RUGBY FOOTBALL

Grey River Argus, 11 August 1937, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL

West Coast Union MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEET Mr J. Guy presided at the weekly meeting of the West Coast Rugby Union Management Corpmittee last evening, when there were also present: Messrs F. W. Baillie. W. Williams, H. Silcock, A. M. Jamieson, T. O’Donnell, F. Eggleton, J. Cornish, W. G. Scott, J. E. Joyce (secretary), and O. McLean (assistant-secretary). After a lengthy discussion, a subcommittee consisting of Messrs Jamieson; Scott and Cornish was appointed to finalise arrangements' for a suitable press stand for the Springboks match, and to readjust the seating accommodation accordingly, at a cost not exceeding £2O. Mr Jamieson moved that 250 seats be held and not, offered to the public. He said that it was obvious the Union must make ample provision for visitors and officials. Mr Scott seconded the motion, which was carried. Tn reply to Mr Williams, the chairman said that the box plan was now open. The St. John’s Ambulance Association was given permission for four uniformed officers to attend the Springboks match. The Golden Bay-Motueka Union forwarded draw for the Seddon Shield schools’ tournament, and programme for visit to Motueka from August 30 to September 3. ' The N.Z. Union advised that there was no special grant for the broadcast of the Springboks match on August 25.

The National Broadcasting Director advised that, the match would be broadcast, and that it. would probably be relayed by the National Stations. The New Zealand Union asked that the necessary provision be made for the broadcast. The Camerons School was granted a football. The Reefton Sub-Union asked that seats be allocated for the Second Test and West Coast matches. The chairman said that the SubUnion had ceased to exist, and no games had been played this year. Mr Jamieson said that there would be no harm in giving the Sub-Union a number of allocations. The application, with several others for seats, was referred to the subcommittee in charge of seating. The application of the Celtic Club for the reclassification of F. Murray and S. McDonnell from senior to junior was granted. Several applications were received for seats for the Test at Christchurch. The chairman said that there were 150 or 160 applications altogether, and the allocations had been made by the sub-committee appointed. There were 27 scats, and these had been allocated. It was decided to inform the applicants that there were no seals available. The application of the Reefton SubUnion for school footballs was received. The secretary said that the SubUnion had in the. past sold the balls to the schools.

The chairman said that was not right. Mr Cornish: We should forward the balls direct to the schools. That would stop the profiteering. The chairman suggested that two footballs be sent direct to the schools. Mr Baillie suggested inquiring which schools required balls. Mr Silcock said that no opportunity had been given the selectors to see the Reefton schools.

The secretary said that the Reefton headmaster would bring his team to Greymouth at any time. It was left to the secretary to inquire from schools when visiting Reefton.

It was decided, on the motion of Messrs Cornish and Scott, that the question of including Reefton players in the schoolboys’ representative team be held in abeyance. Permission for the Greymouth team to travel to Hokitika on Saturday was granted, and Mr Silcock was appointed manager. It was decided to advise Reefton Sub-Union that all train arrangements for matches were made by the Railways Department. The manager, Springboks team, approved the proposed itinerary, but asked that the civic reception be eliminated, and that the motor tour before the match be made shorter. It was decided to reverse the itinerary, making the visit to Mitchells on the Tuesday, and the visit to the Barrytown dredge on the morning of the match.

The Christchurch Maoris asked for permission to play the West Coast Maoris at Greymouth as a curtainraiser to the Springboks match. It was decided to reply that the curtainraiser had been arranged. The Greymouth Journalists’ Association asked that provision be made for ten seats for the Springboks match.

The letter was referred to the Seating Sub-Committee. An application for reinstatement was approved to be forwarded to the New Zealand Union with a favourable recommendation. The secretary reported that the Seddon Shield gate amounted to £270, and that the net gate was £234 10s 3d,‘Buller’s half-share being £ll7 15s 2d. Mr Williams reported on the West Coast team and Mr Eggleton on the Buller team. It was decided to forward a letter of'congratulation to the Buller Union upon the success of their team. THE COMBINED TEAM. Mr Williams said that the combined team should be assembled on the Monday morning, and given a game that day. The secretary said that the players would play on Saturday and the following Wednesday. If they played on Monday, they would have three matches in five days. Advocating the necessity for some training for the combined team, Mr O’Donnell declared that last Saturday’s match was the most disgraceful exhibition ever put up by a West Coast team. “The team should have had some training,” he said, “instead of playing as a practically untrained team against one trained up to the minute. The Buller people raised £75 to have their team put in decent training for three weeks before the match. It is time this Union woke up. We should do something to stop it from becoming a ‘one-man show.’ ” The secretary: That’s not fair. I take it you are referring to Mr Ryan and he is not here to defend himself. Mr O’Donnell said that he was

