RUGBY FOOTBALL Westland Sub-Union Delegation: Match For Dittman Shield

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 August 1949, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL Westland Sub-Union Delegation: Match For Dittman Shield

The management committee ot the West Coast Rugby Union last evening decided to challenge the Westland Sub-Union for the Dittman shield on September 3 and to defer the McLean Shield match between the Greymouth and Hokitika competition winners until October 1. It was also decided to recommend to the Junior Advisory Board that the postponed fourth grade' fixture, Greymouth v Hokitika, be played as a curtain-raiser to the match. The decisions were made at the request of a delegation of six members of the Westland Rugby SubUnion, led by the president,' Mr H. V. Algar, and including the secretary, Mr E. W. Heenan. Mr Algar, stated that the purpose of the visit was to erase a feeling ol friction which had been developing between the two bodies. He outlined the Westland Sub-Union’s point of view on the division of the senior one-rbund competition and then detailed the history of the'postponements of the fourth grade fixture. The match last Saturday which was keenly awaited, was cancelled on the recommendation of the Junior Advisory Board on the grounds that the fourth grade competition would be adversly affected, stated Mr Algar, yet on the same day trials were played in the sixth grade, which competition was further behind than the fourth. Control Committee? Making a plea for a better form of control for the fixtures. Mr Algar suggested a control committee to make final decisions on matches concerning the two unions. The chairman, Mr F. W. Baillie, in reply stated the reasons for the division of the one-round competition and pointed out that events had showed the decision to be a wise on. He stated that the union had upheld a recommendation from the Junior Advisory Board that the fourth grade match be postponed, although some members had dissented. Question Of Representation The Sub-union has representation on the West Coast Rugby Union and the Junior Advisory Board but the trouble was that the representatives do not attend the meetings, said Mr E. M. Todd when a Hokitika delegate complained that the sub-union did not have the voting power it justly deserved. “We are' not concerned with what (has happened,” said Mr Algar, “but want th evolve some system to over-

come these difficulties in the future. ’ After discussion it was decided that a remedy would be for the Westland Sub-union to hold its annual meeting before that of the West Coast Rugby Union. A full representation from Hokitika could then attend the Rugby Union meeting and the policy for the season could be fixed. Junior Advisory Board The Junior Advisory Board recommended, in regard to the annual home-and-away matches between the Buller third grade representatives and the West Coast, fourth grade representatives, that Buller visit Greymouth this season on September 17. The board also advised that it could not accommodate the Sydenham fifth grade team for a match in Greymouth this season. The report was adopted. A letter was x-eceived from the Kumara Club nominating two teams for the seven-a-side tournament at Kumara on Saturday and advising that the ground was in good order. It was decided to appoint Mr H. Clifford to control the tournament. Present at the meeting were:— Messrs F. AV. Baillie (chairman), J. Webster, B. Watkin. W. O. Blair, J. Smith, E. W. Shannon, A. King, E. M. Todd, J. A. Jackson, A. Agnew and the secretary O. Scott. Another Win For Coast Schoolboys’ Team NELSON, This Day (0.C.).—1n the second round of the primary schools Rugby tournament, Nelson 19 beat Golden Bay 0, Coast 14 beat Marlborough G. For Coast Spencer and Noel AVilliams scored tries. Williams kicked a conversion. Spencer and Veale kicked penalty goals. Hewetson and Godsiff scored tries for Marlborough. The forwards were evenly matched, but the Coast backs were superior.