RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION’S SENIOR COMPETITION

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26713, 23 April 1952, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION’S SENIOR COMPETITION

SUGGESTION FOR TWO DIVISIONS APPROVAL GIVEN BY COMMITTEE The manner of conducting the senior competitions, as suggested by the outgoing management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union to the incoming committee and to the annual meeting of delegates, was approved at last evening’s meeting of the committee. The senior competition has been divided into first and second divisions. Upon the completion of the first round of the first division, which consists of 12 teams, the first six teams will play off for the senior championship and the Harewood trophy, and the bottom six will play for the D.C.L. Shield. The aggregate number of points gained during the first round will count during the play-offs. At the end of the season the winning team of the second senior division will have the right to play the lowest team in the first division with a view to obtaining promotion to the higher grade the next season, providing that the winning team belongs to a club which has no team in the first division. This is aimed at stopping clubs having two teams in the first division.

In the event of a tie between teams six, seven, or other teams below this, in the first division, the points scored for and against will decide which team will remain in the first six to contest the championship. Should two teams be equal when the play-off is finished a further play-off between these two teams will be held. The competition will end on August 9.

The chairman of the competitions committee (Mr R. W. Blazey) reported that this year 172 teams were entered in the various grades compared with J7B last year and 171 in 1950. Mr Blazey also reported that 'the competitions committee had made a start on arranging the representative programme for the year. It recommended matches as follows:—June 2 (Queen's Birthday), against West Coast, at Greymouth (no match with Buller during this tour); June 2, at Christchurch, Canterbury B and Ashburton; June 28, Town v. Country: July 5 or 12, invitation to Wellington to play at Christchurch; July 16. North and South Island Universities; July 19. New Zealand Universities and Canterbury. 1 In the event of the Canterbury team touring the North Island, the committee recommended that the tour be restricted to four matches only. As the union had entered a challenge for the Ranfurly Shield with Waikato, Mr Blazey said the suggestion was that the first match should be played against Waikato, then matches with North Auckland, Auckland, and Wellington. Another alternative was Waikato, North Auckland. Hawke's Bay. and Wellington. He recommended that the team should not go on tour until the competition finished in Christchurch. The immediate past president (Mr V. L. Jensen) said he agreed that the tour be restricted to four matches, but he considered the unions with which matches would be played should be left to the discretion of the annual meeting of delegates of the New Zealand Union. A motion to this effect was carried. Ranfurly Shield Challenge

The president (Mr R. R. Masters) said If the representative team could not fit in a game with Waikato during the northern tour, If it was held, did the other members consider it advisable to travel again to Waikato and play a special challenge for the shield? “We should either take it in our stride or not,” said Mr H. C. Blazey. “We have never travelled to play a special challenge for the shield. If the northern tour doesn’t eventuate then I think we should not play the challenge." "When we first put in the challenge we agreed that our challenge should hold with the province that had the shield," said Mr T. Gundersen. The matter was left over until a decision was made on whether the team would tour the North Island. Insurance Claims A letter was received from the Technical Old Boys' Club stating that one of its players had been injured during a practice match before the club competitions began and suggested to the union that its insurance scheme should also embrace properly organised practice matches held before the competitions began. "We would be opening up a very wide issue here.” said Mr Masters. "I feel we can't draw practice matches into the insurance scheme. I think it is asking too much.” . „ Mr H. C. Blazey, chairman of the insurance committee, said if the scheme covered practice matches before the season, then injuries suffered during practice nights in the season and during friendly matches could also be a claim on the scheme. , , . It was decided to reply to the club* along these lines. _ ~ Brother Maurice, of Xavier College, was welcomed as the secondary schools representative on the committee. Representative Messrs J. G. Rankin (forwards) and G. Mortlock (backs) were elected senior representative selectors. DRAW FOR SATURDAY (All games commence at 3 p.m. unless otherwise stated.) Senior.—First Division: Lin v. Vars, LP South; RNZAF v. Sunny-Sprey, Sunny, 2.30 p.m.; Tech OB v. New Br, LP oval, 1.30 p.m.; Meri v. Alb. Rug Park, 1.30 &.m.; Syd v. Mar, LP oval; Chch v. HSOB, ug Park. Second Division: Chch v. Vars, Malv Park; Tech OB v. Alb, Ens road; Mar v. Syd, Walt 1; HSOB v. Lin, NP 10; Coll v. Belt, LP south. 1.30 p.m.; Teachers' Coll, bye. Preliminary Rounds.—Juniors: Chch v. Vars A, Fend Pk; Meri v. Mar, St. Alb Pk; Tech OB v. New Bri, Rawh Dorn; RNZAF v. Suhny-Sprey, Wig; Kaia v. Coll, Kaia; HSOB v. Lin. Brom Pk; Pap Tech OB v. Vars B, St. James Pk. Third Grade.—Meri v. Sunny-Sprey, SP 20; Belt v. New Bri, Bur 1; Vars v. Chch, Rich Pk; Alb v. Pap Tech 08, Beck Pk; Mar v. Ricc-Sock. Rice Dorn; Sumn v. Syd, Walt 2, 1.30 p.m.; Lyttelton, bye. Third Grade C.—Lin v. Chr Coll, Chr Coll; BHS v. Vars B, Strav Rd 1; St. And v. HSOB. St. And; St. Bede's v. Train Coll. St. Bede's; RNZAF, bye. Fourth Grade.—Syd v. Mar, Barr Pk; Chch v. Teachers’ Coll, NP 8; HSOB v. Tech 08. SP 22. Fifth Grade.—Meri v. Sunny-Sprey, Snrey Dom; Mar v. Alb, SP 21; Lin v. Ricc-Sock, NP 12. Under 18 A.—Mar v. New Br. Bur No. 2;

