UNPLEASANT DEMONSTRATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23055, 6 September 1938, Page 13

UNPLEASANT DEMONSTRATIONS

SCHOOLBOYS LARGELY TO BLAME RUGBY UNION'S PROTEST The unpleasant demonstrations of bad sportsmanship from a section of the big crowd that witnessed the Otago-Hawke’s Bay (Ranfurly Shield game last week were a subject of sharp criticism at last night’s meeting of tho executive of tho dinghy Football Union. Dr A. Perry introduced the subject, saying that these demonstrations were particularly obvious when a Hawke’s Bay player was kicking at goal. A small section of the crowd did its best to distract the player when he attenuated to goal. Such conduct, he said, should receive the condemnation of the committee. Mr > D. Spedding agreed. This sort of thing looked very bad from a visitor’s point of view, but he thought that most of it came from small boys. Mr C. Gibbons considered that the noise was started by the juvenile section and was then taken up in other quarters by people who were not juveniles. He suggested that they should bring the matter to the attention of tho Primary Schools’ Committee. Dr Perry: There was no excuse for the older people. Mr D. G. Jolly; I think the head masters of the schools should be written to. Dr Perry: This was not an isolated case. You will remember the club fixture in which a prominent ex-represen-tative player came out to help Ids club and got nothing but boos. The President (Mr A. C. Haynes) told the meeting that he had personally apologised to tho president of the Hawke’s Bay Union and the manager of the team, both of whom dismissed the matter. _ Mr Spedding: It was just a repetition of what the Springboks complained about last year in Auckland. Mr Pearson remarked that such exhibitions were made in several centres when tho Springboks were playing, but it was most pronounced in Auckland and was the worst he had experienced. Mr I. Grant also referred to the children throwing sods about on the side-line. It was finally decided to draw the attention of the Primary Schools’ Sports Association to tho behaviour of the children.