FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16272, 24 July 1918, Page 3

FOOTBALL.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS ItATCH ABANDONED. Owing to ti» extremely bed state of the Christ's College Ground, which was quite unplayable, it was decided about neon yesterday that the annual match between Christ's College and Otago Boys' High School, which had been postponed from tho previous day. would hare t-o be abandoned, as tbe visiting team could not 6tav in Chris tchurch any longer cm the off-chance of the {ground drying up sufficiently to allow of the game being played. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. OTAGO FIXTURE POSTPONED. Considerable discussion t-ook place at last evening's meeting of.the Canterbury Rugby Union, as to whether the weather coi-litions would permit of the representative match between Canterbury and Otago, on Saturday nest, played. Mr l'\ D. Kesieven said that he was of the opinion that the ground vrould bo absolutely unplayable even by Saturday, nnd ho considered that the Otago Union shcrnld be communicated with offering the suggestion that tho match might be postponed. Incidentally, the chairman, Mr S. F. TVilson, remarked that now a daylight service between Lvttelton and Wellington was being arranged, the coming matches between Wellington and Canterbury would have to be j played in the morning, unless tho visiting team could spare an extra day in travelling. Neither alternative, he thought, would prove acceptable to cither Union. Eventually, after the Questions had been fully dracusairJ, tho matter of the Otago match was held over temporarily, while an endeavour was made to get into telephonic communication with Dunedin. This effort proved 6ucccssful, the secretary of tho Otago Union announcing that there would be no difficulty in changing the date from Saturday next, and that he would inform the Canterbury Union to-day as to whether it wouH be convenient for the game to be played, in Christchurch on Ausrust 3rd. Further arrangements as to the dato were left in tho hinds of the chairman and the secretary. "Various sub<oinmitteec3, etc., and details Rb to tho game were arranged, and amongst other things it was decided that school boys' should be admitted for 3d. The question of whether tho match should be treated as a real representative match, and whether caps 6hould consequently bo given to tho playore, was also discussed, and it was ultimately decidcd that no caps be given -during the period of the war. As t-o whether the match should be recorded as a representative match, it was decided to hold tho matter over in the meantime, members considering that the opinions of other Unions in similar circumstances Bhould be received.

