OTAGO RUGBY UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22328, 31 July 1934, Page 6

OTAGO RUGBY UNION

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE The weekly meeting of the Committee of Management of the Otago Rugby Union was held last night. The president (Mr John Mitchell) occupied the chair. It was decided that the bus which is to convey the Otago junior representative team to play at Lawrence on Saturday should leave Manse street at 11 o'clock. A letter was received from the University Students' Association stating that its executive had approached the City Council regarding the drainage of the University Oval and that the matter was being gone into by the Reserves Committee of the council.—lt was pointed out that the Maori drains on the area were not proving a success.—lt was decided that if it would assist the University Club, the committee would be prepared to give over the ground at once, 60 that drainage work could be proceeded with.

Mr H. D. Morgan, honorary secretary of the Primary Schools Rugby Subcommittee, wrote stating that the subcommittee was quite agreeable to the weight limit for the primary schools' annual match with Southland—namely, 7st 41b. The match will take place on August 11 at Invercargill. J. M'K. Morgan, manager of the Otago Sub-unions' team which played at Oamaru and Invercargill, submitted a report of the tour. —It was decided to thank Mr Morgan for his report and to write thanking the North Otago and Southland Unions for the hospitality extended to the touring team. It was decided that owing to the cost of sending the Otago Sub-unions' team on tour the committee could not see its way to send a team from Dunedin to play a South Otago team at Balclutha. It was also decided that the committee was not prepared to defray the cost of sending a South Otago team to Palmerston this season, and a Palmerston team to South Otago next year, or, alternatively, that both the country teams named be brought to Dunedin to play a match as a curtain raiser to some big match at Carisbrook.

Mr J. B. Wootton, chairman of the Flag Committee, stated that the reason why the High School match against Alhambra third, -which was arranged for Saturday last, had been postponed was because High School had to play a match on Wednesday of last week and had to meet Christ's College on the Monday.— The explanation of the Flag Committee was approved. The referee (Mr L. E. Macassey) wrote stating that he had had occasion to caution a Southern Second Grade player for illegal tactics during the course of the match against Pirates. —The player's name was placed on the cautioned list. Mr L. E. Macassey, referee in the match between Hawke's Bay and Otago, wrote stating that he had occasion to caution G. Geddes for questioning his decisions and J. Hapi for illegal tactics. Both these players were members of the visiting team. —It was decided to send a copy of the letter to the Hawke's Bay Union. The hon. secretary of the ZingariRichmond Club wrote asking why his club's third-grade team had been placed in the B section* whereas Kaikorai, 1 point behind, was left in the A section. — The secretary explained that the result of the match in which the Zingari team had played had not come to hand when the fresh draw was being made, and the Flag Committee had to work on the points of the previous Saturday. SENIOR FLAG COMPETITION. Mr Wootton, chairman of the Flag Committee, said that his committee recommended that the senior competition to closed next Saturday. Southern and'University A, each with 20 points, would meet on the Saturday. Some discussion took place on the point whether an ordinary round of matches should be played on Saturday, and if no finality was reached, whether arrangements could be made for the leading teams to meet on some other date. ( Mr Harris suggested that the Canterbury Union might be able to arrange for another date for the playing of- the Payne Trophy match. Southern and University A would probably meet four times this year, that was, with the Charity Saturday match, and he thought the interest in the charity match would thus be affected very seriously. Mr D. M. Stuart eaid he would give notice to move that the committee rescind its previous resolution under which matches were to be played on August 18, the date of the match between Otago and Southland at Invercargill. The chairman said that Taieri thought it should have an opportunity of meeting Southern in the second round. Mr Douglas Spedding moved that the recommendation of the Flag Committee to close the competition on Saturday be approved. Mr Harris moved as an amendment that the question of the matches to be played next Saturday be referred to a sub-committee to decide. The amendment was lost, and Mr Spedding's motion was carried. SECOND GRADE A. Mr Wootton said that as regards the Second -Grade A competition the Flag Committee recommended that it be not played. Pirates A, 12 games, had 22 points; Kaikorai, 12 games, 18 points; and Southern, 11 games, 17 points. Pirates would have five players with the junior representative team to play at Lawrence next Saturday, Kaikorhi three, and Southern five. Mr Wootton said that, in ordinary circumstances, there would be only about one more match to be played. It was decided to close this competition and declare Pirates A the winners. PROTEST TO NEW ZEALAND UNION. Mr Spedding said that he had noticed in a press message from Wellington that the Committee of Management of the New Zealand Union had decided to play the All Black touring team on its re-g turn from Australia against a second New Zealand team. It seemed to him by doing so they were going to kill the South v. North Island match. He understood that the South v. North Island match was expected to have a big bearing on the selection of the team for England. Some of their players had already had to take part in two trial matches, and they would have to go to Wellington for the match referred to. This would naturally affect the game between the South and North Islands. It might place the selectors in an invidious position, said Mr Spedding, if the team which played Australia was cleaned up by the second New Zealand team. It seemed to him a very inadvisable thing to play the proposed match in Wellington. Wellington was again going to have the privilege of seeing the game, and they saw practically every New Zealand team in action. Mr S. G. Styche said he agreed with Mr Spedding's remarks. Mr V. G. Cavanagh said that they had not seen a South v. North Island match in Dunedin for 30 years, and now the New Zealand Union was going to break faith with them. Players would be drawn from all over New Zealand for the match in Wellington, and that would affect the players available for j the South v. North match. The New Zealand Union was doing everything to make the South v. North Island match a perfect farce. If they were going to play the Wellington match they should cut out the South v. North match. Mr Spedding moved—" That in view of the fact that the South v. North Island match is to be played in Dunedin in September this union enters

