COUNTRY FOOTBALL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27463, 24 September 1954, Page 3

COUNTRY FOOTBALL

Sir, —I wish to thank the Canterbury Rugby Union for condescending to publish the names of players in the representative fixture played on Lancaster Park South at 1.30 p.m. last Saturday. The game was played between two representative teams, Mid-Canterbury and Canterbury sub-unions, while, on the oval, patrons saw a farce between two depleted club teams. Why should these club teams play on the oval in preference to two representative teams, both having creditable records? Earlier this season, the country team almost beat town, while Mid-Canter-bury defeated, by 19 to 8, Taranaki, a team which was “overwhelmed” by Canterbury, 11-6. Is the Rugby Union playing fair and giving these smaller unions a chance, or is it trying to squash these two smaller unions with its own propaganda? It seems as if a certain club has once more exerted its influence in the union.—Yours, etc., WHEAT CHIEF.

September 21, 1954. [“Ordinarily, the Payne trophy match would have been the main match on a Saturday,” said Mr A. C. Felton, secretary of the Canterbury Rugby Union, when this letter was referred to him. “This season, with so many Ranfurly Shield matches, it was decided that the Payne trophy match should be played as a curtainraiser.”]