RUGBY FOOTBALL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22835, 20 March 1936, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ZINGARI-RICHMOND CLUB o’ The fifty-eighth annual meeting of the Zingari-Richniond Rugby Football Club was held in the Returned Soldiers’ Association Rooms last evening, with the president (Mr P. Procter) in the chair. There was a large attendance of members. Reference was made by the chairman to the death during the year of two of the club’s members—Messrs J. Davidson and W. West—and members stood in silence as a mark of respect. Mr Davidson was one of the early members of the club, and a vice-president, while he represented Otago in 1908. Moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the president stated that the club had not won any flags in the past season, but it had played the game for pleasure, not to win games. They had been unfortunate in losing players through illness and injury, but that was unavoidable. A team had visited Matakanui, but no return match was played, as it was unsuitable to the country team, and another team had visited Balclutha. It had been decided permanently to record the memory of Mr J. Davidson and Mr W. Hobbs by a memorial, to be known as the “ Hobbs-Davidson Memorial,” He wished to extend the club’s congratulations to Messrs A. C. Procter, who had represented Otago, and T. Hanger, who had played with the junior representatives. Referring finally to the question of finance, the speaker said that the club was in a slightly better position than last year, but was faced with the necessity of extensively overhauling the pavilion. The motion was seconded by Mr A. N. Cameron, and the report and balance sheet were adopted.

The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr P. Procter; immediate past president, Mr R. C. Torrance; vice-president—Messrs W. Esqnilant, A. Floury, T. G. Kellan, H. G. Munro, G. Stewart, A. Symonds, R. Wildgoose, G. Calder, A. 11. Cameron, D. C. Cameron, D. Caradus and B. Collie; secretary, Mr D. G. Mitchell; treasurer, Mr I. M. Morrison; club captain, Mr G. Calder; auditor, Mr G. Smith; trustees —Messrs P. Procter, VV. Brown, G. Stewart; delegate to Footballers’ Accident Reserve Fund, Mr W. E. M'Leau; delegate to Sports Protection Association, Mr R. A. Morrison; committee —Messrs J. R. Caradus, R. Calder, W. Lawrie, W. E. M'Lean, R. A. Morrison, A. C. Procter, N. Reardon, G. Standring and W. Sniallman. Nine new members were elected. It was decided to open the season on March 28.

Mr A. C. Cameron introduced the matter of altering the kiek-into-touch rule and the scrum formation, giving as his opinion that an alteration to the former would make it a game for the speed kings, and the game should be kept as at present. Several other members spoke on both sides of the question, the contention that an alteration would greatly speed up the game being contested, but the consensus of opinion seemed in favour of the 2-3-2 serum formation on the grounds that the now scrum slowed up the game and otherwise marred it.—On a show of hands the meeting intimated that it favoured the suggested alteration to the kick-into-touch rule, and that it strongly favoured the 2-3-2 scrum formation.