speaking more particularly of .Mr Ryan. Mr Baillie pointed out that all the members of the team, except two, had assembled at Cobden for practice before the match. It was rather difficult to get the Hokitika and Westland players off work when the Greymouth players could still remain at work. Mr Scott: Why, twenty men can go into training in Wellington for over a week! Mr Baillie;., That’s a different matter altogether. Mr Jamieson agreed that the team lacked training, and that the combined team must be assembled earlier than Monday night. The chairman: Well, let us deal with the matter finally now. Mr Eggleton said that he objected to Mr O’Donnell’s remarks. The men who had picked and trained the team had done their best. Mr Jamieson: And now we’ve got to do something about training the combined team. Mr Scott: If we leave things as they are, some will be here on Tuesday morning, and the others will roll up any time up to Tuesday night. The chairman said that if the Union decided to assemble them on Monday morning, the Westport players would have to arrive on Saturday night. Mr Cornish: They could come down early on Monday morning by service car. Mr Williams: Who pays the cost? The chairman: The New Zealand Union, out of the gate takings. Mr Williams: Then why worry about a little extra cost? On the motion of Messrs Cornish and O’Donnell, the previous resolution that the teams assemble on Monday evening was rescinded. Mr Scott moved and Mr Eggleton seconded that the team assemble at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 23, Messrs Scott and Eggleton to arrart.'V for their accommodation. The motion was carried. Mr J. Devaney was appointed coach of the team, and Mr Williams manager. A sub-committee consisting of Messrs Joyce, Baillie, and McLean was appointed to deal with the dinner and morning and afternoon teas for the team during their visit and trips. It. was decided that Mr A. A. Adams be appointed local manager. It was left to Mr Silcock to convene a meeting of schoolmasters to make arrangements for the marshalling of school children on the day of Ihe Springboks match. FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY. Senior: Blaketown v. Cobden, Rugby Park No. 1, 1.30 p.m. (C. H. Hoskin). Stars v. Pirates, Rugby Park No. 1. 3 p.m. (W. Cockburn.). Celtic v. Kumara, at. Kumara. 3 p.m. (F. Eggleton). Kiwi v. Ross, at Hokitika. Excelsiors v. United, at Hokitika. Junior: Celtic v. Stars, Rugby Park, No. 2, at 1.30 p.m. (E. Burgess). Blaketown v. Cobden, at Cobden, 3 p.m. (W. Rapley). Kumara v. United, Rugby Park No. 2, at 3 p.m. (R. Longstaff). Te Kinga a bye. Third Grade: Stars v. Cobden, at Cobden, 1.30 p.m. (I. Ferguson). Blaketown v. Technical, at Recreation Ground, 1.30 p.m. (W. McLaughlin). Celtic v. United, at Recreation Ground, at 3 p.m. <W. F. Ellis). The Dispatch Foundry team to .play Grey Motors at Cobden at 1.45 on Sunday next, are: McKechnie, Hector, O’Leary, Horrack, Lindbom, Hadcroft, Whyte, Christy, Gilmour, Douglas, W. Moss, Hogarth, Shuker, Johnston and Donovan. Emergencies:— J. Moss, Carr, Quinn, Mclvor, MeKendry and Thomas.

SCHOOLS TOURNAMENT. MOTUEKA FIXTURE. The following is the itinerary for the Seddon Shield districts tournament: — Monday, August 30: Teams arrive at Motueka at 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 31: 9.30 a.m., weigh in at Rugby Park. 9.45, official welcome by the Mayor (Mr R. J. L. York) and Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P. 10 a.m. (fii*st round). West Coast v. Golden Bay-Motueka; 11 a.m., Marlborough v. Buller; Nelson a bye. Second round, 2 p.m. Nelson v. G. 8.Motueka. 3 p.m. West Coast v. Marlborough; Buller a bye. Evening free. Wednesday, September 1: .. (Third round): 10 a.m.. Buller v. West Coast, 11 a.m., Marlborough v. Nelson; G. 8.Motueka a bye. (Fourth round) 2 p.m., G.8.-Motueka v. Buller; 3 p.m., Nelson v. West Coast; .Marlborough a bye. Evening: 8 p.m., Pictures. Delegate meeting. Thursday, September 2: Sight-see-ing tour of the district, including a visit to an apple-packing shed for demonstration of grading and packing. (Fifth round) 2 p.m., Buller v. Nelson; 3 p.m., G.8.-Motueka v. Marlborough; West Coast a bye. 5.45 p.m., tea in Institute Hall. 7.30 p.m., entertainment by Women’s Institute and W.D.F.U. Friday, September 3: Visiting teams leave for home.