FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 799, 23 April 1910, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT.

£ ?%:«'g!itccntli "anmiai " report 'of tho ';New-Zealand. ftugby/iUnion; was made cdntains mat- . ter; ofwinterest iio '.ttat f of -.thp public 1 wliioli; is interested 'national game/ The' •repori^ieads'as-follows':—. %['.■ ■■■ ■' v '•

:.: :.:-■.;,iLaws-of-, V; Considerable -.'.- Correspondence' "has" -laten .place betweeu.'the -Management tjommitteo and- the- English-Rugby Union, relative to'the. proposed alterations .in-the Jaws of the: ganio/ as an.proved;by: the council'of delegates at previous meetings, arid'subsequently as ;■ approved by; the Australasian Conference m January-last... As'to the former, our: ■representations were thor-.oughly..,-consjdered-:rby ■■ rtho~" English . : -Kugby; Union,- i.which ultimately: sub- /' S ll '■'them:' ■ to'■'the ■ aoarcl, -As already notified to affiliated unions, the board has since : sanctioned .ceijauivalterations. - As to the■ special , •Tecommendations-of ■■ the: Australasian : ; conference, ; which' were forwarded by the Management■ -Committee-■ to'---tne •. Jinglish Rugby. ■Union I :'with ; an' urgent request;•'for.',their; ratification,Va:'reply iad : not;.beeh; received up toHhe- date . pr ; -prepafatipn,;of; this report. i; During ;-Mst;.SMSoni : -: ; wre brought .into "use: by. at least one affiliated, uii'on. ; :.-]Cfpon':..the : point being v raised by. another-unioii,':the Manage...onent Committee" 1 ruled that ho affiliated union .had:powejf, toi.'alter the laws o£ ■the game'in any;way- whatever. 'All tuuons were notified'of-this rulingV-'

.-.;. \ ' '■■■£ The.Australasian Conference..: . ~; The Australasian. Conference .mooted ' par'y; last; year, : was .held'in-Sydney on .- Uanuary..i 25; (lastiv ;.-,; Your..' Management/ ■ Committee tappointed- as-',this bunion's representatives, T:Messrs.; ! G. ; H]: Dixon ■ , ((Management'Uommittee)jG.C.Faohe vG;:-vH;- Mason ~KSouth.aelahd).f.'Copies"; of'.the 'minutes of "the i conference":* have 'already 'been rßuppliedj td; alL'affiliated/: unions; l , ■•^β ' >tne.. .decisions: of. the. .conference : were v. anj_ accord; with ;-'the :■ desiresv';bf' \this '■ hiiuon, by , ".■ resolutions: , ; at meetings': , of council ■• delegates, "your /'Pan^epe'nt^.Committee,; without'de-! ■...lay>:■'^f^afdβd.">■'•^thβ•.■^.'p^dp6s'ei■'^ : 'aIT itterationsiin.:. the "laws'-. of. the -gahiey )to. the/! English union, with, a request Ithatrthey be'dealt : witb/in terms ; pf the : .pecommendation.-of• - such ■.conference," .while it'was /decided; to refer the pro- . posed." amendments in the rules 'as to ■ iprofessionalism . to the annual... council _.■ [meeting,', with a: ! recominendationi that . Wiey..'b>i.adopted; ; "- The: New ,-South Walesy;Unioa has already adopted all -\ : (matters'contained" -in-.tlie cpnference- •'• minute's,' except those .relating :'to 'the . clubv.visits,-:and,'the rules, as to pro- -.; lfession'alism.; : On. the -form'erVof;, these itw6j.K'a';;fwher communication is'proV rmisedj while as regards' the' latter a : Few verbal.changes.are , suggestedjvwhich, (do; not-affect the' spirit, of,the; recom- ■'-.; (-Biendations ; made : by. the conference. ,:■ ; .':.:-. v; i■■'■■ ;'lv:}.lnterchahg6;of v ;: :~V/ : • ■'.' ■'•■' 'As. one of the outcomes:of. , the recent ..;;iconference.^t.Sydney, more satisfactory ■•'\!to™i:KYe':.been-iinade-,f<ir.'-the.'iiinte'r-.(Ohange"'of'!visits' with Australia.; . A' ; «pecial tour.is to' he' made by c New Zea- ■-..■'■ land "this '■, season' ;to '/assist'-' the■'VA'u's- ... tralian to'.be on -: terms-;,apart ;; '-'•' SL ■ e: r^SU^ar ■ interchange ■ of'visits.' , : ■ jJVhile the ■ maiu -.'object of this 'season's ■. Jouri.isito -iissist-Rugbyiin South i. Wales ,and. :;there will be ho ..fuianciat , 'liibility; to tliia union, as . . the; New/; South I/Wales Union has made : > itself ..responsible' for: tiat. :■ At ■'.'. the ;'•:. Bpecial.;request;-.of- New:. South Wales/ ;the ; .team is'.to: leave' New, Zealand- on - June 1 so-: as.: tb jplay 'the opening match pnJune 11. It is intended to • the. programme, to be :'■. overmatches;;; recruiring the ■. to :. Ibe' absent from home 'approximately ' Uour; weeks.--;. , : .-"--.;';'-;..;■. :. : .. ; "- .-.

