MANAWATU RUGBY UNION.

Feilding Star, Volume II, Issue 533, 28 March 1908, Page 4

MANAWATU RUGBY UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the Manawatu Rugby Union was held at Palmerston last evening, Mr S. Gibbons, president of the Union, presiding. The followng delegates were present from the various clubs: — Messrs Torstensen, McWilliam, Kyle and Jury (Palmerston) ; Fred. Pirani, Ongley and Lyon (Feilding); Pickett and Armstrong (Kia Toa); Foot© (High School); and Nash, Manning and Freeman (Old Boys). An apology for non-attendance was received from Mr R. S. Abraham, the patron, who had left for Auckland. ANNUAL REPORT. The annual report stated that the representative team was placed on the fieild on seve noccasions, with tho result that three matches were won, three lost, and one drawn. Towards the latter end of the season the utmost difficulty was experienced in getting a re R . team on the field, the fixture with Wellington having to be abandoned. This lack of interest on the part of players entailed serious financial loss to the Union. Much interest was shown in the Hankins' Shield competition, both players and spectators enjoying the contest. The Feilding Club won the shield, while Palmerston secured tho junior shield and the High Sshool the third class. A new contest was instituted during the season for a handsome silver cup, presented by Mr K. S. Abraham. The trophy was called the Abraham Cup, and was won by the Kia Toa Club, the latter club also being successful in winning the Union's seven-a-side tournament. Ihe committee recommend that the next tournament be held on June 3. Campbell Street School won the school banner in last season's school contest. The accident insurance £"£ is m a sound condition, although £28 6s Bel was paid out in claims. Fourteen teams, covering 132 players availed themselves of the scheme. The balance sheet showed a credit balance in the bank of £16, after paying off liabilities of tho previous year, totalling some £86. In moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet the Chairman said that during the past season the representative matches were hardly as good aa the Union desired, and if the players would not back up the Union both tho players and the Union must suffer. Too much attention was given to the old players, and he thought the juniors who were prepared to train and represent the Union wholeheartedly, should be given a chance. The cup contests were very good, and "some very good matches were played, to. which Feilding materially contributed. This year the cup matches should be better than usual. There was a lot of new blood in the district, and the senior teams were more than full. The Abraham Cup was productive of some very good matches, and it did not interfere with the status of any of the players. Tho Palmerston and Feilding Clubs both were largely represented by juniors in those matches, and the contest showed beyond doubt that there were many juniors playing that should be given a chance among the representatives. Last season proved that the outlying schools were not in a position to compete with the more central schools, and he suggested that several country schools should be grouped and one team selected from the group. He understood that there were quite a number of players who were going to train hard to get selected to play against the English team in June, and the visit of this combination should show good results in the district. He hoped the selection committee would consider tho question of training in the selection of teams for representative matches in the fixture against the English team. He congratulated tho Union on the healthy condition of football in the district, a pleasing feature of which was tho absence of infriiigcmeuts of the rules by the players. Only two players were reported last year for trivial offences. In conclusion he referred to the financial position of the Union, pointing out that if they had carried out all their obligations last season and paid tho visit due to Wellington they would only have come out square. It had been said that the Union should reduce the calls made on clubs, but he understood from tho seci % etary that the only way to cut down expenses would be to reduce the secretary's bonus, and he felt sure that they were all agreed that this was small enough already, considering the work entailed, and anyone who would undertake to do it for less would find himself sadly out at the end of the season. Mr Fred. Pirani, in seconding the motion, said that taking last year's operations alone a profit of £90 was shown, but they had to work off the liabilities of the previous year. He thought that great attention should be given to the chairman's remarks as to representative players. It was a pity that amongst the best players in the Union should be those who refused to represent the Union when the teams were a few yards out of Palmerston- Ho thought that it was the duty of the management committee to look further afield for their representatives than amongst men of that class. He was proud to say that there was not a single instance of a Feilding player who was picked to play in .a 'representative match failing to fulfil his engagement. Another matter the Union should take up was the providing of a gymnasium. He thought a town like Palmerston, with its many athletic clubs, should have a proper gymnasium for the men to train in. He referred to the Petone Club, wliieh had been so successful in the past season, pointing out that that success was largely due to tho conveniences for training, and to the fact that a senior player was responsible for the training of each junior team. They had already moved in the matter in Feilding, but he thought that in Palmerston the Union should endeavour to take the matter in hand. In conclusion he congratulated the Union on possessing such an energetic and capable secretary as Mr H. Muller. Mr Guy Reed said that if football was going to be a success in the district greater attention should be paid to junior teams. He referred to the inconvenient time arranged for the junior matches, owing chiefly to the scarcity of grounds. With the advent of the Dairy School, the second ground on the Show Ground would not be available this season, and he thought the Union should endeavour to get the Borough Council to carry out a scheme for the laying-out of a hockey and football ground behind the present Sports Ground. This would be suitable as a ground for the junior matches and would enable them to be got off at 3. o'clock. in the afternoon. He agreed with Mr Pirani as to the need for a gymnasium, and he thought that if the Union were successful in the coming year, and they would be in a better position to provide convenience for training. Mr Harden said that he was abso- • lutely in accord with what Mr Pirani I said, especially in regard to training. ■ It seemed to him that in a town of ■ this size a gymnasium would pay its. i own way and if the Rugby Union j would initiate such an institution j they would probably find it would not be an expensive movement. He sugx gested the appointment of a sub-com-mittee to go into the matter. Mr J. Manning agreed with th« suggestions about a gymnasium, but pointed out that in the past the Un. i ion was unable, financially, to do any- . tiring in tho matter. Thaaiks to their | President, temporary arrangements j had been made for the use of the ' Showground sheds, but they could not j do more till their finances improved. i In the past the N.Z. Rugby Union had , taken .all the proceeda of foreign ( matches, but he was glad to see a j motion was being brought forward to i give half these takings to the local . unions. \ t The Chairman said that in the 1 past the Union had tried Jiard to get i adequate means for training, but they ' were not backed up by the footballers. : Many schemes : bad been brought be- . fore the Union for the erection of a 1 gymnasium, but the Ujmoii had not been enabled, owing jto its financial ■ position to consider such schemes. As I to the matter of the junior matches referred to b" Mr Reed, he had. not found that the junior players had complained very much at playing at 1.30 p.m., amd in fact he knew that the juniors would prefer to play at 1.30 p.m. on the Showground, rather

