THE EMPIRE GAMES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20704, 30 April 1929, Page 15

THE EMPIRE GAMES.

PROPOSED RUGBY CONTEST. TEAMS, PROM THE DOMINIONS. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) -. . LONDON, March 14. T?,Ewp I |T a * l^ nß from th e Hamilton Ru D by Club of Canada have been received by various sporting journals setting out scheme for .representative teams from the dominions and Great Britain to take Bntish . Em Pire Games in August next ; year. , ToSn n .? W ’ ir V conjunction with fu (^ avouring to establish a Rugby Football Union in . Ontario. Hamilton cmnethroufih its first season %ery successfully, for in addition to the formation of an efficient organisation the n^ SO n S n I p r °! ranin ' G , was completed without a defeat. - .This happy, position; oupled with the splendid impression the I?™. 13 ., cre “ted last season, has led*the Hamilton Club, authorities to make greater efforts, and for this reason reprsentativea called upon the Brilfsh-p m . pire Games Committee mid discussed the possibilities of Rugby being added to tb-> programme of sport. The suggestion met with approval, and it-is understood that the committee intend to invife the vgnous United Kingdom a«d Dominions Unions to send representative Rucbv teams to the Games. Should this plan not be found possible, the .Hamilton Club have an alternative—-namely/-to try and induce the British Rugby team which is to tour New Zealand. next year to visit Hamilton some time during the Empire Games and giv» exhibitions. ; It is suggested that there-is plenty of time for those portions - of tne Empire where Rugby is played to mate arraiieitments for a team to take part in' the Games, but it must be considered more than a little doubtful (says the Athletic News) whether the-team to tour New Zealand could so arrange matters as to include a visit to Hamilton in August in its plans. ‘ ‘ A TRIANGULAR CONTEST. If the Rugby portion of the Games were postponed, the matter would he easier of solution, and it would certainly bo a most picturesque idea If the tourists, as well as teams from New Zealand and South Africa, could meet in a triangular series of contests. Failing the possibilitd of postponing the Rugby section of the Games until the homeward voyage of the British team fi;om New Zealand, there $ s alterna tivc proposal that a separate team might be sent from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales to Hamilton. The visit would entail far less call upon a player’s time-than the much more ambitious New Zealand trip, ai.d’woiild probably make a big appeal to the large: number of university and public school players who would be bn holiday at that time of the-year .The Hamilton Club authorities propose approaching direct the- governing bodies of the game in Great Britain and the dominions, and there will be a general hope that their application will sympathetically received. In view- of the tremendous popularity of Rugby at Home it‘ would seem singular, if any carnival of British Games were held, if track and field events, boxing,, wrestling, swimming, and' rowing were included, and yet no place could be found - for Rugby. ,