NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10965, 7 May 1907, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

."Oiie of the, great troubles which! the New Zealand Rugby Union has brought upon itself is that there lias been too nruch secrecy about it,'? remarked Dr. Newman at the meeting of that Union on Thursday night, apropos of the motion to admit the press to committee meetings of the Union. Tlie motion was carried on the voices, a clear indication that the past actions of the Management Committee in respect to this matter were certainly not .endorsed by the Rugfby Unions : in the State. Dr. .Newman struck the light keynote .and voiced the feelirigs of the great body* of footballers wlto take an interest' in the deliberations •of thef supreme council governing fodtball matters in New Zealand. Rightly or wrongly tlici unions throughout this State have concluded that the Management Committee comprises a" set of superior persons who sit thereon for their own glorification, and not for the benefit, of football ; who : regard tlie affairs of the Union as belonging to their own little coterie, and. not to tlie football unions 1 of the State. Thre^ of course, is quite* an erroneous impression. A regrettable feature of the past, judging from the views of delegates exiireJßed at tlie meet-;, ing, is that the Executive and its ofliials . appear to have been entirely out of touch with the New Zealand football world; and that an element of snobbishness has been allowed to .creep irito',jthe conduct of the Union's business that! has certainly riot, been ; conducive to tli e beat interests of football or to harmonious working with the affiliated unions. If -the members of the Executive and its officials will* gink their own personal, likes arid dislikes when dealing with New Zealand Rugby Union matters, and regard themselves more as colonial representatives instead of merely parocliial delegates, they will more readily earn the cordial co-operation of the affiliated uriions and those who support them. The abolition of the "Star Chamber" practice that now prevails. in regard to the deliberations of tlie Management Committee., and the desire shown at Thursday night's meeting to take the unions more into the confidence of the Executive are hopeful signs.— N.Z. Times.