CHANGE DESIRED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 48, Issue 2885, 27 March 1939, Page 5

CHANGE DESIRED

“TARANAKI” STYLE

COMPETITION SYSTEM THAMES VALLEY RUGBY SPECIMEN DRAW GIVEN BETTER FOOTBALL STANDARD The style of play proposed to be adopted by the Thames Valley Rugby Union if the notice of motion is carried at the annual meeting on Saturday will be a modified form of the “Taranaki system” or an extension of the present Poland Cup competition for representative sub-union teams. On the assumption that two teams will be entered by each of the subunions—Paeroa, Hauraki Plains, Te Aroha and Waihi —these can be designated, for the sake of clarity, “A” and “B” although there would be no objection, with the sub-union’s approval, to a club name being retained. Specimen Draw

The draw would be made in the usual manner, such as Paeroa v. Plains; Te Aroha v. Waihi on the first Saturday. In this case the “A” teams would meet each other at the former

venue and the “B” teams at the op- ■ posite place, and, in the second round when the same teams met again, the venue would be the opposite.

A specimen draw for the first Saturdays could read: Paeroa “A” v. Plains “A” at Ngatea; Paeroa “B” v. Plains “IB” at Paeroa; Te Aroha “A” v. Waihi “A” at Waihi; Te Aroha “B” v. Waihi “B” at Te Aroha. Next week: Te Aroha “A” v. Plains “A” at Patetonga (or such place as the Plains union desired); Te Aroha “B” v. Plains “B” at Te Aroha; Paeroa <‘A” v. Waihi “A” at Waihi; P’aeroa “B” v. Waihi “B” at Paeroa; and so on. Reversed In Second Round The second round would see the same draw with “A” teams playing where the “B” teams played in the first round, and vice versa. When Paeroa “A” met Paeroa “’B,” of course, the match would be at Paeroa, and the same with the other subunions.

Should any of the sub-unions enter more than two teams the draw would be more complicated but the same principle would apply throughout.

Fourteen Days’ Play

With two teams from each subunion, or eight all told, there would be seven matches in a round or 14 in two rounds —a very satisfactory number allowing plenty of Saturdays for outside and major union fixtures. As to the travelling, it can readily be seen that each sub-union will have one team travelling and the other at home. The greatest distance to be traversed would be 30' miles—in the cases of Waihi, Te Aroha and Plains visiting each other. As a counter to this would be the assurance that the home teams in each instance would be drawing a much larger gate—probably more than under the present Poland Cup competition in which matches are too few each season. Sustaining The Interest

Another great advantage of the “Taranaki system” would be that interest in the competition would be sustained over a long period with interesting matches and a higher standard of play in senior football. The sale of season tickets, ensuring a steady revenue, would be stimulated and the casual spectators would tend to increase.

No attention has been paid to junior and third-grade football in the motion as- it is considered that the present competitions could be retained until it could be seen how the seniors got on and then consideration could be given to the juniors if a change were warranted. Improvement In Lower Grades In any case it is likely that lower grade football would improve as there would be no necessity for players to be taken too soon from those ranks to fill the large number of vacancies in the seniors where clubs were searching for more players under the present plan.

Reverting to the senior players, it can be contended that whereas at present the number of teams in most of the sub-unions is too great for the number of players offering, under the new system the reverse would be the case. If the former state could be obviated the lazy, inefficient player would be eliminated or else stimulated to improve his game so that he would be in the running for selection in the main teams. • Supplementary Competition In places where there are more players than the “Taranaki system”

would cater for, a supplementary local competition could be staged if required but that would be a matter for the individual sub-unions —provided that such supplementary competition did not encroach on the main system. The above sets, out the main advantages that would be likely to accrue to the sub-unions. Any improvement in the standard of play there would undoubtedly be . reflected in the material available for and, consequently, selected in, the Thames Valley representative team. Once this is attained the question of sending the Valley team on tour could be favourably considered as, at present, it would not be a good move to send away, a weak team that could not provide its opponents with strong opposition and the spectators with attractive rugby.

TE AROHA IN FAVOUR DELEGATES’ DISCUSSION DEFINITE DECISION MADE SYSTEM SUCCEEDS ELSEWHERE The “Taranaki system” was discussed at the annual meeting of the Te Aroha Rugby Union last week, when the president, Mr H. C. Kennedy, invited a comparison of views and ideas upon the proposal, which would indicate to delegates the feeling of local supporters. A number of speakers were strongly in support of the proposal. From the discussion at the Te Aroha union’s meeting it is obvious that the scheme generally has met with warm local endorsement.

Mr R. A. Wilcox, outlining the scheme as it applied under the Waikato union, said it was not strictly run on the accepted Taranaki lines, but nevertheless would answer the purpose for giving it a title.' Speaking of its success in the Waikato, he said that Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Taupiri and Cambridge agreed to enter four, two, one and two teams respectively in a competition, by which means it .was hoped to arouse new interest and raise the standard of football.

In every way the venture had been a success, and Taupiri, which had the smallest gates, was able to show a profit of £l5 on the season after paying out £35 in transport expenses. Each player paid Is 6d per Saturday, whether he travelled or not.

In the Thames Valley he visualised Paeroa, Waihi, Hauraki Plains and Te Aroha entering say, two teams each, ensuring home and home matches and keeping up a continued run of interest. If this were done it would be possible to run an auxiliary competition for other senior players who might be excluded from the actual representative teams. The expense of travelling each Saturday, he claimed, would be offset by the increased gates. Lack Of Information

Mr S. T'omich (Old Boys) said he considered the one weakness of the proposal lay in the fact that the mover of the notice of motion had nothing in view and had very little actual knowledge of what the change would entail. It would have been preferable to have circulated all clubs, giving an outline of the scheme, to enable delegates to understand how it would be applied. Mr Tomich read some suggested rules which he claimed should be borne in mind when proceeding. Mr F. Lockyer favoured the suggestion, pointing out that Te Aroha had had only one game with Paeroa last .year. Unless the Poland Cup round were extended the new system would have to come inevitably. Mr G. Jackson considered the union should put its own house in order first. If two teams were fielded there would be 30 other seniors who would not be able to get a game and who would resent being regraded to juniors. Apart from this, he favoured the proposal. Mr A. D. McDonald considered the matter should be left in the hands of the delegates themselves, to use their own judgment when the whole scheme was outlined.

The chairman thanked the speakers, and said that the management committee now had a good conception of how Te Aroha supporters felt and could be depended on to 'do the right thing. At a subsequent meeting of the committee it was decided to instruct the delegates to support the changeover as outlined/ in the notice of motion.