I •'-.■^''•,:A??*ric a A: 'Universities' .Team.., ; '.; '-. of 'the'NowSouth lWalesi;Union,,Vthe.;:Universities • of..Cali-:-TCrmati we're, invited ,tp :■ send a team to. Australia ; and';-: New': \ Zealand- this ■■eeason::::';The:'invitation has been accepted.- ' ■ The team will ■,'■ first play in JAnstraha,,; and .then"tour New- Zealand . Wurjng:;the. latter .half-of July, ,-playinotve matches here.; It has beea agreed ■ to. pool? the gate receipts; of all matches/ and, -after'Reduction , -of expenses, to \ divide,:the./surplus or deficit, :as , the case : -may,;'be,- between: -New s South •■Wales,- and -New Zealand, va. proportion' to.: their respective 'conthe pool. . , ",■!..'".'■'■ .

' ■ ■;■'V. Maori Team's;: Tour.;:- \ At: the, instance pf-a large and influ--«htial'S;coinmittee,: 'representing ;the Maoris of the whole Dominion, negotiations; have been completed with the 'New, South Wales Union .for a representative: Maori : team' to ■■ tour - Austra:lia: during the season. The team will aeave ; ;N,ew Zealand on May, 30 'to play a series'of. matches arranged for- by the New,-South ; Wales Union. -Great care is being exercised- in-the selection of playeis'^'sb.'as , to'.'ensure,its being satisfactory both from ■. a playing, and a personal; standpoint.: The team'is to travel .without liability to the New Zealand or • the-:New ;South; Wales :; Unions,•: tho Maori-, Committee undertaking tho liability; of all expenses.! At the sugges-' tion..of,;the Maori Committee any surplus from the tour is to be devoted to chanty/:; The- Management Committee has satisfied itself as/to the boha. fides of the undertaking. ; ~. ■-.-. ; .; ••;■ ■' '//The ■ Inter-Island. Match, ■ V ■'".-.-: - . The', inter-island ■ match ' was played, after some difficulty in fixing the date at.Wellington on August 25. The reBult was awin for the South.lsland representatives by 19 points to 11. There have -now: been nino .of these matches of; which .the-'North Island has' Won nve.and the. South Island three, ono being drawn. .•■'■■■''•"■ ■ ■ " : iS ; Appointmentßoard.. : : .' _■;' The, Appointment Board agaiu proved its usefulness in arranging for referees in various inter-union matches duriuc ~tb.e.*seasPn.:: .' • ' . .•'-'. • • ' .''''y '.:. . Appeals. '... '_ The past year hasbeeh marked by the 'unusual number of appeals that fhad:to be dealt with. The Appeal Committee ivas called upon to" give rulings : upon three cases involving interpretation: of the. laws..o/. tho game. The Appeal;Council_had one case of appeal against a', decision of tho Management '! Committee. This appeal was dismissed; I Seven'appeals: were mado to the"Man-- • agoment Committee by clubs andirlayers'against decisions of their respective unions.'. Two of those appeals were ilecidod'in favour of tho appellants, one was dismissed, and tho remaining four were'; returned without: adjudication, as they wero matters of local control, and therefpro beyond the jurisdiction of thie union., \ ,-■■ , ~ . ... .;. ' : School Football. ■':■ ■ The sum of £100, voted Inst. year for the-.encduragement of llugby:. football among • boys at the primary schools througliout the Dominion,.was allocated as under for disbursement:—Hawke'e Bay/£3; Taranaki, £3; Wanganui, £12; '■■Manawatu;, £8; W'airarapa. ■ £3; . Nelson) £8'; Marlborpugh, £8; Bulleiv £9; Canterbury, \>-£i'iy South "Canterbury, £10; Southland, £12; Welling,ton, £12. .-•

