RUGBY FOOTBALL

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23140, 2 October 1940, Page 11

RUGBY FOOTBALL

METROPOLITAN TO PLAY SERVICES GOVERNOR-GENERAL TO ATTEND FINAL FIXTURE The Rugby season will end on Saturday with a special match at Lancaster Park between a combined services team and a Christchurch metropolitan team. The Go-vernor-General will attend, and a feature of the programme, which will be In aid of the funds of the Union Jack Club, will be a display by massed pipe bands; The metropolitan team was announced yesterday by the Canterbury selector (Mr L. K. Heazlewood), but the Services’ team will not be chosen until to-morrow because the selectors (Captain J. D. Mackay and Lieutenant C. A. Rattray) expect the acquisition of some prominent North Island players before the end of the week. The metropolitan team will be as follows: Full-back—M. P, Donnelly (University). Three-quarters—J. S. Cartwright (University). A, McHugh (Linwood), M. D. Fountain (University). Five-eighths—H. M. Kimberley (University), F, Allen (Linwood). Half-back—L. Hewitt (Linwood). Forwards—W. Harvey (Technical), W. McNeight (Christchurch), S. O'Neill (Southern), J. G. Rankin (Old Boys), C. W. Williams (University), A. D. McKenzie (University). G. S. Walter (University); F. Hobbs (Linwood). Emergencies—Back, R. Garrett (Albion); forwards, W. McCatnmon (Southern). B. Chandler (Sunnyside). Allen will captain the team and Rankin will be vice-captain. The Combined Services' team will be chosen from a wealth of talent. As far as is known at present the following playdrs will be available:—J. J. McAuliffe, W. J. Fulton, R. O’Dea. J. M. Ballantyne. A. Dunn (Buffer), R. Edwards, and M. J. Wall (Otago), W. J. Nichol (recently of Canterbury College), P. K, Rhind, N. J. McPhail. G. Herron (Southland), T. C. Metcalfe, and G. Miffs. The match will begin at 3 p.m. The Rev. E. A. Osmers will be the referee, and Messrs A. J. Mason and A. Smale touch judges.

ORDERING-OFF CASES

REHEARING REFUSED BY UNION

REFEREE SOLE JUDGE OF FACT

Insisting that the union must recognise the referee as the sole judge of fact in all matters relating to the control of a match, the president of the Canterbury Rugby Union (Mr J. K. Moloney) refused to accept at a meeting of the management committee last evening evidence offered lay members of the committee on a recent ordering-off case at Rugby Park. The committee had before it requests for reconsideration of penalties imposed against H. Wilson (Albion) and W. Maunder (Linwood), who were alleged to have exchanged blows in the match,

Mr V. L. Jensen, a member of the committee, expressed his disagreement with the principle that the referee's evidence must override all other, and declared that if ever the occasion arose he would vote against the application of this principle. The Albion Club, in a letter applying for reconslderaiton of Wilson's case, said the grounds of the appeal were that the evidence was that no blows were struck by the player. It was Wilson’s practice to help a player up after tackling him, and it was suggested that the referee mistook this friendly action for some sort of a tussle. Exception was taken to the imposition on the two players of the same penalty imposed on two others who admitted exchanging blows. The club strongly resented the implication that the players concerned were not telling the truth. Maunder, in a personal letter to the union, said that there was no animosity between him and Wilson'. He had not struck Wilson and Wilson certainly did not strike him. Evidence Not Admitted Mr Moloney, referring to the complaint about the same penalty being imposed in cases where players admitted fighting and in cases wjiere fighting was denied, said the committee had been guided not so' much by what the players said as by the reports of the referees, Mr R. R. Masters said the Albion Club felt that the referee’s report was very harsh. The players were unanimous that the match was “not by any means a Donnybrook,” as that report might suggest. Mr M. T. Gunderson said he was present at the match, and he also agreed that the game was not so hard as the referee’s report would appear to indicate. Mr Moloney interrupted Mr Gunderson at this point, i “We look at the matter Impersonally, and we have got to support the referee," he said. “If we admitted any other kind of evidence we would be on very dangerous ground." Mr E. M. Todd, who was also present at the match as tire management committee official on duty, said he saw the incident and he was of the opinion that It might have been possible to differentiate between the aggressor and the attacked. The referee's statement on the incident, however, was quite correct. There was definitely a scuffle. At this point Mr Todd was also inr terrupted by the president, who ruled that other evidence was not admissible. “It is not a matter of not supporting the referee,” said Mr V. L. Jensen, "It is simply that we have one case where the players admit the offence for which they were ordered off and in another the players deny It." •'Penalty Too Severed Mr Gunderson considered the penalty in the latter case excessive, but Dr. W. S. Seed disagreed with him, - remarking that the minutes would show senior players had been similarly treated for such offences in the past. Mr W. C. Dailey: After the way the union let one man off in an ordering-off case earlier In the season, I think this penalty is very severe. Mr Moloney; Was that for rough play? Mr Dailey: No, but he was warned by the referee twice previously for the same offence. And the union let him off, “If we found we had made an honest mistake, could the matter be reopened?” asked Captain J. D. Mackay. He said the evidence of Mr, Todd and Mr Gunderson might throw a different light on the case, “We rely on the integrity and honesty of our referees,” replied Mr Moloney, "and we have found that no other course is acceptable or workable. If we break down this rule we will be in an impossible position. We must be loyal to our referees or we will have no discipline at all.” "I do not hold with the view that the referee Is always right, through thick and thin,” declared Mr Jensen. “The late Mr Sam Wilson once said that the union had a duty to the player as well as to the referee, and I agree with that view.” He said he was not referring to this particular case. “I shall vole the other way if ever the question arises,” added Mr Jensen when Mr Moloney insisted that the union must accept the referee as the sole judge of fact, Mr E. V. Phillips asked if an appointed official of the union should hot bo entitled to be heard in such a- case, but Mr Moloney again insisted that such evidence could not override the referee’s evidence. On the motion of Mr Jensen It was decided to reply that the committee could not see its way to reconsider the cases. The club delegates were instructed to inform their clubs that appeal could be made to the New Zealand Rugby Union if desired.

