RUGBY AND RADIO

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 128, 1 June 1935, Page 22

RUGBY AND RADIO

Reporting to the Waikato Rugby Union and dealing with the question of broadcasting Rugby matches, Mr. A. G. Yardley, one of the Waikato Union's delegates to the New Zealand Rugby Union's annual conference, said that in his opinion, the management committee of the N.Z.R.U. had been dilatory and unfair to the country unions. He stated that at the annual conference of the New Zealand Union of 1934 it had been strongly recommended that a committee wait on the Broadcasting Board to discuss an arrangement for the national broadcasting of Rugby matches. Action had been delayed so long that some of the metropolitan unions had made arrangements for broadcasting their own matches. When, concerted action had been taken, the amount agreed upon had been apportioned by the New Zealand Union at three-fifths divided amongst the four metropolitan unions, Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago, with the remaining two-fifths to be split up amongst the country unions. The speaker said that the country unions were suffering . mostly financially through broadcasting, and the thick end «&f the revenue from this source should go to those unions. The harmful effects on country gates were very real. The Waikato Union decided to make representation^ to the New Zealand Union later in the season, so that the claims of the country liniohs might be more favourably considered when the next season's broadcasting was under discussion.

Without harking back to pre-depres-sion days or to pre-war days, it must be admitted (writes Arthur Mailey) that the standard of first-grade cricket has deteriorated, and it is particularly pleasing to find that the New South Wales Cricket Association is trying to discover ways and means of effecting a remedy. One-day matches,, in my opinion, are an excellent idea, whether they encourage sloggers.or not. There are thousands of people in Sydney who are prepared to pay for bright cricket, despite the.surf.and^bther.attractions..