RUGBY FOOTBALL

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25896, 31 August 1949, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL

APOLOGY WANTED BY UNION

REMARKS OF WEST COAST MANAGER

Because it claimed that statements made to a newspaper last week-end by Mr W. F. Ellis, manager of sixth and seventh grade West Coast teams which visited Christchurch, ‘‘reflected on members of the union individually and collectively,” the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union decided last evening to ask the West Coast. Union to obtain an apology from Mr Ellis. In a statement criticising the Canterbury Union because it had been unable to find billets for all of the West Coast boys’ teams, Mr Ellis was reported to have said. “Frankly and honestly, we of the West Coast Rugby Union are fed to the back teeth with the clique who run the Canterbury Rugby Union. While this Canterbury clique makes a profit out of the game we on the West Coast dip into our own pockets to keep the game alive there.” “I want to refute every sentence which appears in this article,” said the president of the West Coast Union (Mr F. W. Baillie) in a letter. A special meeting of the West Coast Union had been called to discuss this “disastrous and unfortunate matter.” Mr Baillie added: “I also want you to know that my union fully appreciates all that your union has done for this union over the last 20 years or more and that you are one major union that has given valuable service in assisting minor unions, ours in particular.” In requesting the apology the committee decided to thank the West Coast Union for its prompt action and to emphasise' that there was no difference between the two unions. REFEREE FOR TEST CANTERBURY MAN APPOINTED A Canterbury referee. Mr L. Walsh, will referee the test match between. Australia and New Zealand at Auckland on September 24, according to advice received by the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Union last evening. Mr A. Fong will referee the game between Australia and Canterbury on September 21. Mr A. T. F. Stokes said it was the first time a Canterbury referee had been appointed to a test match since about 1930. The secretary of the Linwood Club (Mr D. M. Findlay) wrote asking that the committee should consider awarding the final of the under 18 grade in the seVen-a-side tournament at Hagley Park on August 27 to Linwood A. The match was won by Albion B by 3 to 0. “Our grounds for protest are that the Linwood team, having played hard games in the first two rounds and the semifinal against Marist A, in which one player received a broken collar-bone, entered the final against Albion B with only six players, as the rules do not allow a replacement,” said the secretary. “Albion B played only two comparatively easy games and took the field for the final with at least two Merivale players. The game resulted in a win for Albion by 3 to 0 after extra time had been played, the winners’ try being scored by one of the Merivale players.” The president (Mr V. L. Jensen) said that the Junior Advisory Board, after making the necessary inquiries had recommended that the protest should be sustained.

While being agreeable to the match being awarded to Linwood, Mr R. A. Calder said that it had been the Junior Advisory Board which had been responsible for “filling” teams up with players of other clubs where there were shortages. In this case it had not been the responsibility of the Albion Club.

It was decided that the matter should be held over for a week to allow the board to make additional investigations in the light of Mr Calder’s information.