RUGBY REFEREES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 58, 6 September 1937, Page 6

RUGBY REFEREES

ANNUAL SMOKE CONCERT

Some eighty Wellington Rugby referees assembled' at the Dominion Farmers' .Institute on Saturday evening for the annual smoke concert Of the Wellington Rugby Referees Association.- Mr. B. Matthews, vice-pre-sident, presided. • The toast of the f'New Zealand Rugby Union" was proposed by Mr. J Gilchrist, Mr. A. C. Kitto replying. Mr A. W. O. Travers praised the work of the Wellington referees ana the chairman 'replied. . 'Mr.-J. N. Millard, chairman of the management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union, when replying to the toast'of "The! Wellington Union.' by Mr. G. E. Bradley, said that Wellington had not had a decent "gate" since the Springboks landed at Auckland. Big gates were to be expected in the latter part of the season, but the "gate" for the Taranaki match [on Saturday was only £20 and for I the recent club final was only £40. Many people talked of Wellingtons big share 'of the Springboks' .matches in Wellington, but did ,not know that £1800 had been spent in extra accommodation at Athletic Park. He would not say the. visit of the team was not s ,a good thing—it was giving a -wonderful fillip to football m New Zealand—but he did say that it was a good thing that it did not happen more than once in every two or three years Mr. D. Calcinai proposed the toast of the New Zealand Referees' Association and Mr. G. Bradley replied. "Senior Promotibns" was proposed by Mr. J. A. Wilson. Mr. B. P. Wilson and Mr. D. G. Kelly replied. Mr. A. R. Morice -stressed the" need for co-operation between kindred sports and Mr A. C. Kitto replied. There were a number of excellent musical and other items.