RUGBY FOOTBALL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6269, 24 July 1907, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE RANFCRLY SHIELD. AN IMPORTANT POir?*: - At the meeting 'of the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union, hold last Thursday evening, jin important point -in connection with the competition' for • tho Rnnfurly shield came up ' for consideration. The Hawke's Bay Union had arranged tc play u, match with the Auckland -Union on Augunt 10th, at Auckland- At tho mp,oting mentioned above a letter from the Hawke’s Bay Union was read, caking that . the game be declared a “special" challenge match for the shield. This letter was in accordance with clauses 2 and 3,0 f the Ranfurly shield regulations.;. The; latter part of The for,mor clause says;—“Any union meeting 'the holder of the shield in the course of, its ordinary union matches shell, have the right to declare beforehand to tho New Zealand i Union and to the union holding.the shield that such match shall also be a challenge match.” This rule, however, is subject to provisions that the union holding the shield shall not bo called noon to play more challenge matches in the season than the Now Zealand Union’s management committee considers advisable; The latter body having tho right to declare which of tho challenges ehall bo allowed. Rule 7 is as follows:—“In tho event of a challenge match (asTXistinguished from an ordinary match declared to be a challenge match) being played, the New .Zealand Union shall .appoint the referee,-■ and - refund to the challenging anion so far as tho pet proceeds from That .particular match will allow, reasonable exponser, of transit only, the management committee of the New Zealand Union To bo solo judge of what oxpensoi aro reasonable.”: r .

The Hawke's Biy Union wished the match-to be declared a challenge match under this clause. - Instead of returning direct to Tmpier from Aucklnnrf, however, its team will tour the Wellington province, the first match after the northern one being played at' Horowhpiua. The management committee of (lie New Zealand Union was asked .to allow a rotund of the team’s expenses from -Napier to Xlorowheuun via Auckland. Accompanying the iotfer was a telegram from the Auckland Union agreeing to ■ the match being a special one "provided conditions were approved," These conditions, however, wore not uplained by either of the unions cpn. oerned, so that the committca was unable fo deal with the question: at last week's mooting. OnTho following morning telegramr were, despatched to the Hawke's Bay and Auckland unions, one asking the former it it owed Auckland a visit, and the other seeking information from Auckland regarding the conditions referred to. Last evening the. committee hold a special mcciing la decide the question. The Auckland Union had failed to an»wer the telegram sent 10 it, but Hawko*i Bay replied that it did not owe Auckland ft visit. A copy of the Auckland Unions annual, however, showed that the two unions hare played five matches at irregular intervals. Three of these had been played in Napier and two in Auckland, The last one was played in Napier in 1903. This indicated that the Hawke s Bay Upipn did owe Auckland a visit, The committee unanimously decided to inform the two Unions concerned that it wan not prepared to declare the match a special'' one under regulation it quoted above. This decision means that the Hawke’s Bay Union funded’ Tsoi's expenses i> PLAYERS. PEVSS ASSOCIATION. ■ ■ _ ~ DASNIIVIRKH, July 2S home disorderly.scenes took place at ft junior match between Dannovirke and ■vv cod villa, played hero last week and (ho matter was discussed last night bv the Dannevirke Sub-union, when one player, a Wood villa man, was disqualified for two years for striking an oppomint (second offence this season). On« native was disqualified for one year for using bad language, another native for five years for obscene language and inciting players to rough play. A fourth case was adjourned, and two casts wem dismissed-