RUGBY RULES. HOIiE ELASTICITY "WANTED. A very interesting document, and one of considerable importance in connexion with Rugby football in Now Zealand, oamo before I the Canterbury Rugby Union last night in tho form of a draft from Mr P. T. Evans, I president of the Union, of the Canterbury I Union's reply to tho circular recently rooeived from the New Zealand Union containing tho English Union's reply regarding tho resolution passed at the eoecial mooting of the New Zealand Union last October. Tho English Union htid_ asked for information regarding: the "Special conditions obtaining in New Zealand,"' in order to help them to come to a decision. Mr Evans's draft read as follows: — At the outset my committeo regrets keenly tho fact that a draft of the covering letter dealing with the resolutions passed in October last was not submitted for perusal, more particularly oa it was generally understood by delegates i?resent that a draft wonld bo ( eubraittcd before being sent to England. Had that coutso been followed, probably other suggestions for tho 'enlightenment of the English' Rugby Union would have been made. Suggestions that in the nature* of_ things would not occur to your executive, seeing that its members have been, and still aro, utterly opoosed to the proposals agreed on. English files to hand liavo shown an amazing ignorance or 'prejudice on tho part of one or two writers as to the reasons for passing tho resolutions, and my committoe 'trusts that t-h» letter containing the enecial conditions will be accompanied by_ a full and a clear-cut statement from tlw point of view of thos? unions who were warm supporters of the resolutions.' ' The 'delegates /of tbeso: unions will riot then be charged with asking for a little more power in 'self-government with tho ulterior motive »of' paying players for 'low of time, this in/epit® of iho faot that tho resolutions paused in October last, distinctly abated that the wincing of amateurism, as defined in tho rules, would be maintained, rules which clearly prohibit payment of any ' Rnsra-rding the conditions obtaining in New Zealand, my committ-oo wishes to record tho following: — (1) The fundamental difference between tho two Rugby codes in England is that League players for tho most part are paid for their servioes, and so arc professionals, whilo the Rugby, are purely amateurs. This distinction does not exist in' Now Zealand, whore League players receive no monetary payment. for their services, and so aro not professionals in that respect. _ Tho "money element is not associated-with tho Lea.guo game in New Zealand, as it is in England, when thousands of pounds 'are spent annuoJly on players in some form. or_ other. Scores of players who'have taken part in the League game in. New Zealand have don© so purely as a pastime without' realising that the mere plaving. of the game deprives them of their amateur status. Environment ancL companionship are the great factors in bringing many of them under the League banner, and not, as in England, prospect of payment. Players like these, professionals i'l name onJv, are debarred bv tho rules of the English Rugby Union, which body at the same time opens its door to the professional boxer, rowor, cricketer, and athlete. To roauy of ram New Zealand, all loyal to the amateur code, such anomalies are crying aloud for. rc.orrn. (2) Up to the present, several thousands ot Rugby players, have- left, our shores to nght foT the Empire; clubs everywhere ore depleted, and yet plajreaa wishing to join them are prevented even if their only ©in is signing a Northern Union form. Such stringent may not matter in England, with its millions of population, but in Now Zealand we cannot afford to shut, out members for such arbitrary rules. (3) In New Zealand Ilugby football has always been a democratic sport, men of nil ! classes playing side by side in the Dominion's national gaino. To keep it as such wo ask that the Now- Zealand Executive have vested in it the power to re-instate those players who, whilst playing, under the League code, neither have desired nor havo received any monetary consideration. From your circular my committee learns that the English Union have given the power to the New Zealand Rugby Union lo reinstate players not over 17 years of ase when tho oflonco was committed. Surely if tho New Zealand Executive is competent to deal with eucli reinstatements, it eon bo entrusted to deaj with any player irrespective of age. Such restrictions or solf-govemmeni do not tend to unity as sportsmen, and are quite contrary to tho principles wisely laid down years ago by English 6tatesme:i of granting almost ccniplote autonomy to Dominions in respect to local conditions. The barrier is down in the trenohes; neither amateur codc nor professional, class nor creed, makes for disruption there, and the committee of tho Canterbury Rugby Union feols strongly that, whilst ,rigidly enforcing the fundamental principle guiding all amateur sports (Lo.. non-payment of players), the one endeavour of both the New Zealand and English excctuive.} fho-jkl be to raise tho barrier as little as possible, and to briug into force some cardinal rules regarding professionalism applicable alike to England and to every part of tho Empire— ! rules thai are compatible with, tho needs and circumstances of to-day, and not with those obtaining in England twenty years ago. In his covering letter to the Canterbury Union, Mr Evans, who was not present at the meeting, asked that the Management Committee should delete from or add to his draft as was considered r.eccseary, but members considered that Mr Evar.s'* drait in everyway . "filled the bill," and it was adopted in its entirety.

CANTERBURY RUGBY UXIOX. Tho Executive- Committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union mot last evening-, Mr S. j F. Wilson presiding. Colonel H. R. Potter, Camp Commandant, wrote, stating tbiU, as an undesirable 'iia'.o- ---' cation in training would ensue, it would not be possible to send a Trenthom team to play Canterbury in Christchurch on August 10th, as suggested by tb« Canterbury Union. The secretary of the Ashburton County Rugby Union wrote asking that when the Canterbury representative n-an-.s were beins selected, consideration should- be given to tho claims of players under the Ashburton County Union, which was, it was stated, prepared to bear the expenses of sending Aehburtoc men to Christchurch to t-ake place in trial matohes. Tho matter was referred to tho Selection Committee. The Rnneiora High School wrote, entering tv.o teams for the coming eeren-a-side competitions, one for the under 18 years grade, and the other for tho under 16 years competition. It was reported that the recent .match between Christ's College and Eovs* High School had resulted in a cum of £180 18a 3d, from which tho Amusement Tas had yet to be deducteJ. It was decided to. grant £60 to the Boys' High School team, towards the exsenses of its comxDjr trip to Southland. - i