RUGBY FOOTBALL

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 138, 6 March 1940, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL

Oriental Club’s Annual Meeting PLAY DURING WARTIME At the well-attended fiity-seeond annual general meeting of the Oriental Football Club, Wellington, reference was made by the president. Air. E. A. Little to the forecasts as regards Rugby during the war, ami be expressed the view, that the game should contjnue. He said be did nut advocate the' keeping of all the major fixtures, but did not see why t be standard of club football should not be maintained. There were first-class iouiballers who would be precluded from military service, and they should continue to play their part in the game, whim nratiy outstanding young players would get the earlier recognition they deserved. The Oriental club played a great part in the last war, as was evidenced tn tue report, which ahowetl that. ’280. members served overseas, 42 were killed in actum. 70 wounded, and 36 gained commissions in the ticlii. Mr. Little said he was confident that the club would emerge from tlie present conflict with honour, out. serious as tlie w-ar was, lie did not think that, they should deliberately seek misery at home, and the resunuptiou of Bugay this season had everything in its favour. Air 11. D. Simmons, a member of the Rugby Union, said that, they should not. adopt an attitude ol' defeatism as regatas the game during tlie ensuing season, and the view that Rugby would not be up to standard’ was not justified. was plentv of talent available, and while the Rugby Union wliolelicartedly supported tlie war effort, it also owed a duty to th" community. Tlie union would continue to do all it could to encourage the game, and it was confident: that Rugby playere would play a major part in the war. lue ncetl for facilities tor physical fitness could not. lie 100 greatly stressed, and.oy keeping the game to the fore the union would be rendering a service to the nation. , , , , 'Pile election of officers resulted as loilows: President, -Mi'. E. A. Little (reelected); vice-presidents. Messrs. R. 11. Braeefield, H, S. Coupland, D. Dalton, H. .1 Davies, R. J. Peterson, 1. AL Ramsay, C. J. Ritchie, P. A. Townsend, S. W. Searle, S. Sidet and J. B. Watson; c-lttb captain, A. O. Alurdoch ; deputy-club captain, Ed. Bradley; secretary, AV. G. Townsend *, arista nt secretary, G. Young; treasurer. R. J.'Airtli; assistant treasurer J. Philp; mamigenicut committee, Ed. Bradley. H. J. Davies T. W. Hartley AV. A. Jameson and C. AL Owen ; delegates to AV.R.F.L'., IL B. Simmons, J. E. .Moffitt, and A. O. .Murdoch; delegate to junior advisory committee, A. D. Chant; club selection committee, H. Griulinton and C. AL Owen; auditors, G. O. Hall and G. A. AVrigbt. . 'l’he annual fixture with the Kaieratt club (Wanganui) is to be held at Wellington at Easter, and it was decided to open tlie gymnasium for training on I ue<dity. .March I'2. Practice games are to be pl.-ived before tlie competitions commence Tribute was paid to the members ot. the club who had enlisted witli the forces, and members joining up "’ere granted tree membership for tlie duration of the war.