OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20966, 4 March 1930, Page 14

OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

MEETING OF COMMITTEE. A meeting of the committee of the Otago Rugby Union was held last nigh*. Ihe president (Mr W. Brown) occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance of members. Correspondence was read from the various clubs regarding a proposed alteration in the age limits of members of the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade competitions.—As further replies have to be received, it was decided to hold over coming to a decision on the matter till a later date. A letter was received from the Otago Referees’ Association submitting certain proposed amendments to its by-laws.— It was decided to refer the amendments to the Judicial Committee —Messrs Harris. Nelson, and Cavanagh. ANNUAL REPORT. A draft copy of the annual report was submitted and approved. The report reads as follows: In presenting the forty-ninth annual report, your committee is pleased to congratulate delegates on the completion of another successful year. The weather was _ again excellent for our winter pastime; on only one occasion during the season was it necessary to postpone matches. The First Grade competition provided a most interesting contest, the public interest being maintained up to the last match. The number of teams taking part -in interclub and school matches continues to increase, and your committee bad the usual difficulty of providing sufficient grounds foi all matches The extrrt grounds at Park proved a great help in this direction, but more grounds arc still required, and the hope is expressed that further grounds will be available for the coming season. Whenever it was possible two senior matches were played at Carisbrook. and the attendance at the early match showed that the playing of two games was much appreciated by the public. The thanks of the committee and delegates are glue to the players, who sometimes at great inconvenience to themselves took part in these games. SHIELD MATCHES. The First Grade competition proved the most interesting for ’ lany years, the Kaikoari and University teams eventually having to play off. The University are again to be congratulated on winning the A Grade shield; the Pirates A team on winning the Second Grade; the Alhambra on winning the Third Grade; and_ the Dunedin on winning the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grades. REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES, It was Otago’s year to'tour last season, bo most of the representative matches were played away from home. While the team did not play quite up to expecta tiona, they performed very creditably. The following is the result of the matches played during the season: —Otago v. Southland, at Invercargill, lost 5—11; Otago v. Southland, at Dunedin, drawn 9 each; Otago v. Wellington, at Wellington, lost 12 —18; Otago v. Hawke’s Bay. at Napier, won 14—13; Otago v. Wairarapa. at Masterton. lost 19 —31; Otago v. Wanganui, at Wanganui, won 22 20; Otago v. Canterbury, at Christchurch. lost 10—21. JUNIOR REPRESENTATIVE MATCHES. Your committee has again to congratulate the Otago junior representatives on another successful season. The form shown by these young players augurs well for the future of Rugby in the province. The following is the result of the matches played by the junior representative team: —Otago v. Canterbury, at Christchurch, won, 16—12; Otago v. Eastern Districts, at Dunedin, won, 17—nil; Otago v. Eastern. Districts, at Dunback, won, 11—3. COUNTRY FOOTBALL. Your committee desires to congratulate the various sub-unions on the successful manner in which the game is carried on in the country districts, and keen interest continues to be shown in the club and county matches played under the jurisdiction oP the sub-unions. The annual conference between country delegates and representatives of the union was held on March 21. when matters of interest to country football were discussed. It w’as decided to hold a Country Week in Dunedin last season, when Combined teams from the Maniototo and Vincent Counties met a combined team from West Otago and Tuapeka, and victory rested with the Maniototo-Vincent team by 14 points to 9 points. A team waa selected from the country players to meet a metropolitan team, whom they defeated by 6 points to 3 points. HIGH SCHOOLS’, TOURNAMENT.

