RUGBY FOOTBALL

Southland Times, Issue 23152, 19 March 1937, Page 6

RUGBY FOOTBALL

Southland Union ANNUAL MEETING At the fifty-first annual meeting of the Southland Rugby Football Union last evening it was decided to make an early start this season with club competitions and open the Galbraith Shield and junior grades competitions on Saturday, April 10. Mr H. S. Strang, the retiring president, presided over the following delegates: Eastern Southland Sub-Union, Messrs J. W. Aitken and F. M. Murray; Western District, Messrs A. H. Lindsay and A. Fisher; Northern District, Messrs W. Johnson and J. McMath; Central District, Mr J. Reid; Southern District, Messrs J. T. Lewis and A. H. Courtis; Wakatipu District, Mr W. Baird; Invercargill Club, Messrs W. A. H. Oliver, G. Millar and L. R. Lopdell; Pirates, Messrs D. Robertson, E. H. Diack and R. McEwan; Star, Messrs H. S. Strang, H. J. Brown and N. R. Brown; Old Boys, Messrs A. H. Mitchell, T.R. Pryde and J. L. Cameron; Marist, The Rev. Father Murphy and Messrs P. Meffin and D. Mulvey; Bluff, Mr J. Forde; Collegiate, Mr H. E. T. Sutton; Southland Boys’ High School, Mr A. J. Deaker; Southland Technical College, Mr J. Stobo; Southland Rugby Referees’ Association, Mr C. C. Kenward; Schools Sports Association, Mr R. G. Kitto; Southland Amateur Sports Trust, Mr R. T. Meredith. In welcoming the delegates the chairman expressed gratification at the big attendance. It augured well, he said, for . Rugby and pointed to the 1937 season being just as successful as the past year. He referred to the unavoidable absence of Mr A. J. Geddes, who through illness was prevented from attending. It was only the second meeting Mr Geddes had missed in over 30 years, added the chairman.

A Successful Season “We can claim to have had another successful season,” said the chairman in moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet. “It was a momentous year—our jubilee year—and I think you will all agree that the celebrations, despite bad weather, were an outstanding success and a credit to both the union and the province. Some of the sub-unions met with difficulties in arranging games on off days, but now that the 40-hour week is in operation and there is practically no divided half-holiday, these difficulties should no longer exist. Consequently we can look to a better standard of play in. the sub-unions and with it improved finances.”

' The chairman congratulated _ the winners of the various competitions. The standard of club football last season improved, he said, but there was no doubt that there was room for still further improvement. The standard of play of the representative team was something to be proud of and there was pleasure in the knowledge that the Southland team was the only provincial team to defeat Otago, holder of the Ranfurly Shield. The shield match at Dunedin, won by Otago, had proved to be a wonderful game, and although the Southland team was defeated it was not disgraced. That game had resulted in a record attendance and a record “gate” for an interprovincial match in New Zealand and the Southland team and its supporters had a big hand in those records. It was pleasing to report that sub-union football had again been very ably managed by the men controlling country Rugby. Of school football also it could be said that all was well, and the union had nothing to fear about the control of the game in the schools. There was competition from other codes of football and other, sport, but it was safe to say that Rugby would continue to get its good share of the boys taking up sport The finances of the union were quite satisfactory. The usual bank overdraft was still present but delegates understood that year after year there were expenses to meet which could not be' avoided. Last year there had been extraordinary expense. The union had erected turnstiles and effected other improvements, the expenditure for which was quite justified. In conclusion he thanked all who had given their services to Rugby, and wished the union success in the future. The report was adopted without discussion. Election of Officers The following officers were elected: President, Mr L. R. Lopdell; vice-presi-dents, Messrs A. H. Mitchell and N. Ji. Brown; management committee, Messrs A. J. Geddes, H. S. Strang, W. Baird, E. H. Diack, T. R. Pryde, W. A. H. Oliver, H. J. Brown and A. H. Courtis; auditors, Messrs Cuthbertson and Osborne; resident delegate to the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr S. S. Dean. The question of the life of the Galbraith Shield competition was raised by Mr Meffin, who moved that it be a recommendation that the Galbraith Shield and other competitions be carried on while the Southland team was on tour this season and that at least three rounds of the senior competition be played. The recommendation was adopted.

The draw for Sports Trust Cup matches was made, sub-union teams to play the holder of the cup in the following order: Western, Southern, Eastern and Central. Northern is the present holder of the cup. On the recommendation of the Bluff and Invercargill clubs the Waikiwi Club was granted affiliation to the union. Alteration To Rules Several alterations to the rules of the union were adopted, the more important alterations being as follows:— Rule 39. —“That no player from the district of another union or affiliated sub-union be allowed to play for any other club until such player gets the consent of and satisfies the committee that he is a bonafide permanent resident, and produces to the committee his clearance from the club in which he last played.” Rules 41 was deleted. It read: “No transfer under Clause 40 hereof shall be granted until six months’ notice in writing shall have been given by the player to the committee, except that the committee may grant the transfers if after full inquiry they find that the rule inflicts serious hardship in individual cases.” New Rule 9. —“In the event of a club having two or more teams playing in the same grade no player shall transfer from one team to another without permission of the management committee.”

New Rule 16.—“ That referees be given discretion when a team does not field more than ten players within the period of fifteen minutes from the appointed commencing time, to rule that the game shall not be played.” A motion sponsored by the Western District Sub-Union referring to the voting strength of clubs and subunions was withdrawn. The motion in amended form will be discussed by a sub-committee later in the season. SUB-UNIONS’ TEAM METHOD OF SELECTION Last Rugby season the management committee of the Southland Rugby Union decided, at the wish of the subunions, to allow the sub-unions to select their own. combined representative teams. At last night’s annual meeting of the rmion the innovation,

was discussed and delegates present expressed dissatisfaction with the “sixselector” idea.

In reply to a question by Mr A. Lindsay (Western District), chairman of the sub-unions’ selection committee last year, Mr J. W. Aitken (Eastern) said that the results had not turned out as expected. “We made a proper mess of the selection,” he commented. “When you get six men acting as selectors from six different districts, what else can you expect. It resulted in ‘batgaining’ for players.” Mr Lindsay resented the reference to bargaining, and said it was unfair to the selectors to say that. There was no bargaining as far as he was concerned.

That the sub-union delegates were not in favour of a continuance of last year’s method was shown when a motion suggesting two country selectors and one town selector to pick the team this season was carried unanimously. Nominations of selectors from the sub-unions are to be forwarded to the Southland Rugby Union for appointCENTRAL SUB-UNION ANNUAL MEETING The annual general meeting of the Central Rugby Football Sub-Union was held at Winton, Mr S. G. