THE OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23805, 11 May 1939, Page 17

THE OTAGO RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION

TO THE EDITOR Sir, —There is one thing I like about the Southern Club—it does get things done. The representatives of this club have broken down a tradition of the Rugby Union that existed long before the Southern Club was in existence Offending players are not now to have the sordid details of their offences blazoned forth in the press as if they were criminals (vide Mr Cavanagh). Speaking during the discussion arising out of the ordering off of a player, the same representative said that in Senior football blatant things went on in front of the referees’ eyes, and went unpunished. My dictionary gives the meaning of “blatant” as “bawling,” "noisy. What, therefore, our referees are thinking of that they do not take cognisance of this bawling business is really cause for wonder. I think it is high time that Mr Cavanagh took the whistle and showed our referees just how things should be done. Given sufficient scope, however, Mr Cavanagh in his breezy use of the English language can always be relied upon to supply a fund of unconscious humour. But reverting back to this business of holding inquiries in committee, it is patfent that the decision in favour of this course is solely a result of a Southern player being ordered off and penalised for his offence. All this rubbish about a player not having the privilege of stating his case and being condemned without a hearing is mere eyewash, and every member of the committee knows it. Let anyone read the business of the union. Who does the talking? The same old crowd, and the rest seem like dumb driven cattle. An excellent title for the union would be the Otago Rugby Football UnionSouthern Command No one is compelled to play the game of football. The player takes it up of his own free will, and if he cannot play the game in its proper spirit then he should be prepared to have his offence ventilated in open meeting. These hole and corner investigations never yet did any good to sport. But they certainly provide the opportunity for the weak representative to throw his weigh* about, secure in the knowledge that the reporter is not there to let the public know about it.—l am, etc., Disgusted.