RECORD YEAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27039, 25 March 1949, Page 9

RECORD YEAR

OTAGO RUGBY UNION ANNUAL MEETING OF DELEGATES MR H. G. MUNRO ELECTED PRESIDENT What was unquestionably one of the best years on record from all points of view was reviewed by the president, Mr R. W. S. Botting, who occupied the chair at the sixty-eighth annual general meeting of the Otago Rugby Football Union, held in the Henry Rose pavilion at Carisbrook last night. There was an attendance of 44 delegates. The new president is Mr H. G. Munro. who was elected unopposed. Report and Balance Sheet

Moving the adoption of the annual report and balance sheet, the president said that the report covered what must be easily one of the most successful seasons the union had ever had, not only in the town, but also in the country, where the game was flourishing. Town football had been reasonably strong, and country football alrpost predominantly so. The union had had a heavy representative season, Mr Botting continued, and the representative matches proper, combined with the trial games, had imposed one of the heaviest programmes Otago players had ever had to face, culminating with the North-South Island match at Wellington. One of the most pleasing aspects of country football, the speaker said, was the excellence of the arrangements made for the control of the sub-union games.

Referring to the series of coaching lectures given by Messrs V. G. Cavanagh, jun., C. K. Saxton and W. G. McClymont, Mr Botting said that they had been probably the most successful to date. At the end of the season the union had given a complimentary ball to the Ranfurly Shield team, and this might eventually develop into a Rugby ball to mark the wind-up of the year, and at this all trophies might be presented.

The interchange of referees for interprovincial matches was mentioned by the president, who said that the desire was to give interprovincial referees experience in other centres besides their own. Otago referees had officiated in Christchurch, Wellington would probably co-operate further, and the movement might spread still further afield, although they had not been able yet to send their referees south. The Primary Schools’ Committee was a virile organisation which continued to do excellent work, and it was fitting that the school representative team should have consisted of an almost equal number of town and country players. * Discussing the prospects for 1949, the president said that although there naturally must be many changes in the provincial side, they were not without hopes. Challenges for the Ranfurly Shield were already rolling in, and while it was the practice in the north to start the representative programme earlier than was the case in Dunedin, and it would probably be necessary to play some of the shield matches in July, they must consider their club football. The speaker paid a warm tribute to the efforts of the secretary, Mr E. S. Wilson, in a very heavy year.

Reviewing the balance sheet, Mr Botting said that £20,000 was a colossal sum, and the union had just managed to exceed that amount in revenue last season, the bulk, of it coming from the shield games. One item which could not be expected to recur was the amount received in rents from Carisbrook in centennial year, which almost equalled the revenue from club games. Dealing with the expenditure side, the speaker said that £ISOO had been spent on Carisbrook, the work done including maintenance and repairs to old buildings. Investments had been made on tne advice of their financial experts and they would still show a credit of £2OOO. The motion was seconded by Mr H. G. Munro, who said that centennial year in Otago had been very successful from the Rugby point of view. The treasurer, Mr H. C. Williamson, commended Mr Ernest Wilson, jun., for the assistance he had given during the year. The report and balance sheet were adopted. Election of Officers The office-bearers elected were: President, Mr H. G. Munro; immediate past president. Mr R. W. S. Botting; vice-presidents (five nominations) —Messrs D. C. Jolly, J. W. Hayes, E. Kerr and Dr A. E. Perry; honorary treasurer, Mr H. C. Williamson; Committee of Management (16 nominations) —Messrs A. C. Haynes (Dunedin), D. A Palmer (Pirates), G. A. Bertenshaw (Union). H Harley (Southern), O. Knox (Alhambra), J. R'. Caradus (Zingari-Richmond), A. W. McCunn (Taieri), P. Davis (Ravensbourne), H. Avery (Zingari-Richmond), S. R. Inglis (Southern), S. Rodgers (Kaikorai), and C. K. Saxton (Pirates); auditors— Messrs B’-odrick and Chalmers and Mr R. J. Cook. Club Competitions Discussion took place on the date for the opening of the club competitions, Mr Botting moving that it should be Saturday, April 23. He said that it was reckoned there would be 15 playing Saturdays to the end of July, one of which would probably be taken up by the match in which the Australian Universities’ team would play here, and the Otago team would require to leave on its northern tour probably not later than the second week in August. It

would also be necessary to play some of the Shield games in July. An amendment, moved by Mr L. Giles, that the opening day should be April 30, was lost, and the motion to commence the competitions on April 23 was carried. Mr Munro mentioned that the majority of the clubs had advised that they were in favour of having two open Saturdays for the playing of matches in the closed grades. Appreciation of Services Mr Munro paid a tribute to Mr R. W. S. Botting for his work as president during the past two years. Mr Botting had done an enormous amount of work, said Mr Munro, and had had a very successful term of office. He congratulated him on the selection of his son, lan, in the New Zealand team while he was president, and on his own election as a member of the New Zealand Rugby Council. Mr Botting made reference to the fact that Messrs W. J. Pearson, B. Collie. A. H. Cameron, H Glengarry and L. McLeod had not sought re-elec-tion. He said that Mr Pearson had joined the union in 1931, and was one of the four selectors of the team which held the shield in 1936-37 and later of the New Zealand team for the tests against the Springboks in 1937. He had also done valuable work in connection with the Carisbrook ground. Mr Cameron had joined in the same year as Mr Pearson, they had been vice-presidents together, and Mr Cameron had followed Mr Pearson as president. It was an unfortunate coincidence that both had decided to retire at the same time. Mr Collie, who was a vice-president of the union, had been a painstaking committeeman, and as manager of teams had been unfailing in his attention to the welfare of the players. Although their services had been shorter, Mr Glengarry and Mr McLeod had been valuable committeemen. Junior Club’s Affiliation Affiliation was granted to the RNZNVR Club as a junior club.