than on tho Pascal-street ground later in the afternoon. Tho motion was carried. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Tho following officers were elected for the ensuing year: — Patron, Mr it. y. Abraham; president, Mr S. Gibbons; vice-presidents, Sorgt. Stajfpoole, Messrs Harden and Fred. Pi rani ; treasurer, Mr G. Torstenscn : secretary, Mr H. Mullcr; lion, surgeons, Drs. Peach and Willis; management committee, Messrs Armstrong (Kia Toa), Manning (Old Boys), Pickett (Kia Toa), Reed (Old Boys), Nash (Palmerston), Jury (Old Boys), and Lyon (Feilding); vice-pre-sident of N.Z. Union, Mr W. H. McLean; delegates to N.Z. Union, Messrs S. Gibbons and Fred. Pirani ; enquiry committee, Messrs Harden, Cooper, and 11. S. Abraham; accident and insurance committee, Messrs Na.sh, Manning, Mu Her and Mawson ; audi-toi-s, Messrs Watson and Fair brother. A vote of thanks was accorded to the auditors, Mr K. S. Abraham for the donation of a cup, Mrs Adams and I\lr A. D. Thomson for donations, Dr. Peach for assistance as .lion, surgeon, j Messrs Abraham and Williams for usu of their rooms, and the Feilding J Stak, Man-awatu Standard and Times. : The following were appointed as a j committee to reviso tho rules: — Messrs Harden, Manning, Heed, and Ongley. On Mr Pirani's motion, tho Management Committee was appointed a Selection Committee, o« tho understanding that they would appoint selectors.