OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION.

Evening Star, Issue 11495, 12 March 1901, Page 7

OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION.

9 The report of the Committee of Management, to be presented at the annual meeting of delegates, to be held on the 30th hist., contains the following clauses : in submitting- the twentieth annua! report of the Union, the Committee wish to congiatulate delegates on the very nourishing condition of the game. The 'interest of both players and public was maintained throughout a, very long season, and the position of the Union is very satisfactory in every way. Your Committee sent a team round New Zealand, and the reault of that tour showed that Otago is quite able to hold her own with the other provinces of the colony. The first match of the tour, against Southland at Invercargill, was won by your representatives by 7 points to nil. The. annual match against Canterbury was won by Otago by 8 points to nil. The match with Auckland was drawn, each side scoring 5 points. Taranaki were, beaten by 12 points to nil, and the only defeat of the tour was received at the hands of the Wellington representatives, who won a yen' stubbornly-contested game by 8 points to 6. On the Saturday after their return vour representatives defeated the Southland z eam in Dunedin by 17 points to nil. The record of the season w;:s : .Matches played,' 6 ; won, 4 : lost. 1; drawn, 1. A Second Otago Fifteen was sent round the Goldh'ehfs, matches being played at. Lawrence. Roxburgh. Alexandra, and Niisebv, and all ot them being won by the town"team. The Committee trust that the visit of this team to the (lo'.dtields will result in renewed life yx-u-7 gl L VCU t0 lllc game in c; eiitrnl Otago. While the representative team was on tour a North Otago team was brought to Dunedin. by the Union, a match being played against a Second Otago Fifteen, who 'defeated their, opponents by 12 points to 4. „ Thc proposed visit, of the New South Wales team did not eventuate, owing to the. amounts guaranteed by the various New Zealand Unions towards the expenses of the. tour not being considered sufficient bv the New Zealand Union. Your Committee :n this connection strongly affirmed the. desirability of each colony financing its own tours in the future.

The interest in flag matches was well maintained throughout the season, the senior flag being won by the Albambni. Chub and the. junior by the liavensbourne Cub. Shortly after the commencement of the season the Committee deemed it advisable to institute a. third grade, contest, and this w;*n won by the Port Chalmers Second Fifteen. The. interest- shown in this contest, : u ihe opinion of (he Committee, jusiiiird the institution of the competition. At Jbe request of (he Schools" Football Association the Commit lee awarded a pennant fot annual competition among (he schools. The. Christian Brothers' School -was the winner of the competition last year. It was thought advisable lo insure the representative players last season, and consequently all players in matches played by any of the Otago teams were insured'in the Ocean Accident Insurance Company on very favorable terms. Only one claim was made on the company, and this w;ui very promptly met.

No less a sum than £l3O has been donated to various clubs with Ihe view of improving their grounds, and, with a similar object in connection with the Carishrnok Ground, fifty shares have been taken up in the Dunedin Amateur Ground Company. The City' Council very generously agreed lo assist, the Union in improving the North Ground, and to vote the sum "of £4O towards that object. Your Committee approached the City Council with a view of having the Oval laid out on a definite plan bv which ample space might be secured for athletics, but, so far a.s the Committee is aware, nothing definite has been done by the Council in the matter.

The Committee also granted the use :.f the Caledonian (. J round for a. scven-a-side tournament, organised by the Port Chalmers Club in aid of their ground. This resulted in the sum of £23 14s 9d being handed over to the Port Chalmers Club" The Committee are pleased to report that the Caledonian Ground has been leased on favorable, terms for a period of four years, ending September, .1905. ir is.- with regret that the Committee report, that, although there wen; very few cases of s u »pen.si on during the year, two of these called for severe penalties. One player, a. member of a, country club. Mas suspended until the end of 1902 for abusing a referee, and a member of the representative team until the end of 1901 for striking ■i. player in the. Otago-Wollincton match! Your Committee regret that no action was :aken in the case of the Wellington player vh'> gave provocation to.the Otasro player. Your Committee further regret that it was f mm! necessary to strike the Lawrence ("Hub off the list of clubs belonging to the Union tor ha vine: knowingly played a disqualified player.

The. Referees' Association did vpry excellent work during the season, and the thanks of all interested in the en-mo arc due to those gentlemen who so willingly give up their time to tlio somewhat trying task of rnferecing.

The season started credit balanco. of £460 17s 7d. and there is now* credit balance of £l7 10s sd. ,' - In addition to this, the assets show- £34 due by the Dunedin City Council, and £l4 12s unpaid .subscriptions and accounts. Tins must be deemed highly satisfactory when the great expense entailed in financing the various tours and in giving assistance to clubs is considered.

Your Committee regret that Mr S. E. Sleigh has found it necessary, after serving the Otago Union for many years, to resign his position of delegate to the English Union. The Committee wish to' return thanks to Messrs J. M. Hume. J. S. Maearthur, W. Morley, and J. I\. Murrav, the Otago delegates to the New Zealand Union, for thoir efforts on behalf of Otago. Twenty-nine meetings of Committee were held, and were attended by Messrs Wilson and Campbell 27, Duncan and Hutchison 26. Isaacs 25, Morris 23. Harris 22, Macassey 18, Ross 16, M'Laren 14, Callaway 9, Dr Macpherson 3, and Mr Hanlon 1. The Committee wish to return their thanks to Mr Gallaway for his kindness in granting the use of his office for meetings of Committee during the year. Several notices of motion will be brought before the meeting, chiefly from the Committee, it being considered advisable to aiter some of the by-laws, in order to expedite the work of the Union.

The coming season promises to be. a particularly busy one, and the Committee feel sure that at' the.*?.nd of the season a considerable sum will be in hand, and trust that the delegates will expend-a generous proportion of it in the direction of still further improving the playing grounds in and around Dunedin.