WITHDRAWAL OF TEAM.
HOCKEY AT CARLAW PARK.
TRAINING COLLEGE VIEWS.
STATEMENT BY PRINCIPAL.
An explanation of the reason for withdrawal of the Training College senior ladies' hockey team from the proposed mutch against the Mount Eden team at Carlaw Park on Saturday, July 4, was given yesterday by Mr. H. G. Cousins, of the college. Mr. Cousins said he knew nothing of the matter until the morning of July 2, when the captain of the team went to him and explained she was in a difficulty. She had been asked by the Auckland Ladies' Hockey Association if the team would play at Carlaw Park on the Saturday, and she had agreed on the spur of the moment without consulting the players. She hud then found the feeling among the students at the college was very much against the team playing at Carlaw Park.
In the circumstances Mr. Cousins wrote at once to the Ladies' Hockey Association, stating the college opinion was against the playing of the match and apologising for the withdrawal. Mr. Cousins also stated in the letter that if no other arrangements could he mado in timo the team would be willing to let Mount Eden win by default.
At this time, said Mr. Cousins, he know of no arrangement between the Ladies' Hockey Association and the Auckland Rugby League. He then received a letter from the Rugby League, dated July 11, in which it was stated he had issued instructions for the team to withdraw from tho match. The Rugby League had not only agreed to allow the team to play on Carlaw Park but had also decided to allow tho Hockey Association a percentage of the gate receipts. In reply, Mr. Cousins wrote: "I beg to state that I think no good purpose would be served by my stating the objections of the college to the team playing a ' curtain-raiser ' before a big match on Carlaw Park. When the captain reported to me that her fellow-students were strongly opposed to her team playing in the match I thought that was sufficient to act upon. I may say that had I known earlier that the team was being invited to play in the match I should have dissuaded the captain from accepting the invitation, as I believe it is better for the players to carry on their sports with as little publicity as possible. I much regret any inconvenience caused, and I endeavoured to minimise it by acting promptly." Commenting on the correspondence, Mr. Cousins said the letter from the Rugby League was not quite accurate, as he had not issued instructions for the team to withdraw, but had withdrawn it himself on learning that the students were opposed to the match. In order to minimise any inconvenience he wrote to the Hockey Association at once and the letter was posted within an hour from the time when he first heard of the matter.
" We were in the wrong," Mr. C°usins said, " to accept and then withdraw, but such things cannot always be avoided. I do not think any serious harm was done as there was plenty of time to make fresh arrangements. I can understand the Rugby League feeling hurt after it had offered to snare the gate receipts, but I think the Hockey Association had the greater reason to be aggrieved. I was quite pleased to hear the students as a body did not want the game played, and I was glad to give expression to an opinion coinciding so closely with what I regarded as the welfare of the college. The game should be played for its own sake and extra publicity does not do any good. It would also have been harmful for the game to have been played against the wish of the students. College opinion, like public opinion, is a real thing, and it is the real educator."
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19072, 17 July 1925, Page 10
Word Count
647WITHDRAWAL OF TEAM. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19072, 17 July 1925, Page 10
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