INCREASED COST OF FOOTBALLS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26126, 31 May 1950, Page 4

INCREASED COST OF FOOTBALLS

SUB-UNIONS’ REQUEST FOR BIGGER GRANT “I feel that it would be an appropriate time to draw the attention of the New, Zealand Rugby Union to the fact that we can no longer distribute the same number of footballs which was possible a few years ago with the £2O which for many years has been the grant for school footballs. We used to reckon that we could get approximately 20 for £2O. To-day the cost to the sub-union is approximately 31s a ball,” said the secretary of the Canterbury Rugby Sub-Unions (Mr W. A. Hadlee) in a letter to the Canterbury Rugby Union. When the letter was received at a meeting of the management committee last evening Mr V. L. Jensen said the grant for school footballs had been discussed at the last annual meeting of the New Zealand Union. There was no chance of the larger unions getting any more money for this purpose. Mr H. C. Blazey said the Canterbury Union could still bring the matter to the attention of the New Zealand Union if the sub-unions wished. It was decided to reply along these lines. Players Ordered Off P. Foster, a Linwood senior player, who was ordered off the field in the match against Sunnyside-Spreydon on May 16, will be allowed to play next Saturday. At last week’s meeting of the committee Foster was stood down until he appeared before the committee, when the referee, Mr A. E. Rogers, reported that Foster had struck a Sunnyside player Foster told the committee he had struck at a player who was holding his jersey, although the ball was some distance away. Members of the committee said it did not appear that the case was a serious one and that Foster, having already been stood down for one Saturday, had suffered his punishment Mr E. L. Bonisch, who refereed the senior reserve game between Christchurch and Albion on May 20, reported having ordered off W. Shannon, a Christchurch player, for striking an Albion player. The committee decided that Shannon would be stood down until he appeared before the committee. The Maori Rugby executive was granted the use of the Show Grounds on September 9 for a Maori gathering and sports tournament to be held in connexion ■with the Canterbury Centennial. Other applications for the use of grounds were granted as follows: —Canterbury Rugby Sub-Unions Rugby Park (instead of Show Grounds) on Wednesday, June 21, for Country v. Northern Sub-Unions match; Canterbury Agricultural College, Rugby Park on July 5 for match against Massey Agricultural College; Ministry of Works. Show Grounds, or Waltham Park, on Saturday, June 10, for match between Christchurch district office and southern plant zone. ■G. V. Roberts and J. J. Ahkuoi had been reinstated as Rugby players, the New Zealand Union reported. Mr A. Fanning was appointed manager of the Canterbury team to play West Coast at Greymouth on Monday. Mr V. C. Empson will referee this match.