RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20987, 25 September 1931, Page 14

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

KNOCK-OUT COMPETITION.

FIRST ROUND TO-MORROW.

GRAMMAR TEAM MEETS MANUKAU

Owing to ita championship and Pollard Cup competitions being finished comparatively early, the Auckland Rugby Union has decided to run a knock-out competition, the first round oi which will be held to-morrow. The fact that 12 teams have entered shows that the players are taking this new competition seriously, a.nd there are likely to be some keen contests. The principal game on Saturday is that between Grammar Old Boys and Manukau, which will meet on No. :i ground at Eden Park at 3 o'clock. The ifurtain-raiser is the final match in tne junior championship between University and Ponsonby. and this should be a fast and 'interesting exhibition. The other matches . the knock-out competition have been distributed round various suburban grounds. Two of the entrants, College Rifles and Technical Old Boys, have been granted byes in order to permit them to travel to Rotorua and Pukekohe respectively. Following aro the teams:— GRAMMAR OLD BOYS. Senior Grade.—McFarland, Hutchinson, Btubbs, Fletcher. Lendrum. Bell, Macindoe. fitehr Corner. Reid, Tapper. Mansell, Scarborough, Foreyth, Potter, Knight, Pollock, [Wilson, Batty (2). JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVES. The following junior representative players will represent tho Auckland Bugby Union in the match against Tuakau at iua £& to-morrow :-McCabe. Kelleway, Davis, McCorkingdale. Granville. Mmean, Mi ler. Smith, Stubbs, Crump. Muller. Clayton, • Little, Diamond. Lynbourne, Campbell. Paul. Elliott, Lockington. Rimmer. The team will leave the Rugby Union office at 12.30 p.m. Players who are not available •re requested to notify the secretary of the anion immediately. SELECTING MAORI PLAYERS. CRITICISM OF CONTROL. far telegraph. —press association.!! WELLINGTON, Thursday. The oontrol ' of Rugby among Maori players came/ in for adverse criticism at a meeting of the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union. Mr. KmKi Tahiwi, representative of the Maori Advisory Rugby Board on the committee, admitted that the board was too unwieldy and reauired a thorough overhauling. The ccmmittee decided to inform the Maori Advlß Rugby Board that a sub-committee of the New Zealand, Union was prepared to confer At. any time which may be arranged. . The Hawke's Bay and Southland Unions complained /that in arranging the Maori natch, the Maori Advisory Board communicated direct with Maori players under the control of those unions, and asked that instructions /be given for discontinuance of the practice. _ _ _ ... The Chairman, Mr. S. S. One thing io clear: The best Maori team was not picked to meet the Australians. Mr. A. C. Kitto agreed. 'We sent the Jlaori team on tour through the South Island," he said, "with the object of enabling it to acquire combination for the match against Australia, but it came as a great surprise to find only eight of ttie players chosen in the which played Australia." , , ~ ._ ~ . Mr Dean said the selection of Bell, of Southland, in the Maori team was absurd, especially as he did not take part in a game in Invercargill this season. Mr. Tahiwi said Bell had been selected on the form shown in the Prince of Wales Cup matches. , Exception was also taken .to the fact that the Maori Advisory Rugby Board had not adhered to;the agreement that no players beyond half-castes be regarded as Maori. Mr. E. S. Hylton considered. that far too many players had, taken part in the Maori matches this season. On the motion, of Mr. Dean it was decided to inform the Maori Advisory Board that in future all communications concerning the selection of players required for Maori matches must go through the unions to which the players belong.