A SELECTOR'S PROBLEM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19378, 16 July 1937, Page 7

A SELECTOR'S PROBLEM

RUGBY TEAM FOR TOUR POSITION NO SINECURE Notes by "Sideline" The selection of a Poverty Bay Rugby representative team for a tour out of the district is fraught with difficulties and is by no means a sinecure, though many people are of the opinion that the selector just goes up to the Oval each week and sorts out the likely men and then when there is a representative fixture in view all he has to do is to put the names together for a team. That is the case to a certain extent, but before he can make his selection public he has to find out which of the men are available and this has been a problem in the past few years so far as the Poverty Bay union has been concerned.

Injuries take a toll of hard-working Rugby men in any district as the season advances and often leads to a substitute in a team. A slight cut over the eye or a sprain, not sufficient to keep the man away from his work might' be of such a nature that it would be unwise for that player to take the field again until the injury was healed.

An equally serious problem is that of the inability of players to secure the necessary day or two off from their employment to accompany the team. It is understood that the same difficulty applies to a considerably smaller extent in the major unions and even some of the smaller ones where a representative player with prospects of gaining All Black honours is encouraged by his employer not only from the commercial aspect and the trade that would come to his place of business through a well-known and popular sportsman being there, but also due to him taking a broader outlook of the position. IJ' he does look to financial gain in the future it is worthy of the businessman who has the foresight to encourage it in that manner. In Gisborne the business people are beginning to realise the value of an employee who had ability as a sport as well as knowledge sufficient to hold his position and the determination to rise to the top flight in Rugby aiso stands him in good stead on his business career.