DRAWING OF HOUNDS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 33, 8 August 1934, Page 16

DRAWING OF HOUNDS

HUTT AND OLD BOYS

"Suggestions havo been made —one hoars these things on trams and in other places where football is discussed — that the drawing of the rounds to be played in tho senior A competition was deliberately arranged so as to ensure that Old Boys would not meet Poneke or Hutt until after these teams were weakened by the departure of the New Zealand team for Australia," said Major T. J. King at a meeting of tho management committee of the Wellington Bugby Union last night.

Major King said that such suggestions, of course, were absurd. That Old Boys did not meet those teams prior to the New Zealand team's departure was merely owing to the normal procedure being followed of playing the best rounds from week to week in i order, if possible, to bring the championship to a fitting conclusion with a final between 4he two ' leading teams. His club, quite understood the position and realised that the union could not be expected to alter its procedure merely because some clubs were fortunate enough to have players in thoir teams fit to represent New Zealand. "If clubs are honoured in this way they must be prepared —and are pieparcel—to make sacrifices in respect of local championship matches," continued Major King. "My club realises that the union has an obligation to its patrons to sustain interest in the senior championship for as long a period as possible, and that so Jong as it maintains its present policy of enabling football to bo played by the poorest boy in tho district it must study the financial aspect of the game. It might be thought that this is merely a. generous gesture from a club that has been fortunate enough to win the championship. I can assure you that tho same statement would have been made had wo been defeated on Saturday, and that'in. that event the Hutt Club would have been the first to congratulate the Old Boys Club on its win." .. The chairman (Mr.. J. Prendevillo) said:that had:thO'union followed, tho normal draw, Hutt would have met Old Boys on July 28, so that even then Hutt would have been without Barry and Lilburne. The only other alternative was to have foreseen. the possibility of players being' selected for the New Zealand team and played tho rounds accordingly.

Mr. H. D. Morgan said that the statements were purely hearsay; nobody had definitely como forward to support them. "We have done our'job, and it has not worried mo whether tho teams havo been weak or strong," ho said.

After further comment, tho chairman's motion—the discussion-arose out of this_ motion —that tho senior championship bo closed and awarded to Hutt, was carried. The chairman congratulated the club on its success. Tho- senior B championship was closed and awarded to Hutt with 20 points. Tho chairman said that Eastbourno were second with 19 points, followed by Porirua and Old Boys with 16 points each, and Marist and Upper Hutt with 14 points. In tho second division another round remained to bo played.: