RANFURLY SHIELD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 15 August 1928, Page 6

RANFURLY SHIELD.

GROWING DISSATISFACTION

(Special To The Star.)

WELLINGTON, Aug. 14. . Though, it i-s evident • that dissatis-j faction with the present rules of the] Rlanfuilly Shield-competition is growing no alteration can be made this season. The chief defect of the existing rules and that which .is causing most of theannoyance is the fact, that a provincial side may never have the opportunity of meeting the winner of the trophy, in a challenge game. One province may win after having been defeated by another and the outstanding example of what is possible was furnished (last year When Auckland possessed the champion team of New Zealand, but Canterbury took the shield south. At the same time it is considered by the members of the New Zeaillatnd Rugby Union that alternatives which have been proposed are hq better thla.n the present challenge system. A knock-out competition would be difficult to run, and the system of awarding the shield to. the side' which possesses- the best record for the season is impracticable. It is impossible to determine whether Mannwhenua, which may play a number of country unions and win many matches really possesses a better record than Canterbury, which, meets other unions. It 'has been suggested that a minimum number of games against major unions should be demanded, but any such proviso would only reopen an old controversy Which is by no means disposed of by the decision to classify unions, which was made at the last annual meeting the the union. Further than this, members believe that the majority of the unions are satisfied that while the present, state of affairs is not ideal the alternatives are no better, and may be worse. Any alteration, of course, is a matter for the next annual meeting.