RUGBY

Evening Star, Issue 18669, 25 June 1924, Page 4

RUGBY

»' ■ MEETING OF CANTERBURY UNION. JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE MATCH. [Special xo tiik ‘ Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, June 24. At to-niglit’s meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union a letter was received from the Otago Union stating that it had agreed to the Canterbury Union’s suggestions for the conditions governing the junior representative match this year. August 9 was agreed to as the. date of the match. Mr W. E. L-eadley, secretary of the Christchurch R.S.A., wrote stating that the match between the Christchurch and Dunedin Associations had been set down for August 9, the date of the Grand National, in consequence of which the date was considered unsuitable, it was desired that the date should be altered to August 16, and it was decided to ask the Otago Union if that date would suit. Mr IV. Massey, of Christchurch, wrote stating that it had been suggested that a silk flag of New Zealand, with a silver fern worked on it, should bo presented to tho All Blacks on leaving the dominion, and that Mr G. Payne had offered to take charge of it and return it to Christchurch, Tie thought it would become, historical. It was decided to advise Mr Massey to forward his request to the New Zealand Union. It was stated that the jubilee of Canterbury football would shortly bn celebrated, and it was decided to ask Mr IV. 0. Garrard to write a history of tho game for tho occasion. “A GOOD SPORT.” A letter was read from the Rev. E. C. Crosse, head master of Christ’s College, stating that since, tho union’s deputation to him he had learned that .Mr Lancaster, head master of the Boys’ High School, was opposed to the, annual schools’ match commencing at 1.30 p.rn., and consequently, in deference to his wishes more than anyone clsc's, ho had decided to reconsider his decision, so ns to play on Wednesday, July 2. lie could not, therefore, claim tliat this further concession was made to meet the wishes of the union, although ho was glad that it would have such" an effect. At the same time he thought it his duty to point out that in consenting to play on a Wednesday ho was not in any way pledging himself to do so in future.' Eis own opinion, as tho union doubtless knew, was that these, interschool matches ought to bn regarded as independent of club fixtures, and once the public had forgotten that they were ever public events there ought to be no difficulty in securing this. “I cannot ton strongly insist,” he wrote, “ that in my opinion it is ■ns much in your interest as mine to dispel tho opinion still held by some that the first college-high school match necessarily represents tho highwater mark of secondary school football in Christchurch. Not only has this idea, already been disproved, in fact, by St. Redo’s winning the competition last year, but it is quite unfair to the other schools concerned. Football enthusiasts who follow the fortunes of the various schools will surely admit that they should also be regarded as starting from scratch. To stress one match, therefore, at tho expense of the others would ultimately operate unfavorably on football in secondary schools, which, I believe, will always remain the strongest supporters you have of tho ideals wo share in common.”

Mr 0- P. Payne, who. with Mr A. R. M‘Pbai'l, had constituted the deputation which waited on Mr Crosse, said that, the letter just read represented the views Mr Crosse had expressed to him- Mr MThail stated that he would like to express thanks to Mr Crosse for the manner in which he had received the deputation. “ I still think he is a good ‘sport,’” he said, Mr Crosse, he continued, did not embarrass the union nor tread on its toes. The Chairman said that if anyone thought Mr Crosse was not a Rugby enthusiast, bo had only to go along the Riccarton road and see hundreds of boys from the college playing the game. Mr Grosso had his own ideas as to how the boys should play in matches, and up to'a point the speaker agreed with him. It behoved the union to assist both schools as much as it could.

On the motion of Mr .M'Phail, seconded by Mr Payne, it was decided to send a letter of thanks to Mr Grosso in connection with the matter.

The result of to-night’s meeting of the union may bo regarded as a distinct leather in Mr Ohjess’s