FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12477, 12 April 1906, Page 9

FOOTBALL.

THE JUNIOR COMPETITIONS.

A special meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union took place on Tuesday night at tho Zetland Hotel. Mr J. R. Evans*was in the chair. The object of tho meeting wae to alter rule 3, affeoting 'competitions, in the rules of the Canterbury Rugby Union by the insertion of the name of the Garrison Rugby Football Club in cub-section (b) of the said rule. That rulo limits competitions for tho Junior Fkg and President's Cup to teams from clubs competing for the Senior Championship, with certain exceptions enumerated in sub-sections (a) and (b). to wit, county clubs, Richmond Club, Christ's' College Club, lioye' High School Club, Canterbury College Club. Mr V. F. Wilson, who propceed the alteration to the rulo, said he thought the Garrison Club was on precieely the same footing as tho Canterbury Collogo Club. It had been asserted that' the alteration he proposed would weaken existing clubs, but en examination of the membership of the Garrison Club would show that there was no force in the assertion. Moreover, by excluding the Garruson Club they would run the rick of losing many keen players. Mr C. W. Garrard seconded the motion. Mr Cleary rose to a point of order. The Garrison Cluh was not amiiated to the Union. How could they deal with a club not affiliated to them? The chairman said the position wae that the Garrison Club had signified their desire to be affiliated, but they had deferred the matter in order to save the club a subscription if they could not be brought under tho operation of tho rule which it was proposed to alter, hevoral speakers expressed their disapproval of any weakening of the principle of the rule by the admission of any more junior clubs. The rule had been adopted to afford remedy to a. eenptis evil which had existed, and it ought not to be weakened by the inoluwon of clnbs which it had been tho very object of the rule to exclude. One speaker eaid it was monstrous that a privilege should be extended to a club not afhlMted to the Union which had been denied to clubs affiliated to tho Imon Mr J H. Aiken said it appeared to him that the delegates were ."peaking under tho influence of party feeling when they ought to be considering only the interests of football. Tho ■nore clubs they got to play football lie better, and it would be a great >ity should they refuse to extend to Iho Garrison Club the privilege which it was proposed to extend to them. Mr 15. G. Foster eaid he was not aware that football had improved under the operation of the law. Mr Hoaro eaid it this club were admitted, could thov find aDy good excuse for refusing to admit any other junior club? He hoped tho delegates would consider that aspect of the question befcro altering iho ruio. Mr Allardyce asked why ♦ he Garrison Club should not come in and play isenior at once. Ho was quite convinced that the effect of the proved alteration, in <ho long run, would lie to weaken existing senior clubs in order to strengthen the Garrison Club. Mr Cleary said if the Garrison Club wore admitted this year no doubt the Adclinjjton Workshops Club would admission next year. Mr Garrard explained why the rule had been introduced into the rule* of the Canterbury Hugby Union, and ho said ho hop.'d the delegate* would think the matter ovct

very seriously before voting, as a meet important principle was at stake. After eoine further discussion, the motion was put to the meeting and was kst by 16 votes to 10 votes. On the motion of Mr Hoare, it was resolved that the Garrison Club be affiliated to the Union.

Lancaster Park will be fully occupied on Saturday, when the annual football matches between Union and Linwood, ALhatnbra and Merivale, and Southern and Albion will take place. Tho visiting teams all come from Dunedin.