RUGBY FOOTBALL

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21729, 11 March 1936, Page 15

RUGBY FOOTBALL

i' successful mii&ee ■■ j SEASON hi j ANNUAL MEETING OF ALBION CLUB I More than 60 members were present: i at the annual meeting of the Albion I Rugby Football Club last night. The ; president, Mr H. Fuller, presided. The annual report showed that the C club had celebrated its golden jubilee; I during the year. More teams were: ' ; fielded and maintained than for many years past. The senior team had'had! a successful season, being runners-up in the D.C.L.. Shield and winning the Canterbury Rugby Union challenge cup. The lower grades had been equally successful. Representative honours were gained toy W. Sweeney, | who played for the provincial representative side. One visit was made by the club dur- ! ing the season, this being to the West Coast. The jubilee arrangements had included many social arrangements, all of which had been well attended by both old and present members. Because of the efforts of Mr J. R., Middleton, the treasurer, the liabih-< ties of the previous season had been wiped off. and'there was now a substantial credit balance. Nearly 90 per cent. of. the members had paid their subscriptions; The president, in moving the adoption of: the report and balance-sheet, referred to the financial success of the jubilee celebrations, particularly re-, ferring to the loyal support which the' older members who had been out of, the game for many years had given., There had been a profit of more than £l3. The report and balance-sheet, w«re adopted. Officers were elected as follows: —; Patron, Mr S. F. Wilson; president, Mr; H. Fuller; vice*presidents, the same' as those of last year, and Messrs T.. Johnston,' C. Ward, M. Lee, J. Steel, D. Gray, J. Searle, C. Lange, and R> Rowlands; club captain, Mr R. Caldesr; secretary, Mr W. W. Gough; assistrmt secretary, Mr rL Bowes; treasurer, Mr J. R. Middleton; auditors, Messrs W. Witham and A. Lilburne; trustees, Messrs W. Witham and R. R. Masters; delegates to Canterbury Rugby Union, R. R. Masters, W. Witham, R. W. Britton, and R. Calder; committee, Messrs H. Mooney, C. White* T. Preston. K. Oakley, D. Stout, S. Smith, W. Thompson, and J. Hay; delegate to Canterbury Sports Protection Association, Mr W. W. Gough; custodian, Mi- J. Beattie;, coaches and selectors: senior grade. Mr J. R. Middleton; second grade, Mr Calder; third grade, Mr A. Henry; fourth grade, Mr J. Johnston. The appointment of coaches and selectors for the lower grades was left to the incoming oommittee. ' It was resolved to apply to the Canterbury Rugby Union for the use of the night-training ground at Hagley ( Park on Tuesday and Thursday evenOpening day was arranged for March 28. AMENDED RULES RECOMMENDATION TO RUGBY UNION DECISION OF ALBION CLUB Strong support for the reversion to the amended rules of Rtfgby football was expressed by memjbers of the Albion Football Club at <their annual meeting last evening. It was decided that a recommendation be sent to the Canterbury Rugby Unioni that New Zealand should revert to -these rules, which, it was anticipated, would do a great deal to speed up and brighten the game. Mr F. A. Brittan in opening the discussion, said that Mr S. SL Deans had returned to the Dominion after attending the Tecent Rugby conference in Great' Britain. He had returned with assurances that New Zealand would be allowed to contrtol her own rules in the near future. But this was all very well. Unless the clubs took some action, and added their strength to the appeal for the oldi rules, the matter would not go mucin further. "In any case," continued Mr Brittan, "in my opinion the ccfciference in Great Britain was a fia:ico, mainly because several of the major unions in the Old Cpuntry failed to attend, it. Unless we work together and say we want the amended rules! reinstated, we will not get them." There was no doubt, continued Mr Brittan, that under the old amended 1 rules the standard of the game had been much better. It had been much faster, brighter, and more open, and this was what was wanted in Rugby at present. Mr A. Henry said that it would be a very wise step to revert to the old 2-3-2 scrum. He was not in favour of. the bounce into touch rule. In his opinion no potted goal was worth four points. He moved that a reemmendation be sent to the Canterbury Rugby Union that the old 2-3-2 scrum should be reverted to, and that all goals j should count two points. Mr J. Steel, a former All Black, who was present at the meeting, moved as an amendment that the amended rules should be reverted to. The games would be much brighter and interesting. As to the bounce-into-touch, rule, in the old days when the amended rule was operating in the Dominion, many of the backs were very adept at kicking into touch on the bounce. It was only a matter of practice. When Mr Masters and himself had toured with the All Blacks in England, they had not played the game entirely according to the British rules. The amended rules had demanded of a team I that it should be fitter and better trained, and for this reason the All Blacks had been able to win their matches. Mr R. R. Masters, another former All Black, who was present at the meeting, seconded the amendment proposed by Mr Steel. He said that the reversion to the old amended rules would bring a brighter game, which was a very vital point at the moment. The amendment, that a recommendation be sent to the Rugby Union supporting the reintroduction of the amended rules, was carried unaniI mously. , ASSOCIATION NO MEN FROM RUGBY RANKS SUPPLY OF PLAYERS FOR ASSOCIATION CODE CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW 'AT ANNUAL MEETING "We have not one chance of getting men from the Rugby code," said Mr J. E. Jones, president of the Canterbury Football Association, discussing the supply of players for the Association code at the annual meeting of delegates last evening. "On the other hand," he said, 'T knew of several, I Association players going over to .Rugby. Our wily chancers tojjet mL.

