Late start for rugby league

Press, 5 March 1982, Page 23

Late start for rugby league

The preparations of the South Island team to compete in the KB Cup tournament in Australia have caused a delay of one week to the start of the Canterbury rugby league interclub competitions. It had been expected that South would make its cup debut against Canberra in late April, and the first round of the Radio Avon pre-season series had been scheduled for March 14. However, now that South's commitment in Australia has been confirmed for April 14 it has been deemed necessary to * stage another trial at the Show Grounds on the evening of March 13. It would no longer be possible to start, the club contest the next day, and it has been put back to March 21. Seven of the nine remits submitted to the league’s annual meeting’earlier this week were carried. Players registered for a club's two highest-graded teams may interchange without regrading except when the first side has a bye (no more than three may drop down) or at the start of the championship play-offs. Delegates also gave the board of control the right to grade nominated teams so that byes might be avoided, to remove competition points as a penalty for serious team offences, and to

call for nominations for under-21 and under-23 grades. Another approved remit provides for the junior advisory committee having voting powers on the board of control. The code’s rules regarding players not making themselves available for representative football, yet wishing to play for clubs the same week, have now been extended to cover Wednesday night matches. The two remits which were lost concerned referees. Delegates voted against an interchange of referees for major finals and grand finals, and against the board appointing premier referees from a fiveman panel' submitted by the referees’ association. The league made a profit of 329,980 last year, of which just over $19,000 resulted from the sale of property. Proceeds of matches rose from $15,441 to $21,'301, including an increase in club gates of $3700. Officers elected were.— Patron, Mr L. A. Stuart; vicepatron, Mr L. R. Huston; president, Mr E. G. Blazey; vicepresidents, Messrs H. Smith, W. A. Whitehead, S. A. Gunby, P. B. Nixon, R. C. Reddock, J. O’Neill; board of control, Messrs J. A. Anderson, M. S. James, J. Davies, M. R. Clinton, C. Clarkson, N. McLean, I. Jenkins, R. Hamburger.