NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, 5 February 1909, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

ISSUES. ' -PROFESSIONALISM DEFINED: ■ ■ "WELLINGTON, Thursday. ,-,■ At the meeting, of the New Zealand 'Rugby Union: the. Secretary and the .Treasurer reported that they had been nnabje to^get from the Auckland Union £nyf!financial statement in. connection '/witlijthe visit .of the British team to that tow. -It was decided to point out to the 'Auckland Union, the great delay which "!£ad been caused by the- laxity in Auckland, "and demanding a statement before the end of the- month. The report of the aubicommittee appointed to revise the coles of the game was adopted and sent onto a general meeting of delegates. It .was decided to inform delegates that before the game can be played next season/under: the new rules just drawn up, ■the constitution of the New Zealand Union must be altered, involving a '^eparatkin'.'from the English Union, and .that : notice must be given- of any motion to thus alter the constitution. In order to give time for such notice the date of the. general meeting was altered from iMarch-4th"to MarchlSlhV ' An: interestiiiK question ;as to professionalism.; in football was^referred to. Last season Ihe- Union was asked whether paid officials of Unions were professionals in that they received salaries for their services. The Union's opinion was that 'thS rules as to professionalisiii referred only to actual players; but this decision wai- vigorously attacked by many fol.lowers o'fcthe game, who held that the ■rules allowed money to be paid to nobo'ay atali; A few days *go the ChairVman of ithe-Union. (G. H. Dncon) discovereaiuvthe old records oi \g* Union "■a letter-written in August, 1896, by the 'Secretary of the English Union of the time .(Mr Rowland Hillh; m wh!^ pn l^ iwas: stated :-"As reg»^? WSS? of a man is not made a proffissionat by 'accepting it unless he plays iotozX&'^ ■- Thi*. completely disposes of the' arguments of the Union 1 * critics and formally: establishes its interpretation of ftheruletas the correct one-so long ; as amatf aoes v»t actually play the game he.can:repeiveany salary from. a Union jWithput/ infringing the. rules as to pro- ■■ ■: , .