early and encourage the code among 1 the schools and junior players. "Many of the old players are dropping out and we have not sufficient men now,".he said. "We don't know yet about the emigration scheme*. Meanwhile we must do all we care to foster the younger players and look, after the interests of the lower grades. Mr Jones made his semar&s during a heated discussion <#v a proposal 1 to alter the scale of affiliation fees. The scale proposed would have been to the disadvantage of the clubs with only junior teams. After long argument it was rejected by 26 votes to 3. Reviewing the annual report and balance-sheet, summaries of which have already appeared in "The Press," Mr Jones said that the associations financial position had considerably improved, and the future appeared much more attractive. Officers were elected as follows: Patron, trie incoming. Mayor of Christohurch; president, Mr J. E: Jones; vice-presidents, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, Messrs J. A. Robb, J. G. Parry, F Turner, A. W. Wells, A. Bissett, and Dr W. Bates; honorary treasurer, Mr F T. H. Bell; honorary solicitor, Mr J. N. Macfarlane; honorary auditor, Mr T. C. R. Beveridge; delegate to New Zealand Football Association, Mr W G. Bryce; management committee, Messrs J. Lindley, G. Sanderson,. J. E. Foote, H. Weatherhead, E. J. Kenny,. C E. Keys, E. Fielding, R. Wood, and L. Doherty; selector, Mr J. Cawtheray. It was decided to open the competitions on April 4. TECHNICAL COLLEGE OLD BOYS' CLUB The annual meeting of the Technical College Old Boys' Club was held in the College Hall. Mr C. Sanderson presided over a good attendance of members.

The annual report and balance-sheet showed that although the club had not been as successful as in previous years, in the field, it had finished the season with a very good credit balance. The following officers were elected: Patron, Dr. D. E. Hansen; president, Mr C. Sanderson; vice-presidents, Messrs J. B. Mcßride, W. B. Harris, G. Duncan, A. Scott, R. Broadbelt, A. Broadbelt, A. Milne, J. Teichert, G. A. Phear; and J. E. Foote; life member, Mr G. E. Towart; honorary secretary and treasurer, Mr A* Scott; assistant secretary, Mr A. Milne; club captain, Mr F. Craggs; deputy-club captain, Mr L. Fleete; emergency committee, Messrs E. Smith, T: Neate, F. Craggs* and K. Greenwood; delegates to Canterbury Football Association, Messrs A. Scott; E. Smith, and'C Sanderson. The club's opening day was fixed for Saturday, March 21, at Elisor's road.