NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2983, 17 May 1911, Page 70

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

ANNUAL MEETING. WELLINGTON, May 11. The annual meeting of the New'Zealand Hitgby Union was held to-day. The following were the unions represented, and their delegates:—Auckland, Dr M'Evedy and Mr G. H. Dixon; Butter, Messrs H. W. Keily and L. Dcvore; Bush districts, E. Dailey; Canterbury, F. G. Wallburton, G. H. Mason, F. T. Evans, and W. G. Garrard; Hawke's Bay, "W. J. M'Grath and F. Laws; Horowhenua, J.- S. Fouller and Parata; Manawatu, F. Pirani and H. P. MiMer; Marlborough, J. H. Morrison and J. F. O'Sullivan; Nelson, N. Galbraith and A. G. Shrimpton; Gfcago, A. Dey, H. Harris, J. Brodie, and R. M. Isaacs; Poverty Bay, G. Lusk; South Auckland, Field and M'intyre; South Canterbury, H. Amos, E. Wylie, and W. Maben; Southland, R. Galbraith, I. Jenkins, R. Pyre, and J. Laughton; Taranaki, M. J. Crombie, W. J. Carfi'i, Andrew Scott; Wanganui, W. G. priggins and L. Craig; Wellington, S. S. Brown, J. Lynskey, E. O. Hales, and D. . D Weir; West Coast, W. Perry, G. C. Clarke, and J. Stenhouse. Mr R. Galbraith, who presided, welcomed the visiting «!«legates. ANNUAL REPORT. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of 4b* report and balance sheet, referred to the loss on the North v. South match, but it was so trivial as to be negligible. He •«p&8 satisfied the visit of the American Universities team last year would be produciAvfi of good, in that it might be the first of a series of visits. . It appeared to him that visits of New Zealand teams to 'America would be more frequent than to ilngland. The report was adopted. ALTERATION OF EULES. Mr E. O. Hales, on behalf of the Wellington Unioji, moved an amendment to Rule 26, to provide that the members of the Appeal Council should not be members of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Union, or of the local union against whom the appeal in question was being made. He pointed out that it sometimes happened that members of the Appeal Council were asked to adjudicate on questions for appeal which they had decided previously as members of a local union of the New Zealand Union Committee. The motion was seconded and supported by Mr Harris (Otago), and carried. Mr G. H. Dixon moved, on behalf of the Management Committee, to provide that, . in the event of the dissolution of the New Zealand Rugby Union, the accumulated funds should be handed over only to an amateur club, union, or organisation. The amendment to the rule was the insertion of the word " amateur." Several members thought the amendment was unnecessary, and might not achieve its evident object. Th<i motion, was eventually carried by 41 votes to 23. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers resulted as follows : —Patron, his Excellency the Governor, Lord Islington; president, Mr G. H. Dickson (Auckland); vice-presidents—Messrs A. Devore (Auckland),. J. Colvin (Buller), M. Vance (Bush Districts), G. H. Mansoh (Canterbury), F. Logan (Hawke's Bay), J. Procter (Horowhenua), J. Manning (Manawatu), C. H. Mills (Marlborough), R. W. Stiles (Nelson), F. H. Campbell (Otago), W. B. Miller (Poverty Bay). T. Clarkin (South Auckland), A. Shirtciiffe (South Canterbury), A Geddes (Southland), F. T. Bellringer (Taranaki), D. K Logan (Wairarapa), E. Spriggins (Wanganui), G. F. G". Campbell (Wellington), J. Stenhouse (West Coast); hon>. treasurer, Mr H. W. Kelly. Management Committee —Messrs N. Galbraith. A. Laurenson, R. M. Isaacs, M. J. Crombie. J. H. A. Daughton, F. G. Wallburton, and Dr P. F. M'Evedy; auditor, Mr 0. G. Kimber: Appeal Council —Messrs G. C. Fache, A'■• Campbell, and F. Pirani: representative on the English Union, Mr C. Wray PalliBer VOTE OF THANKS. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr O. Wray Palliser for the services rendered by him to the New Zealand Rugby Union as a member of the English Rugby Union. COUNTRY TEAMS. The sub-committee appointed to consider a scheme in order to give players outside of the main centres more opportunity for consideration in the ©election of New Zealand and North and South Island teams submitted its report. It suggested that in the North Island the unions of South Auckland 1 , Poverty Bay, Hawke's Bay, Bush pistricte, Manawatu, Horowhenua, and Wairarapa should contribute, say, each three men, making 21 in all, to form a North Island country team, to play matches at Auckland, Taranaki, Wanganuu and Wei-