Lin v. Tech 08, Ens Rd, 1.30 p.m.; Meri v. Pap Tech OB St. Alb 1, 1.30 p.m.; Syd v. Chch. Syd Pk. Secondary Schools' Grade—First round: CC v. West. CC. 1.30 p.m.; BHS A v. BHS B, Strav Rd 2. 1.30 p.m.; Pap Tech v Chch Tech. Pap Tech Coll, 2.30 p.m.; St. Bede’s v. Rang HS, Rang 1, 2.30 p.m. Under 17.—Kaia v. Mar B, Kaia 2. 2.30 om.; Lin v. HSOB. NP 13: Tech OB v. Mar A, Barr Pk, 1.30 p.m.; Meri v. SunnySprey, Malv Pk. 1.30 p.m.; Chch v. Pap Tech 08, St. James Pk. 1.30 p.m. Under 16.—Kaia v. HSOB. SP 19. 2.30 p.m.; Tech OB v. Sunny-Sprey, Sprey Dom, 1.30 p.m.. Bel bye. Under Bst 101b.—Rang v. Mar. NP 1; Lin v HSOB, NP 6: Pap Tech OB V. Sunny-Sprey B, NP 9: Meri v. New Bri. NP 11; Syden v. Sunny-Sprey A, bP 18; Tech OB v. Chch, NP 5. Under 7st 71b.—Mar v. Chch, NP 6,2 p.m.; Kaia v. Bel. Kaia 1,2 p.m.; Lin v. New Bri, NP 7,2 p.m.: Alb v. Meri NP 7; Pap Tech OB v. Tech 08. NP 8,2 p.m.; HSCB v. Sunny-Sprey, NP 9. 2 p.m.; Syd bye. Under 6st 71b.—Mar A v. Mar B, SP 22, 2 p.m.; New Bri v. Chch, NP 2; Lin B v. Alb. SP 23, 2 p.m.; Kaia v. Rang, Kaia 3: Lin A v. Sunny-Sprey, SP 21, 2 p.m.; Syd bye.

Under sst 101 b A. —Kaia v. Rang, Kaia 4; Alb v. Belt, NP 1, 1.45 p.m.; Meri v. Syd. NP 2, 1.45 p.m.; Lin v Chch, NP 3, 2 p.m.: Mar v. Sunny-Sprey, NP 3. Under sst 101 b B.—Mar B v. Mar C, SP 20, 2 p.m.; New Bri V. Syd B. NP 1, 2.30 p.m.; Alb B v. Sunny-Sprey B, NP 2, 2.30 p.m.; Sum v. Lin B. NP 13, 2 p.m.; RiccSock bye.

Under sst.—Mar C V. Lin B, NP 4. 2 p.m.; Chch v. Sunny-Sprey A, NP 4, 3 p.r».; Mar B v. Alb, NP 5, 2 p.m.; Lin A v. New Bri. NP 10, 2 p.m.; Meri v. KaiaNP 11. 2 p.m.; Mar A v. Sunny-Sprey B, NP 12, 2 p.m.; Syd v. Sunny-Sprey C, SP 23. 2 p.m. All under-weight teams will be weighed near the Armagh street bridge at 1.15 p.m. Advt.