PROFESSIONAL RUGBY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 28, 28 October 1907, Page 9

PROFESSIONAL RUGBY.

SOME EXPRESSIONS'OF OPINION,

(By W. M'Konzie.)

Bnskcrvillc's Professional team is really the firing of the first shot at tho. English Rugby Union's moth-eaten methods of management so' slavishly followed by our own executive. Tho pin in facts of the caso aro that the present dny Mnorilnnds footballer is recognising that there is money in .the gamo, and he does not see why ho should not participate in tho profits. Possibly the footballer would not have turned his eyes upo'n the monetary value of the game to him had not tho English Union allowed an unwritten law of payment for players in the shapo of three shillings por day per man. TWEEDLEDUM AND TWEEDLEDEE. For tho life of him the footballer cannot seo any difference between three shillings a day ("table" money), and eight or ton shillings a day (legitimate lost time). Had the English Rugby' Union amended its laws allowing payment to players for legitimate lost time, there would have been no Northern Rugby Union, and Baskervillo possibly would nerer have earned Rugby immortality, i ■' - ' ■ - - ■' : A MISTAKEN POLICY. i. It is generally admitted now by those who know, that the policy of tho English Rugby Union in this respect was a mistaken policy. Fourteon years ago Arthur Budd, Harry Vassall and Rowland Hill wer'oi fighting the professional proposals tooth and nti.il, although they never failed to draw their own salaries, and some people thought that they deserved the gratitudo of all .who felt that a game'''had for its end enjoyment, and not moiieyrmakiiig. It was'said then that Professional Rugby would draw only the unwashed thousands to its' gates. ■ It is tho unwashed thousands—the minora —who have been Britain's best Rugby players, and the 7nen who made the laws for them wero persons with' fat billets who thought that everything should be dono for the honour and ! glory of the thing. The glory of amateur Rugby in England has departed. It was buried by tho New Zealanders jstill the English Rugby' Union will not admit that its policy has been a mistake; : COMING NEARER HOME. Coining nearer Home we find general dissatisfaction amongst the footballers. Tho question has' been asked, "AVho makes theFootball?" Tho answer is, tho players, tho public, the Press, and' the referee. Tho player who wishes to piny the game as tho public desire it to , bo played, has to train especially for that purpose. Ho lias to train like a spartan. His is- no life of ■idloness. Notwithstanding tho Hon. T. Komiedy Macdonakl's dictum,, ho has . to think', and'possibly in the circumstances his thinking powers on those, occasions aro inuch more healthful than even the honourable gentleman imagines; Ho is , usually dependent upon a small salary,, and it-costs him money to pursue his favourite pastime. Why then, should he not'be allowed a portion of the gate money which ho earns fairly and squarely. '.''.'"• ,A CHANGE''WANTED. ■ iv There ,is a general'feeling that a change' is wanted in the. condition of affairs. Rightly or wrongly, , the New. Zealand Rugby Union has not properly guarded the interests of* the game. The All' Black team which toured Great Britain.lost ,£3OOO/ in gatemonoy, simply because there, was no proper system ;of checking the . takings. ;_ This statement will probably'.'be/' contradicted, but it is , ; put into print upon very,' good authority. The New- Zealand Rugby Union conducts matches with Now South Wales under an old agreement by,which each union takes its own gate. The gain is all in favour of Now-South; Wales; and t the wonder is that the New Zealand Union allows tho business to proceed. This year the. New South Wales Union., reaped thousands of pounds over, tho visit of our men;,to.Australia.! They have had this benefit conforred upon them for years. Our. union has done n6thing. "It has/simply 'gone to sleep, but at times it has up and promised to look.into the matter, and.then has gone off again. , . .;. : . ~ ~U i, - :

' ARRAIGNED. , - ;i. Now what has the New Zealand Union done for football in this • country] ' 'It amassed £12,000 from the , All Blacks' '[tap. Has 1 it done anything to advocate Rugby interests ■• with . that. £1 2,000 ? No, it : ■ has' become a money-lending concern, and it wants as much security as a usurer, ■beforo; it will lend any money. p What is the New Zealand Union doing to help school football? Nothing, it is simply tinkering with the whole business.' Does the Now Zealand Union' compel its sub-unions to injure all its legitimate players? , No; still it; should control the scheme, the samo as is done by the various Government departiieuts, and by large employers of labour. Has the Now Zealand Union ever issued an annual? No. What docs the Union do? Don't know, .nobody else knows. Theso facts are well-known to all footballer's,' and unless'the Union shows that it is really the head of a big concern, and acts accordingly, there will be a change. As ' has.'been stated before, if Baskeryille's, team could make a great success of its tour, the New Zealand Union, as present constituted, would pass out of existence. It is most improbable that Baskerville will comu out with a great record, but it is time that the Union accepted the warning, and was up and doing. THE OTHER UNIONS. The big New Zealand Unions are becoming huge financial institutions. The Auckland Union is so rich that it does not know what to do i with its money. Still it is assorted that George Smith became a pro l fessional footballer, simply because he was disgusted at the treatment meted, out. to him by the Auckland Union. -, He wasi temporarily injured in a match, and sent in a bill to the Union for some nine shillings for medicine. George Smith in : his time had probably brought hundreds of pounds to the coli'ers of the Auckland Rugby Onion, but that body refused to recognise his claim. And that is why Georgo Smith beoamo a professional. ..The-Auckland Union will deny this statement, but it is a fact ■'nevertheless. Many other unions are in the same boat., The question ariso3, what are these big unions going to do with their wealth ? They don't give it .. to charity. They can't buy property to any great extent. If they don't do something, the Government will possibly step in, and tax them as it taxes the rich. The only thing to do is to'give the money back to-the footballers in some shape or form. How, the writer will leave it'to others to suggest. ; '■