PAEROA RUGBY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 51, Issue 3132, 17 June 1942, Page 5

PAEROA RUGBY

NO CLUB COMPETITIONS not sufficient players SELECTION OF JUNIOR REPS. The question of the season’s activities of the Paeroa Rugby Union was dealt with at Monday night’s meeting of the union and it was decided, due to the shortage of players, to suspend ordinary club competitions and to select a junior representative team to defend the Johnson and Sharebrokers’ Cups. The chairman, Mr D. G. McMillan, in summing up the position said that it seemed from the evidence of last Saturday that a seyen-a-side tournament would not work and it would be difficult to field two club teams to iplay any competition. The union, however, should not go out of existence but could not hold ordinary competitions. He thought a junior representative team should be selected to defend the Johnson and Sharebroker Cups and. this team would have to be given the necessary training.

The position was most unfortunate for the keen players, added Mr McMillan but it seemed that the union could do nothing else. Those players who were enthusiastic enough could be granted the use of the ground to play whatever scratch matches they liked. “ It is with the greatest regret that I have reached this decision* but we must face up to the position. We kept going as< long as possible but I’m afraid this season it is impossible to carry on with club competitions! of any kind,” concluded; Mr Mc f Millan. ’

Mr W. F. F. Faiber said that two Saturday s ago he had called the players together and had explained the position to them. They had agreed to support a seven-a-side tournament hut last Saturday had not done so. Mr McMillan said it would not have been the policy of the union to carry on all the season with seven-a-side ■matches and last Saturday’s tournament was merely to start the season off. However, the players l had not turned out in sufficient numbers for the union to carry on.

After some discussion it was decided to select some 26-odd junior players to train for a representative team and all players under 20 years •of age are to be requested to attend at the Paeroa Domain on Saturday next at 1.30 p.m. when the selectors, Messrs McMillan and Faber will pick those who are to go into training. The chairman, Mr' D. IG. McMillan presided, others present being Messre J. Carmine, V. O’Loughlin, A. Lindsay, W. F. F. Faber, R. L. Darley, C. H. Pascoe and the acting-secretary, Mr R. Clark.