Finance. ■Tho profit and loss account for the year shows that the income practically balanced expenditure. Tho accumulated fund now stands at £11,368 13s. 2d. Of this the following amounts are on loan to affiliatod unions:—Auckland, £700; Hawke's Bay, £1045; Otago, £500; Southland, . £1200; Taranaki, £325; Wanganui, .£600; Wellington, £3250;. total, £7620. Stomp- of tho. unions have had difficulty in keepirig up repayments. In several cases, where tile Management Committee was eatis'..fiqd as to tho necessity, tho stipulated repayments wpro allowed to be deferred for a, time. .'".'•'.. .-• .General. . 'The South African Rugby Board, in 'reply to an invitation to send a'team to, New. Zealand,, has intimated that it ..must; declino with regret, the difficulties in the way at present being insuperable. As instancing the extension of the Rugby game, it is of'interest to mention ttiat an inquiry was received from tho president of the River Plate (South America) Rugby Union as to the possibility of a New Zealand team playing there when next it went on an extensive tour. As will also be seen from the.item in this.report concerning the forthcoming tour of a Californian team, the Rugby gamomnstrbe'making headway iin the ,; American universities. These evidences of the progress of, Riigby elsewhere are .suggestive of the merits of , 'our national game. , : ■

'. . -...' ',-'. Acknowledgment■Tho Management.Committee again draws attention to , the value of Mr. C. Wray Palliser's services as our representative iii London.. The thanks of ,the union are due to him. The selectors are. also -. deserving of . the union's ;thanks for the careful manner in;which,they carried.out their duties., Thanks are again, due to the members of the Appointment Board, to. the officials ■■'of- affiliated ,, unions, and to members .of -the"', New .Zealand Referees' Association, for .services rendered.

• ■... ■-■"■■■'•Meetings. . : t ■-.'■ Since the previous annual meeting the Management Committee has held thirtytwo meetings,, in addition to .which numerous sub-committee meetings were held. 1 The regular business requiring' attention is increasing, yearly, atd entails much careful and sometimes exacting attention. • The authorities of the various unions throughout the Dominion . Have . in the' main co-operated loyally in promoting, the< best interests of the game,: and it is with pleasure,that yourManagement Committee .expresses its confidence in. the future of Rugby football in New Zealand. ' •'■ -•■•" . ' .•■The annual meeting' is to be held in the Chamber of Commerce on May 12. TROUBLE OVER RUGBY FIXTURES.

MOTION OF DISAPPROVAL ' ■■■: ;/ e !;REJECTED. ■".; . , The trouble which arose .in regard to the fixtures for the senior Rugby matches last;, Saturday was ventilated atr'a , .meeting of, delegates: from the various clubs last night. Those cliibs whose delegates .signed the requisition were: Southern, Hutt, St. James, Wel'lington, ;01d Boys, Orientals,' Polhill, and St. -John's. It appears that as there are .11 senior teams, 11 series of matches! were drawn. Instead of playing the first section on the opening day,'it was decided by the Management Committee that the fifth Section should be played first of all. . According' to-,the Southern Club, in. particularj the decision of.the committee was not to .the .benefit of the weaker teams. Honco tho tiouble. Dj.-Newman (president) occupied the. chair. ■ About 30 clubs were represented.'. . : -.■■-: Mr; Peters, .(of-the Southern Club) said that he . was--one : .of-those who 1 were 'responsible;;for , th'e"m , eeting:' Be ! understood, that the usual rule was for the first section to be played on the initial Saturday.'-"As a.member;of the committee,';ho represented not his own club,:but'the whole of. the clubs, but when it came to one club against an-other-ho would always be fox his own club. Ho was not asking" any. favour for the weaker teams; the procedure was unfair. As it did not suit the-cqmmitf tee to play the first section . on tho opening day ho 'suggested that a ballot should be made .from the.. eleven sections, but .a majority of. the members favoured playing; the fifth section on that day. _, .No i good reason had. been advanced in favour of the courso that had been adopted. It did not -do ' a weak team any good to get a'trouncing in the'first matches. Of course if the were . fairly . arranged a-. weak team did not-mind having to meet 'a strong team. There'was no'. financial' gain in;doing what had,beeiv' dono. What was wanted was for patrons to ho got to take an interest, in the games fronrthe beginning of tho season. CHo ivould-mpyo as'follows :—, ..!-.' ■■•■ '.-..' "This meeting of delegates •;. .strongly: disapproves'of the- action, of the Management Committee in arranging the fixtures as they did,

