RUGBY ARGUMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21505, 31 May 1933, Page 13

RUGBY ARGUMENT

DISPUTE OVER RULES WITHDRAWAL OF CHAIRMAN [from our own correspondent} TE AROHA, Tuesday , Arguments and allegations that "bullocks had been driven through the rules" led to the president of the Te Aroha Rugby Union, Mr. N. Pryde, abandoning the chair at a meeting of the union last evening. The trouble arose from a query from the Wailiou delegates, Messrs. Borne and Vovsey, who asked for a ruling on the right of senior teams to call on affiliated juniors to act as emergencies when senior players were injured and unable to continue playing.

Mr. Voysey claimed that the Terriers senior team had replaced a man with a junior from the Tui Maori team. The chairman said that it was a practice which was carried out all over New Zealand, and although not mentioned in the union's rule book, was an understood thing and had never been questioned. Mr. Borrie claimed that had been driven through the rules time and again to suit the purposes of the union." Mr. H. Kennedy moved that the union write to the New Zealand Unit)n and get a definite ruling on the question. The Chairman: 1 resent very much the allegation that rules have been broken time and again by this union, and 1 will not stand for this continual flow of criticism. Unless Mr. Borrie can substantiate his statement, I demand a withdrawal. Mr. Borrie refused to withdraw. The chairman then left the chair. After some discussion, Mr. Borrie admitted that his remarks about broken rules were applied to the rule regarding the playing of men who were not bona fide players and the remarks were not generally applicable to all rules. Mr. Pryde was then unanimously reelected to the chair. He said ho hoped that delegates and others would realise that union officers devoted a great deal of time and trouble m order to promote the game. He hoped that assistance and co-operation would rule in the future.