SURVEY ON COUNCIL GROUND RENTALS

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33304, 15 August 1973, Page 14

SURVEY ON COUNCIL GROUND RENTALS

On the motion of Mr R. W. Thomas, the Canterbury Rugby Union's management committee last evening decided to write to all other unions in New Zealand and ask for particulars of arrangements over the rental of local body grounds.

Mr Thomas said he understood that in some areas local bodies charged no rental for the use of their grounds, and it could be in the best interests if an over-all picture was obtained. It could well be, he added, that Canterbury might be better off than most other unions. Mr Thomas preceded his motion by asking whether it might not be proper for some of the money to be handed out by the new Ministry of Sport to be channelled into lifting the increasing burden of council ground rentals. He realised that councils needed money and that the I Christchurch City Council had given the Canterbury union a I great deal of help. Pennant final.—The chairman of the competitions committee (Mr C. H. J. Rhodes) undertook to look into the possibility of the final of the senior pennant competition, set down for Saturday (week, being transferred to a [ Sunday. The suggestion came from Mr B. J. Drake, who I thought the game would be more : attractive to the public if it did

not clash with a representative fixture. Invitation declined.—A letter was received from the Minister of Justice (Dr Finlay) declining an invitation to visit Christchurch on a Saturday morning to see boys playing Rugby. The invitation was extended following comments by Dr Finlay to the effect that Rugby was contributing to an upsurge in violence. In his letter Dr Finlay said no useful purpose could be served by him coming to Christchurch as he was well aware of the game’s benefits to young people. Suspended. — A MerivalePapanul under 20 player, P Royal, who was ordered oil last Saturday for a stiff-arm tackle, was stood down for one week. A Sydenham junior player was also ordered off last Saturday, but the referee had been unable [to get his name and the plaver. who wore No. 4 jersey, has still [not been identified. It was decided to write to the Sydenham club saving that the player [could not play until he appeared before the union.

New fixture.— The Canterbury A selectors are to be asked to pick a Canterbury XV to play West Coast at Greymouth on September 23. The game ha’ been arranged at the request c the West Coast union and wf count as a first-class fixture.