lington, and that in the South Island the unions of Marlborough, Nelson, Buller, West Coast, and South Canterbury contribute, say, each four men, making 20 in all, to form a South Island country team, to play matches at Invercargill, Duncdin, and Christchurch. The matches, it was suggested, would be against the local unions, and after the tour the teams would play each other at Wellington. The financial risk would be undertaken by the New Zealand Union. The proposal found support on the grounds that it would improve football in the country, that it would encourage country players", and that it might be the means of discovering tome very fine footballers hitherto unknown. An objection was made to Wellington being' the scene of the North v. South country teams match, on the ground that this would take up two playing Saturdays of the season. A suggestion was offered that the Management Committee should be left to decide where the North v. South match should be played. Eventually the scheme was adopted embodying those suggestions, and modified slightly to allow the New Zealand Union to make such minor alterations in it as might seem advisable, especially as to the number of men to be nominated by each district. , MANAWATU UNION. Permission was granted to the Manawatu Union to alter its boundaries to embrace Foxton and exclude Linton, joining the latter district to Horowhenua district. The Wellington Union (by Mr 0: Hales) moved that the resolution of the Management. Committee adopting the recommendation of the English Union regarding the penalty.of a scrum for breach of the rule relating to the five-yards throw-in be re* scindsd, and that the penalty be a free kick. Mr Hales urged that a scrum was no penalty at all, as any side throwing in could get a scrum without making a breach of the rules. Other speakers objected that the free kick penalty was too severe. After the discussion had gone on for soma minutes, the Chairman ruled the motion out of order on the ground that under the constitution the New Zealand Union had no authority or right to alter the rules of the game. Mr W. J. M'Grath, on behalt of the Hawke's Bay Union, moved that, with a view to improving the Rugby Union game, this union desires to recommend the abolition of wing forward play, and that the N.Z.R.F.U. be asked to obtain expressions of opinion on this improvement from otherunions, with a view to their submission to the English Rugby Union. He did not believe in the matter of the motion, and ho did not speak in support of it. Mr J. S. Fowler (Horowhenua) seconded the motion, and supported it. He thought that there was too much man-handling indulged in by wing forwards, who were spoiling the game, and allowing othe? games to rise in popularity. Mr D. D. Weir strongly supported the motion. He said that unless the game were improved there would be no Rugby in five years. As things were, the boys were playing Soccer in preference to Rugby. The parent? did not enoom-age Rugby, and the boys didn't want it. Mr Pirani thought that the abolition of the wing forward would make for more open play, and therefore for im provement. Mr N. Galbraith thought that discussion of the subject was, and must be, futile. The only person who could deal with the much-abused winger was the referee. Mr G. F. C. Campbell was opposed, to the motion. He did not object to the wing forward, but he did object to the way in which he had been taught to play the game of recent years. He suggested , that greater power should bo given to 1 referees to punish obstruction on the part of wing forwards. Dr M'Evedy said that the difference between the wing forward as played in this country and the halfback as played in England was only one in name. He did not think that the referee needed more powers to keep the winger in order. The fault was that he did not use the powers he had. Mr M. M'lntyre was inclined to the opinion that the best solution of the difficulty was the adoption of trie Northern Union rule that no player must come round the scrum until the half-back lias played the ball. Mr M. J. Crombie said that 10 or 15 years ago there had been abuses of wing forward play, but these had disappeared of recent years. Mr F. A. Laws gave it as his opinion that the wing forward was wholly an obstructionist, and, trv as he liked, no referee could prevent his unfair play. The motion was lost. INTERPROVTNCIAL FIXTURES. i The following interprovincial fixtures were 1 arranged :—At Invercargill: Southland v. Wanganui, August 23; v. Taranaki, Aug-ist 30; v. Auckland, September 6 (pencilled); j v. Canterbury, September 20; v. Welling- ! ton, September 27. At Dunedin: Otago v. ! Wanganui, August 19; v. Taranaki, September 2; v. Auckland, September 9 (pencilled) ; v. Canterbury, September 16; v. Southland, September 23; v. Wellington, September 30. At Christchurch: Canterbury v. Wanganui, August 26 ; v. Auckland, September 2; v. Taranaki, September 9; v. Wellington, September 23. A match will also be played against South Canterbury at Timaru on September 14. At Wellington: Wellington v. Taranaki, August 26: v. Auckland, September 16 (pencilled). None of the Auckland dates have been definitely fixed. May 12. At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr W. G. Garrard (Canterbury) moved that the date of the inter-island game be fixed for June 3. At present, he urged, it was played so late in the season that all interest in the game was dead. Mr Pirani suggested that the match be played at Palmerston North, if possible. Mr H. W. Kelly moved as an amendment that the arrangement of the inter-island match be left to the Management Committee. It was regarded as a source of revenue for the New Zealand Union, and it was unfair to tie the hands of the Management Committee, who were responsible for finances. Moreover, if the match were flayed early in the season the selectors would! not be able to choose the best men available. Mr Pira.ni's suggestion was negatived, and it was decided in the end that the matter be left to the Management Committee. Thia Referees' Association forwarded a resolution to the effect that in the event of two captains failing to agree as to the number of spells, the referee be authorised to order four equal spells. A member moved next question, and the subject was not dealt with.

Mr Parata supported an application from

the Day of Plenty clubs, at present affiliated with t'he South Auckland Union, with headquarters at Paeroa, to form a subunion, affiliated with Auckland. As he explained, a team from Tmnanga or Opotiki could not, owing- to lack of facilities for travel, play a match in Paeroa without being five days absent from home. Ho was prepared to accept affiliation direct with fch«) New Zealand Union if that could bo granted. There would be some 30 clubs playing Senior football in the Bay of Plenty, so that the district was large enough to be constituted a union. The South Auckland delegates opposed the affiliation of the district with Auckland, but they did not object to direct affiliation with the parent body. The Bay of Plenty Union was allowed to affiliate with the New Zealand Union, the matter of settling boundaries being left to the Management Committee. The question r.i school football was discussed. Several speakers strongly urged that if boys were not encouraged thero would be no men playing the game later o.n, and stress was laid on the fact that the Soccer faction had bean working harder in this direction than the Rugby Union. Th'j recent trouble in Wellington with the Marist Brothers was referred to, and a motion was passed that the- Wellington Rugby Union be congratulated on the action it was taking in trying to prevent any team from being excluded from school football. The union voted the usual amount for fostering school football throughout New Zealand.