FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 316, 1 October 1908, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

WELLINGTON RUGBY UNION. SPECIAL MEETING OF DELEGATES. A'special meeting of delegates of the Wellington Rugby Union was held in the Oddfellows' Hall yesterday evening for the purposo of considering the rules of the gamo and the Rugby position in general.' The chair was occupied by Dr. A: K. Newman, and there . were twenty-five delegates present. , , r ' seir5 eir thought he was responsible for the "calling of the meeting. ■ He thought Wellington, like other unions, should consider the position of the game. Ho was of opinion _ that delegates who 1 were to attend i j forthcoming meeting of the New Zealand Union should be instructed by the local union as to the ■■ position they should take up. ne could here give a direct contradiction to a rumour that he had called the meeting as a means of assisting the Northern Union League. , Anything he might do was in the direction of helping Rugby and keeping it an amateur game. ■ Mr. Weir moved that in the opinion of the meeting the ,time had arrived when it was imperative that the : rules of the gamo should bo amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Coffey and carried. The same speaker went, on to-move—" (1) That players outside the scrum be kept behind the back row of the scrum." The motion lapsed for want of a seconder. " (2) That there may be no charging or interfering with any class of kick, and that the kicker may place ii ?o\ it! .Tho motion was lost. (3) That a free kick be given should the ball be kickcd direct into touch." Tile motion was lost. "(4) That the minimum .throw-m from touch bo ten yards." Tho motion was lost on the casting vote of the chairman. "(5) That in all cases the referee shall put the ball in the scrum." Tho motion was lost. "(6) That after a tackle tho ball may be picked up and played by anyone." Lapsed for want of a seconder. "(0 That a dropped goal count three points." Lost on the casting vote of the chairman. "(8) That all other goals count two points." . Lost. '- 'V Mr. Weir also, moved that in the opinion of the meeting sides bo confined to fifteen men as at present. This was carried. Referring to the proposed payment of out-of-pockct expenses, Mr. Weir considered there were not moro than two unions in tho Dominion who- could afford to pay > these expenses. In his opinion,' the' game should be treated as a game, and not as a business. He moved: —"That this union■ vote against any proposal to pay out-of-pocket expenses or for loss of time." The motion was seconded by Mr. Hardham. ; Mr. H. Roberts, thought tho recouping of men for personal losses _ did not constitute professionalism. Professionalism, as lie un-> derstood it, was making a' business of the game. If players were not • treated fairly, and ho knew the feeling of a largo number of players in Wellington, the union-would live to rue it. Mr. o'Sullivan thought that the player who was not prepared to. pay: some little sum for a sport like Rugby was no sport at , y Mr. Meredith could tfot see why a man, should want to be' paid for playing a gamo I he went into for his own enjoyment, If men insisted on being paid for playing the game the union could afford to'let those men go to the Northern Union League. • Mr. Fred. Roberts stated that in his experience he had only heard" of one case of hardship in the'case of men travelling.„Mr. C. Campbell'supported the .views of Mr. Tl.i Roberts. 'Messrs. Dawson, Sweeney,' Burns, Coffey, and Perry also spoke, and tho motion waa carried by 17 to -5. Mr. Harry Roberts proposed that the wingforward should be abolished. The motion was seconded pro forma and' ; lost. Mr. Hales proposed that all'tries" should' be placed on i the saraefrioting as regards the chances of _conVertiri&"and 'that' no'm'atter at what position a try was scored the kick at goal should be taken from the one defined spot. The motion was lost. Mr. Hardham moved' that af 1 force-down should count one point,' also that one point should be given against a side which deliberately kicks the ball dead. An amendment was moved by Mr. Burns that, tho kick-out after a force-down be taken from the goalline. On the casting vote of the chairman, the amendment was lost. The. original motion was also lost. Mr. C. Campbell proposed that the game be divided into four spells of 20 minutes ' each, the teams to turn round immediately at the end of the first 20 "minutes, and to have the usual spell'at the end of. the second 20 minutes. The motion was carried. A meeting of the Wallace Testimonial Committee'.was held at Messrs. Thomson and Brown's offices last evening. It was reported that the funds were steadily increasing, and it' was decided to seud a circular to all listholders pointing out that lists are returnable on October 31, and that a final effort should be made to increase _ the lists and return them as early as possible. A concert in aid of the fund, is to be held on November 18. SATURDAY'S ASSOCIATION GAMES. The following are the Association fixtures for Saturday:— ■ Charity Cup (replayed semi-final). Diamonds v. Wanderers, 3 Miramar (B. L. Salmon). Junior League, Second Division (final). Swifts v. Y.M.C.A., 5 Miramar (W. Auld). Junior League, Third Division. Diamonds v. Marest School A, C Miramar, 3 p.m. (S. F. M'Lean). - , ■ AUCKLAND RUGBY UNION. . [ar TKI.iaRArn—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, September 30. At a meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union, hold to-night an unofficial letter was read from Mr. Home, secretary of the Metropolitan Union of New South Wales, asking if the Auckland Union would discuss a proposal to send across a representative team to the Mother State next May to play, a series of representative matches. After ] a short discussion the matter was, deferred i for future consideration. The Auckland , Union has decided to be. strongly represented at the Now Zealand Rugby Union confer- ] onco on Rugby rules to be held at Wellington on October 8, Messrs. Sheahan, Ohlson, Stickbury, and Froude, of the management committee of the Auckland Rugby | Union, having been appointed to attend'the j conference. . ■.