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Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 97, 26 April 1945, Page 9

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RUGBY IST DIVISION GRADING BY COMMITTEE Following a brief discussion, in the course of which the chairman, Mr. A. A. Baker, urged delegates to view the question dispassionately and to refrain from introducing the club element, the management committee of the Auckland Rugby Union, at a meeting on Tuesday night, decided that the first division of the senior competition shall consist of not more than eight teams for the first round. The remaining fifteen teams, which have been nominated for the senior championship, will be graded into second and third divisions. The committee also approved of the principle of promotion and relegation of teams at the conclusion of the first round series of matches. It was resolved to set up a sub-commit-tee to grade the senior teams into divisions at the conclusion of at least one scries of trial games. The sub-commit-tee will consist of Messrs Baker. .J. A. Lethbridge. C. L. Cherney, O. S. Harvey and L. S. Drake. The first round of the first division will be for the Pollard Cup and the second round for the Gallaher Shield and both will be regarded as separate and distinct competitions. Competition in the second division will be for the Thistle Cup. Applications for reinstatement were received from J. Hapeta (Newton league) and A. L.. Ryan (North Shore league) and both were recommended to the New Zealand Union for approval. It was reported that. 76 teams, an increase of 16 on last year, had been nominaied for the grades from first junior down to sixth. In the junior boys' competition 44 entries had been received, an increase of 10 over last year. The Rugby Union's Rooms will be open to-morrow night between 7 and 0 o'clock for the final weighing of Junior players.