Rugby changes discussed

Press, 21 July 1976, Page 6

Rugby changes discussed

A story in “The Press” yes-1 terday about a proposal by al former secretary of the Canter-1 burv Rugby Union, Mr N. F. | Moffitt, to restructure tiie union | prompted a lengthy discussion at I • a meeting of tiie union’s man : i.gement committee last evening Mr Moffitt revealed his ideas l at a meeting last w-eek of a chib presidents’ and club cap- ' tains’ committee, of winch lie is < now secretary. He asked clubs to < consider supporting a change to a system under which a new ' president is elected , each year ' and the management committee appoints its own chairman. Under the present system the ’ president serves for three years and he is automatically the , chairman of the management ] committee. . Some members, notably Mr G. < G. Don and Mr J. G. Mullins, , said they saw' disadvantages in , the present system, particularly in what Mr Don described as the , “hereditary'” system by which ; presidents come to office. Mr , Mullins described it as “com- i pletely archaic.” t Mr Don was critical of Mr Moffitt for “using the presidents’ < and club captains’ committee as t a vehicle.” Any such mote to I

1 change tiie system should come through a club to an annual I meeting, lie said. Mr 11 .1 Drake said be conisidered that there were impli cations in the story that constituted a slur on people "ho had tilled the office of president in recent years Mr Drake and the six other speakers all spoke in suppoit of the present system, although one or two of them admitted that thev bad had doubts when thev first came on tiie committee' Howey ei. with time they had learnt its virtues and believed that there was no substitute for experience in filling the senior positions. The meeting decided to eon sider the whole question again later. Otte positive suggestion that had support was for an earlier closing date to be set for nominations for the management committee. They have always closed the day before the annual meeting anil it was thought there may be advantages in giving clubs more time to consider how they will vote. Earlier, Mr Mullins bad described as “unhealthy" tiie fact that a sitting delegate had netet been defeated