DOMINION RUGBY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22402, 24 April 1936, Page 20

DOMINION RUGBY

QUESTION OF CONTEOL CONFIDENCE IN MANAGEMENT DELEGATES EXPRESS VIEWS [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] v WELLINGTON. Thursday Although changes in the constitution of the executive and laws of the game ware anticipated, the annual meeting of the Now Zealand Rugby Union passed off' quite normally. Confidence in last year's management committee was shown by its re-election, with the exception that Lieutenant-Colonel J. G. Roache and the Hon. J. McLeod replaced Messrs. A. C. Kitto and E. S. Hvlton. In view of the visit of the South African team next year it was decided that three men should be retained in j the front row cf tho scrum in New Zealand this year. Delegates spent considerable time discussing a notice of motion by the Manawatu Union to alter the constitution by changing the management committee so that it should as far as practicable be representative of all parte of the Dominion. Mr. A. M. Ongley, Manawatu, said the motion was brought forward to give delegates an opportunity of saying whether the present constitution was the best that could be devised. In the past the real parliament of Rugby in New Zealand had not been delegates of the Unions, but the management committee. The arranging of tours and all other important business for years past had been in the hamds of some eight men in Wellington. He had come to the conclusion that the dissatisfaction which widely existed was due to the fact that the whole of the unions outside Wellington were disfranchised. This dissatisfaction would continue until the unions were given a say in the management of the game. System at Fault It had been suggested that the motion was an attack upon Mr. S. S. Dean, but he did not for a moment question either Mr. Dean's ability or interest in the game. The fault was not that of the management conurrfttee, but of the system. It might be said that members of management committee represented different unions, blit he held that Mr. Dean could have no knowledge of Southland's needs or Mr. Kitto of those of North Auckland. He had only heard two objections to a national executive. One was that such a committee would be too cumbersome. He had / suggested a committee of 12, which might meet three times a year. He had also suggested that a committee of three might carry out routine work, but he had been informed that three would have too much work to do. It had been-said that a national executive would be too expensive, but he maintained that if six meetings were held each year it would cost only £3OO. .Mr. G. A. Maddison, Hawke's Bay, seconded the motion. Colonel J. G. Roache (Auckland) held that the rules of the union at present allowed for what Mr. Onglev's motion s.skecf, while Mr. E. McKenzie, Wairarapa, said the delegates at the annual meeting elected the management committee and the HJanawatu Union's motion seemed like a reflection on the mentality of delegates. Mr. J. Prendeville, Wellington, said that theoretically Mr. Ongley's motion might be right. If anything was -wrong it was with the manner in which, the delegates at the annual meeting exercised their votes. Mr. H. Harris, Otago, said his union was opposed to any change in the constitution of tho management committee. Definite Dissatisfaction Mr. J. K. Moloney, Canterbury, said they must have progress. There was definitely dissatisfaction with the management committee and this was due to the fact that they had not been able to have a good selection in Wellington. What w-as wanted was good healthy blood transfusion. Dr. G. J. Adams, Wanganui, moved as an amendment that a committee be 6et up to consider the best means of reconstituting the management committee, and Mr. G. H. Pownall, Wanganui, seconded the amendment. The- Hon. J. McLeod supported Mr. Ongley's motion, holding that the management committee did not keep in touch with those who managed football. Major T. J. King, Wellington, said he had been attending annual meetings of the union for the past ten years. He had each year heard complaints about the management committee, but each year the delegates reelected the same committee. Mr. Onglay was deserving of the thanks of delegates for the work he had put into his researches. If they had a small executive they would have one strong; man dominating the committee. Mr. Ongley withdrew his motion and Dr. Adam's amendment was carried. UNIONS IN COUNTRY FALL IN GATE TAKINGS /' SOUTH AUCKLAND'S FINANCES [from our own correspondent] / PUKEKOHE, Thursday The difficulties of financing Rugby football in country districts in recent years from gate receipts led to discussion at the annual meeting of the South Auckland Rugby Union. The auditor, Mr. M. S. Campbell, pointed out that during the past four years the union had spent £lO4 3s more than it had received, with the result that its accumulated funds had dwindled to £32 lis 6d. The sending of the senior representative team on tour was mainly responsible for the excess of expenditure over income, gate receipts not being sufficient to reimburse the union. Mr. C. C. Munro commented that the inadequacy of gate receipts had apparently become fairly common in country districts, the union's experience being akin to that of the Waikato unions. In the days when Rugby was the only winter game in country areas the populace were keenly interested and attended the matches. Now many young men played golf, while again the radio further clipped the attendance at local football matches, people staying at home to listen-in to the description of a big match elsewhere. Quoting experiences of the Manukau sub-union, Mr. Munro said gates at Drury had amounted to only 3s and 4s and at Papakura to only 10s, 12s and 16s. "If young men in the country want Rugby as their recreation to-day they must be prepared to pay," ho added. "The clubs will have to charge higher subscriptions and, in turn, pay higher affiliation fees to the unions." The Rev. H. H. Jeffreys said that a. higher standard of play in club football in tho country would attract larger -gates, and thus help financially. A notification by the Auckland Union that it was prepared to send teams to country centres to play local teams was accepted as a help in tho right direction,