RUGBY FOOTBALL

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 142, 17 May 1929, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL

NEW UNION

Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 16. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union opened this aftern°Mr Maddison, the retiring president, said that there were 32,000 players representing 1919 clubs, m the Dominion, and that the Rugby fields, their buildings and appointments weie unequalled (except perhaps . by the racing clubs). Rugby occupied an important place in the national life and the civil existence, and the unions were justified in expecting - every support from the Government and the local bodies. He hoped that strong representations would be made to the Government for the cancellation of the amusement tax. Regarding the South African tour, Mr Maddison said that there were many lessons for bew ; Zealand to learn, one being the question of eliminating the wing-forward who was only a menace, a spoiler and a decided obstructionist in tho game and was often responsible for the development of unfair tactics. The present scrum formation evidently required some alteration. He considered that no delegation had ever left the Dominion from which New Zealand had ever received greater advancement or had fosteied and advanced a better spirit of goodwill and understanding botween two units of the British Commonwealth ot Nations. Mr Maddison paid a tribute to the service rendered by Mr A. fiercer to the New Zealand team m Africa. Referring to other tours, the retiring president said that New Zealand would be sending a team to Australia this season. It would be opposed by an Australian team , for the first time tor many years. A new agreement had been recently concluded between New Zealand and New South Vales governing future tours. The salient clauses provided for visits °r a New Zealand team to Australia in 19-9 and 1932 and return visits from New South Wales in 1931 and 1933, each team to play eight matches on each occasion The New South Wales Union would take 20 ner cent, of tho net profits from the New' Zealand tour for the express purpose of fostering the game in Queensland and Victoria. Regarding last year s New South Wales tour in New Zealand, lie said that the playing of two extra matches accounted for the New Zealand Union s year showing a profit instead of a loss. So far as the British tour next year was concerned, the Dominion should co-ordinate its forces to meet the invasion and develop a side which would uphold New Zealand’s great record. The British team would play 21 matches, and * he would be approximately £14,000. Whatever the result on the playing fields, Mr Madison hoped that the Dominion would be given representation and voting power on the Imperial Board which was justified by the Dominion’s recordHe concluded by stating that there was reason to look forward optimistically to the future of Rugby in this country.