The High Schools tournament was held in Christchurch last season, and provided some high-class football, the Christchurch Boys’ High School being tho winners of the tournament. The matches resulted as follows:—Otago High School v. Timaru High School, Timaru- won, 16 —15; Southland High School v. Christchurch High School. Christchurch won, 38 —11; Otago High School v. Southland High School, Otago won, 14 —6; Christchurch High School v. Timaru High School, Christchurch won, 13—3. UNIVERSITY MATCHES. The visit of the Australian University team created a great deal of interest. A match was played at Carisbrook against Otago University, and resulted in a win for the local team by 28 points to 8 points. The annual match between Otago University and Canterbury College was played at Carisbrook, and resulted in a win for Otago University by 53 points to 13 points. AINGE CHARITY SHIELD MATCH. The match for the Ainge Charity Shield between Kaikorai and University created a great deal of interest. The match provided a most interesting game, and resulted in a win for the University by 17 points to 14 points. The proceeds of this match were devoted to local charities SEVEN-A-SIDE TOURNAMENT. A seven-a-side tournament was arranged last season, which proved very successful and caused considerable interest, some excellent games being witnessed between the competing teams. The University Club was succesful in winning the Senior and the Southern Club the Junior competition. PAYNE TROPHY MATCH. The annual match between the premier teams of Otago and Canterbury was played at Christchurch between the Otago University and Christchurch Old Boys under very unfavourable weather conditions, the match resulting in a drawn game—o points each. OTHER MATCHES. A metropolitan team visited South Otago, the match resulting in a win for Otago by 20 points to 3 points. While ,the Otago team was on tour a visit was received from an Ashburton team, the match resulting in a win for the visitors by 30 points to 10 points. The Pirates’ team, winners of the Second Grade competition, journeyed to Balclutha and played the South Otago Juniors, Pirates winning by 13 points to 11 points. CONGRATULATORY. Our heartiest congratulations are extended to the Southland Union on being the holders of the Ranfurly Shield. To the Canterbury Rugby Union your committee extends its hearty congratulations on attaining its jubilee. Mr H. Harris represented your committee at the jubilee celebrations. CARISBROOK IMPROVEMENTS. For some time your committee has had under consideration the necessity of improving the accommodation at Carisbrook, and during tho year contracts were let for replacing the wooden seats in front of the grand stand with concrete ones, and for the terracing of the east side of the ground. The work in the grand stand has been completed and the balance of the work will he finished about the end of April. THANKS. To the Referees' Association our very best thanks are again due for providing referees for all grades. Your committee also desires to thank our delegates to the New Zealand Rugby Union, the Railways Department for assistance rendered in numerous ways, the tramway manager for his willingness at all times to provide facilities for players and patrons reaching the various grounds, the members of the St. John Ambulance Brigade tor their valuable assistance in rendering hrst aid to injured players," and the Police Department for valuable services rendered by the members of the force. To the press onr best thanks are again due for the valuable space devoted to reporting our matches and matters in connection with the game of Rugby. Thanks are also due to Mr A. M'Douald for coaching the representative team.

OBITUARY. It is with deep regret that we have to record the death of Mr J. M. Callaway, a former president of the union and a member of the committee for some years. The late Mr Callaway took a keen interest in the game, and was a regular patron. Your committee also deeply regrets the deaths of Mr A. Wilson, a former president of the union; Dr Hunter, an ex-representative player and a member of the committee of the union for some years; and Mr A. Arndt, another ex-representative player. PROSPECTIVE. The coming season promises to he one of the most eventful and interesting in the history of the union. The outstanding fixtures will be the matches of the British team against New Zealand and against Otago. Moreover, a large number of representative fixtures will be decided at Carisbrook. This is the jubilee year of the Otago Rugby Football Union. The fixing of the precise date for observing the anniversary and what special arrangements for suitable celebrations should be adopted merit serious consideration. OTAGO STATE PRIMARY SCHOOLS’ ASSOCIATION. Although wet weather in the winter term necessitated the postponement of matches {or five Saturdays and three Wednesdays, the past season, has been a very successful one. Competition in the A Grade and Bantam Grade particularly was very keen, and great interest was taken in the matches by players and teachers. The entries this season were larger than ever, 50 teams being entered m the various competitions, 10 in the A Grade, 12 in the B Grade, and 28 in the Bantam Grade. In order to encourage entries in the A Grade competition which had been falling off somewhat, the weight limit for the A Grade Was reduced to Bst, and for the B Grade to Gst 71b. The A Grade and B Grade competitions were played without division into sections, but owing to the large number of entries, the Bantam competition was divided into two sections. The A Grade competition waa won by Eorbury School, with Musselburgh as runners-up; the JB Grade by Mosgiel, with High Street as runners-up; and the Bantam Grade by Kaikorai School, with North-East Valley as runners-up. My committee is pleased to report a resumption of the annual representative fixtures with Southland. This year two teams—a senior and a junior—made the trip from Invercargill, The junior match, which was played at Taliuna Park, ended in a draw, while the senior match, played •as a curtain-raiser at Carisbrook, was won by the Otago team. Splendid entertainment for the visiting boys, the Otago bovs. and the managers was provided by the O.R.F.U A South Otago _ representative team travelled to Dunedin to play a combined MueSGlbui’ch-Porbury team. The local boys won' by 25 points to 3 points. To tile Otago Rugby Football Union this committee is again grateful for its help in the matter of footballs, passes, and grounds, and for the ever-ready assistance of it's secretary in matters making for the successful carrying out of our "competitions. We are again indebted to the principal of the Training College for his courtesy An making the services of the students available as referees, and to all others who helped us in this important matter. W. R. Ritchie, hon, secretary, sub-committee.