SPORTSMEN ALL

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 4, 30 September 1943, Page 6

SPORTSMEN ALL

Amateurs & Professionals

“There should be no need for differentiation between amateurs and professional in any federation of sport.” said Mr. W. A. Jenkins (Dunedin), chairman o.L the conference of delegates of provincial sports councils held in AA'ellington yesterday for the purpose of forming a na? tional council of sport, when this subject was raised by a Canterbury delegate. ( “Tiie amateur and professional bodies.” Mr. Jenkins continued, “should be able to work together in complete harmonv for the good of sport as a whole. The bogy of professionalism does not hold good for one moment. A few typical examples may be quoted. George Davidson was a Rugby League footballer shortly after the last war. but this did not prevent his selection fora New Zealand team for tiie Olympic Games ns an athlete. Brian AlcCleary was the jirofossionn'. heavyweight boxing champion of New Zealand, but this did not prevent hin l from being a member of the 1924 All Blacks in Britain, who were managed by Mr. S. S. Dean. - Athletics, swimming, and rowing are the most strictly amateur organizations, and a man who is a professional in any branch of sport; is not permitted to take part in competition or in tiie administration of these sports, but there is nothing to prevent, a rower, swimmer or athlete from playing in a Rugby football team witli a professional runner, professional boxer or professional wrestler. Boxing aud wrestling associations control both the amateur and professional sides of the sport, and there is no dotib: that the professional helps to keep the' treasury full to enable the amateur to carry on.

“Professionalism in sport in this country is only a word. Very few athletes ever make enough to do more than pay their expenses, and there are men engaged in the administration of sport, in other branches who are given more by way of honorarium than any competitor ever made. I am not putting forward these facts antagonistically, but merely to rbow that there is no great difference after all. Some Rugby union officials have been known to receive honoraria as much as £1(10 per annum. “Tom Heeney, world champion boxing contender, was a Rugby footballer while engaging in professional boxing in New Zealand. Eddie Holder was a professional athlete, yet an All Black. Dick Webb, Otago representative footballer, and afterward prominent Rugby official in Southland, was well known, as a professional athlete. These tire just a few cases; many more may be quoted, but I think this will serve to prove that professionalism is in reality just a word." Mr. J. A. Redwood (New Zealand Rugby League) said the chairman had classed George Davidson as a professional because he bad played League football. This was incorrect. League football in New Zealand was 100 per cent, amateur, and Davidson had never received a penny piece for playing it. Several other delegates agreed with the chairman that there was no need to differentiate between amateur and professional athletes