■instead of 1 adhering to the draw- . ings, and that in future all fixtures, i - / be'balloted for. , ' ■'..' • ' ... Mr. Hales rose to a point of order.' the latter part of the'resolution ,was, he said, against* the rules, which could not be altered without due notice. ■The chairman ruled the latter part of the motion out of order.■■'■'- -: . iMr. Smith briefly tho motion.;, ' ; ./■■/ " ' : ',' :;.-'. : ■- :.-.":.;;'... . '--' Mr. Perry outlined the method which was adopted in connection with the fixtures. ' He said that the. committee, in its; discretion, arranged to take the fifth section on the opening day, instead of holding a ballot. Tie committee had no desire, to be unfair to any, club in tho matter of fixtures. , . Some years ago the Drawing Committee had , the power to rearrange the fixtures, and as. far as he knew this power had not been. taken from it. The committee had no,knowledge as.to the strength of the respective teams this season. He was a delegate ior. the Victoria College team, but ho did not endeavour to get up a requisition because,his team was pitted against Poneke,: .for the first Saturday. It was his opinion that 'Mr!' Peters should have resigned his position on the; committee befdro getting up the requisition. There was no doubt that financial reasons had actuated the committee in regard to the fixtures. At the end of a. few years, the W.R.F.U. liad to pay a very large'sum in connection with its occupation of the Athletic Park. , If.it were unable ■then to get a further lease of the park it would be a bad day for llugby, because the ground was the only revenueproducing one iu use by the union. The resolution was undoubtedly one of want of confidence, and tho committee accepted it as such.

Mr. AVeir, who could see no reason for calling the meeting, Eaid, in the course of his remarks, that ■ it was' tho first timo ho had known of a "blackleg" in the union. -~■'. Mr. Peters: That is an ungcntlemanly remark, and I ask that it ho withdrawn. '. =-.: Upon the ruling of the chairman, Mr. Weir was compelled to withdraw the remark. ■ ; Mr. Peters, nv->reply, said that he 'did not think the union' had gained anything financially by tlio rearrangement. , The resolution was rejected by an overwhelming majority, only four voting in favour of it. RUGBY GAMES TO-DAY. The chief attraction down for decision this afternoon is tho meeting between Petone and St. James, at the Athletic Park, and will doubtless draw a good crowd. : The Petone team is much the same as last year, with one or two notable absentees, while tho St. James team has been strengthened by one or two new men who showed good form in the initial match on Saturday last. On

tho No. 2 ground Molrose and Wellington try conclusions, and a very even game is expected to result. Wellington Football Club.—Seniors v. Melrose, Athletic Park No. 2: Hurley, Thompson, M'Koliar,. Johnston, Mills, West, Gray, Wallace, Irons, Hurle, Treahoy, Lambert, Durie, Sollars, Burns. Juniors v. Athletic, Polo No. 2: Hume, Irons (2), M'Lean, Peart,' Craig, Paul, Kirkwood, Fraser, Bridge, Sheridan, Bennington, Broad Hill, -Hobson. Third v. Karori, at Karori: King, Ronaldson, J. G. Smith, Forne, Chapman, Nichol, Morris, Bond St. George,- Webb, Walton,' Weir, Harvey, Clarke, Toner; emergencies, Smith, Mitchell. . .

