RUGBY’S COMIG OPERA

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 163, 28 March 1923, Page 4

RUGBY’S COMIG OPERA

REFEREES’ ANNUAL MATCH At last "night’s meeting of the local Referee’s Association, the question of abandoning the annual match between the Wellington and Canterbury referees was referred to 'in nd uncertain manner. Writing from Canterbury, a president intimated that in order _to prevent the. fixture from developing mto a farce he had donated, a carved shield for the winn'er of the competition. To complete the scheme members were asked if they would be prepared to ■donate seven smaller shields to be attached at a cost of 10s- 6d. “It’s time the match was cut out,” declared a member. “It has always been-a farce, and never will be anything hut a farce.” Mr. J. Moffitt averred that it was the man who controlled the game who had made it a farce. He had regarded the match in the light of a joke, and the plavers had not been-slow in doing likewise. * Mr. Moffitt supported the fixture, as he believed it to have the effect of cementing _ good-fellowship between the two associations. Mr. A. C.. Kitto: The men are certainly not fifrto play a stiff game of football. To carry out the idea of social intercourse we might arrange for a Milliards or snooker match, or ”

A member:. Marbles. (Laughter.) Mr. . Carson suggested that tho match could be played in some obscure place where school boys and members of the lower grades could not see it. “There are more breaches,” he asserted, “in that game in half an hour than in an ordinary fixture in three months.” A member: We are not obliged to accept the shield. If we won it we could stow it away. (Laughter.) Mr. T. A. Fletcher: Accepting the shield would place us under an obligation to play. Mr. O’Sullivan said his sense of humour might not be very high, but he had always enjoyed the game. (Laughter.) He expressed' the belief that the fixture served to encourage young players retiring from the game to join the association. The chairman (Mr. A. E. Neilsen) .thought that a conference and social evening might prove more beneficial tlian the maVJi. Mr. D. J. Guiney strongly urged the abandonment of the fixture. “If fifteen referees from each centre changed matches for one afternoon more good would result,” he said. It was finally decided to thank the donor for tJe shield, but to point out, at the same time, that the game was played more for fun, and that competing’ for a shield would be a more serious