a strong protest against playen being assembled in Wellington to meet Ute All Black team on its return from Australia." Mr Harris pointed out the travelling of players for the Wellington match was going to affect players who might be available for the South v. North match. They might not be able to spare the time to make another journey. The motion was carried unanimously. MATCHES FOR SATURDAY The following are the matches for Saturday, with grounds and referees:— First Grade.—University v. Southern, at Carisbrook, at 3 p.m. (Mr Pearce); Dunedin v. Pirates, at Tahuna No. 1, at 3 p.m. (Mr Blagdon); Kaikorai v. University B, at University Oral No. 1, at 3 p.m. (Mr L. E. Macassey): Alhambra v. Zingari, at Carisbrook, at 1.30 pan. (Mr J. Fletcher); Union v. Taieri, at North Ground, at 3 p.m. (Mr J. Briggs). Second Grade B.—Pirates v. Dunedin, at Logan Park No. 1, at 3 p.m. (Mr R. Bryant); Taieri v. Southern, at Hancock Park No. 1, at 3 p.m. (Mf H. J. Hendrick); West Taieri v. University, at Outram, at 3 p.m. (Mr Tilley); Union, a bye. Third Grade, Section I.—Kaikorai v. High School, at Littlebourne Park, at 3 p.m. (Mr Hollander); Union v. Pirates A, at Culling Park, at 3 p.m. (Mr H. Palenski); Brighton v. Alhambra, at Brighton, at 3 p.m. (Mr H. Warwick}; Dunedin y. Southern, at Bathgate No. 2, at 3 p.m. (Mr F. Henderson). Third Grade, Section 2.—Taieri v. Zingari B, at Mosgiel No. 1, at 3 p.m. (Mr T. Sonntag); Ravensbourne v. Port Chalmers, at Ravensbourne No. 2, at 3 p.m. (Mr Haydon); University E v. Zingari A, at University Oval No. 2, at 3 p.m. (Mr W. Jones); University F, a bye: Green Island v. Pirates B, at Green Island, at 3 p.m. (Mr J. Bond). Fourth Grade. —Kaikorai v. Pirates, at Oval No. 2, at 3 n.m. (Mr Procter); Christian Brothers High School v. Dunedin, at De Carle Park, at 3 p.m. (Mr Moffett); M'Glashan v. Taieri* at Mosgiel No. 2, «at 3 p.m. (Mr Stallard); High School B v. Port Chalmers, at Logan Park No. 3, at 3 p.m. (Mr Harridge); Alhambra v. Zingari, at Opoho No. 1, at 3 p.m. (Mr Lewis); Union v. High School A, at Oval No. 3, at 3 p.m. (Mr Baxter): Southern, a bye. Fifth Grade.—Christian Brothers r. Southern, at Hancock Park No. 2. at 3 p.m.' (Mr Flawn); Ravensbourne v. Zingari, at Montecillo No. 2, at 3 p.m. (Mr Butler); Technical v. Alhambra, at Opoho No. 2, at 3 p.m. (Mr Cooper); High School A v. Green Island, at M'Glashan, at 3 p.m. (Mr Peat); High School B, a bye. EASTERN DISTRICT MATCHES. Seniors.—Palmerston v. Waikouaiti, at Palmerston (Mr Heather); Seacliff v. Dunback, at Waikouaiti (Mr Lungley). Jnuiors.—St. Kevin's v. Eastern Districts, at Palmerston, at 1.30 p.m. (Mr Olsen). Junior Representatives v. South Tuapeka, at Lawrence (Mr E. Sheridan). Line Umpires.—Carisbrook, 1.30 p.m., Messrs Gray, and Shanks; 3 p.m., Messrs Swete and Himburg. Tahuna Park: Messrs Strode and Smith. . University Oval: Messrs Slaughter and Jenkins. North Ground: Messrs Mitchell and Connor.