The following will represent Selwyn to-day:—Junior v. Petone: M'Keegan, Uuignan, M'Donald, Warnet, J. Flack, P. Sullivan, Williamson, Luko, Orsborn, King, 'Whiterod, Shearer, A. Lowe, Eberhardt, and W. Roberts; emergencies, H. Buck and P. Mulhane Third Fifteen v. "Wellington College: A. Carr, J. Vince,'J. Sullivan,' Moffat, C Lowe, H. Buck, F. Galvin, M'Phee, Haggerty,. Desmond, Collins, Burke, I\Mulhane, Curry,- and Haughey. The following team will 'represent I Oriental A in the fourth-class • against Victoria .College at.. Duppa Street today • :—Watson, -Henderson, O'Dowd; Daley, Tot-hill, Vivian, Drury, Jackson, Rowe, Potts, Hudson, -PerryJ Russell, Kennedy and M'Comsky. ' '■■ : ; " At a meeting yesterday' of the- Technical School Football Club, the'following officers were chosen':—Captain, C. Lowe; vice-captain, Bruce Thomson;, Selection : Committee, Lowe, Thomson, I J. O'Brien. The season opens officially this morning' with a match against 'Wellington Cglloge. The following team will represent the Technical School :— Lowe, M'Lepd, Berryman, Thomson, Sniithj Thomas, Chambers, Leddy, Patching, Bunning, King-, Tilyard, Anyell, O'Brien, Guthrie; emergencies, Koss, Dixon.

■ ; THE RANFURLY SHIELD. j AtTCKLAND TIRED OF IT. . " (By .Telegraph—Press Association.)' ',■».■■ ,r Auokland, April 22. ■ At the annual meeting of thp Auckland Rugby. Union, held this evening, there was a good deal of discussion regarding the Ranfurly Shield. The local representatives have resisted, all attempte to w'resj; the trophy from them, but, .judging by the "remarks made at this evening's meeting, the holding of a-sliield is not an unmixed -'blessing: The president of tho Auckland Union (Mr. Devoro) ■ first mentioned the matter, and. said that he thought '.that it would be a good thing.if someone took the shield from them a-nd lost it on the ■way to Wellington. . ■.-' ■ The general trend of the discussion Was on the question of how to , graciously get rid of the shield; that It affected club football, and thereforo was generally detrimental to sport. Among the suggestions made was one that the shield should be handed back to the New Zealand Rugby , Union for allotment.,: ■ -Another was that it be handed back to : the. New Zealand Rugby Union to be kept, and not competed for for a period.of three or. five •years,,' . ' ,-\.. • ■ ■ ""• .'.■ Finally, it ytas decided, to ask the 'Auckland delegates to the New Zealand Rugby :Union's annual meeting to vote on a proposal limiting the number of Ranfurly Shield matches to two each season. ■ -.. ■ . . ; ' The retention of tho shield found some, supporters, who considered :that the patrons'of the game were entitled to see as many big matches as possible. ..A,proposal, bearing on the matter, _ was carried ■ recommending the incoming, committee to continue, play in club;games during the 'representative 'matches programme! v: ' -'■• ; Tlie' Auckland Union's club games will start'on May: T. '. , : , ••■■.■Mγ. ;O. V. ..Langsford, .secretary of ,-tlie Auckland!". Union, received a tele--gram to-day 'inquiring if ho. was able to accept the position of -manager of the Maori'team which will tour Australia. Ho was; however, unable to accept: the offer. ! ■ ■

NEXT WEEK'S RUGBY MATCHES. / It .was decided at a meeting of tho Management Committee' of the ;W,R.F.U.;'last night that : the senior matches and grounds for nest Saturday should be as under':— ', ' • .; -.■•..-> •'Athletic, v.-Poneke,' Park, No; 1 :; i Huttiv. Petone. Hutt, No. 1 • Melrose v. Oriental, Hutt, No. 2; St. James y'.' Wellington, Karori, No. 3; Southern v. Victoria College, Park, No. 2; Old Boys a. bye. ■ > . ,:, r . association.;; ■■■ •- 'Though three members of the Thistle senior first ; division, team ■ will be unable to play to-day, tlie club has' no intention of: defaulting, arrangements having been made to meet it? engagement. ;•" ;■ •■ ■' '". . .