SUCCESS OF SENIOR COMPETITION 9~'

“GUIDE FOR FUTURE YEARS” Congratulatory references to the high standard of play in senior Rugby matches after the division of the first grade into two sections, were made at the meeting of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union last evening when the senior grades were declared closed. University having won the senior championship and Army the senior reserve. Dr. W. S. Seed described the division of the competition as a complete success and the president (Mr J. K. Moloney) said football over the last few weeks had been first-class and as good as any seen in recent years. "We should be guided by this in future." he suggested. •It was stated that the gate takings for club Rugby matches this season were £B9O, about £2OO less than in the previous year. The union, however, would have a greatly reduced revenue from representative fixtures.

FOOTBALL ON SUNDAY

CANTERBURY UNION’S ' ATTITUDE “SIDE-STEPPING OF ISSUE” ALLEGED The Canterbury Hugby Union does not sanction' Sunday football in matches under its jutisdiction, and several timds this season it has been faced with the question of deciding whether to allow its teams to travel" to other centres for Sunday fixtures. Usually it has solved the difficulty by merely granting the teams permission to travel, and omitting any reference to the date of the fixture.

At the meeting of the management committee of the union last evening, Mr W. A. Britten protested strongly against this practice,, when an application was received from the Linwood Club for permission for two of its teams to travel to Timaru on Sjunday to play in matches for patriotic purposes. "It is only sidestepping the issue. We know they are going there to play on Sunday. We might as well come out In the open and say we agree with it,” he declared. The president (Mr J. K. Moloney) pointed out that the union had no jurisdiction over matches in other centres. “This union does not subscribe to Sunday football and never has, and probably it. never will,” he said. Mr M. T; Gunderson said the Linwood Club would not have considered the invitation had it not been a fixture for patriotic purposes. He said the club had not intended to state the day of the match when making the application. A member: A misprint? (Laughter.) Captain J. D. Mackay moved that permission be granted. “What if a team went without permission?" asked Dr. W. S. Seed, and Cap- j tain Mackay said .the union would oniy make trouble for itself by forcing the position. “We have been rather in and out about this matter this year,” said Mr V. L. Jensen, "We should decide before .next season just what we are going to do about it." Mr St. J. J. Dunne: The union has already declared that it does not sanction Sunday football under its jurisdiction. Permission was granted on the understanding that the union's insurance scheme did not apply to the fixtures.

ASSOCIATION CODE

PROTESTS AGAINST HORNBY UPHELD

After a long discussion in committee, the Canterbury Football Association's Management Committee decided last evening to uphold the protests of the St. Albans and Technical clubs, and to inform the Hornby Club that it would have to forfeit the seventh grade knockout matches against these clubs for having played sixth grade boys in the team. The chairman (Mr J. G. Parry) presided. A statement issued after the discussion was as follows:

"The Hornby Club explained that 'the reason for having played members of their sixth grade team in the seventh grade competition was due to two of the original teams in the sixth grade having been reclassified to play in the seventh grade. This had resulted in boys of a greater age playing against them, and they felt that they were justified in their action as the average age of their team was within the age limit of the seventh grade. , "The committee has decided that the Hornby team forfeit their matches against St. Albans and Technical, in accordance with the competition rules, as no provision is made for a replay. "St. Albans and Technical thus will play olf the final of the Priddis Cup on Saturday at Hagley Park.” An invitation from the Westland Association to play Peter Dawson Cup (senior) and Dewar Cup (junior) matches was declined, it being stated that the season was too far advanced for satisfactroy arrangements to be possible. Permission was given the Drayton-Jones and "Ballantynes teams to play a firms’ match at Hagley Park on Saturday.