Sunday Rugby refused

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32604, 12 May 1971, Page 30

Sunday Rugby refused

The Canterbury Rugby Union’s management committee last evening refused a request from Wellington to change the date of next month’s representative fixture between the two unions. Wellington had asked that it be played on Sunday, June 13, instead of the preceding day.

“This opens up a fairly big field," the chairman (Mr J. Storey) said adding that it was inevitable Sunday football would eventually be played. “I think that Wellington is faced with a big representative fixture list. "However, it would be unfair to ask the players to play for their clubs on the Saturday and then travel to Wellington for a game the following day." “I think we should stick to the original date,” Mr C. H.

McPhail said. "They’re obviously hoping to get an extra fixture without upsetting their club dates.” Mr McPhail successfully proposed that Canterbury adhere to the original date. A 20-year-old player from the Shirley club, S. Johannis, appeared before the committee after he had been ordered from the field for fighting fit a fourth grade game against Bumaid* last Saturday. Johannis admitted throwing one punch after a melee had broken up over the sideline. The referee, Mr D. W. Priest, said that Johannis had not been warned individually before the incident, although "two or three” general wamXhad been given to both

Mr McPhail amended a proposal that Johannis be stood down for one playing Satur day, to two playing Saturdays, but after another speaker had asked whether “we are judging the case on its merits or if we wish to

create an impression." the amendment was lost.

Mr R. M. Barnett, who led the Canterbury deputation which proposed that junior football be promoted nationally at the recent N.Z.R.U. annual meeting, was nominated for one of the four positions allocated to South Island unions on the proposed sub-committee to investigate such a scheme.

Soccer.—ltaly beat the Republic of Ireland, 2-1, in their European soccer championship match at Dublin.