Mixing Rugby With Politics Alleged

Northern Advocate, 20 June 1938, Page 7

Mixing Rugby With Politics Alleged

As a result of the emergency committee of the Bay of Islands Rugby Union granting permission to the local branch of the National Party to run a stall on the Ohaeawai football ground during the King’s Birthday seven-a-side tourney, Mr. A. McFarlane, one of the oldest members ,of the committee and for several years president of the union, has resigned. In a letter containing his resignation, which was read at the union meeting on Wednesday night, he accused the emergency committee of mixingpolitics with football, and said he considered it wrong in principle _to have any outside bodies conducting stalls on a football field. Mr. McFarlane Resigns He also alleged that two members cf the emergency committee, which was called together hurriedly to deal with the matter on the eve of the tourney, voted for themselves. Continuing, Mr. McFarlane expressed the opinion that Rugby in the Bay was definitely slipping back, as ■tvas instanced in the fact that only four senior teams were now playing in the competition, and that until the emergency committee was re-formed to function as it was originally intended to, with men who had the courage of their convictions, Bay Rugby would not regain its former pi'estige.

Open To Any Party In putting the matter before the meeting. Mr. F. Carr, president, took strong exception to the remarks made in the letter relative to the voting and mixing politics with football. He explained that when the request for permission to run the stall was received from the secretary of the National party branch, he had rung up the other members of the emergency committee, putting the matter before them, and, at a specially called meeting, they had agreed to grant the request. He personally did not vote. Mr. Blow, delegate for the Kaikche club, stated that he had fully discussed the matter with the president over the phone, and could not sec that they were out of order in granting the request. Any other party could have applied, for a stall if they had been alive to the .opportunity and it would have been granted also. He had voted in favour of the request as a delegate representing the Kaikohe club. Active Interest Mr. McFarlane has been an extremely active worker for many years in the interests of Rugby football in the North. He has been delegate for the Bgy to the North Auckland Rugby Union, and to the North Auckland Referees’ Association. He has not severed his connection with the Referees’ Association, but some doubt exists as to whether his resignation from the Rugby Union, which was accepted, will not necessitate his retirement from that body also.