treasurer since the inception of the club.

The report stated that The club was in a healthy position with assets o£ over £50. Although the senior team hail had a lean season, it had performed consistently well, a feature being the success of a number of promoted juniors. The best display was in the Roope Kooster series against Richmond. Tin- club was very proud of its lower grade li.ims, which hiul enabled City Rovers again to be ruuners-up for the Davis Points Shield open to all clubs. Players, supporters and donors of trophies were thanked.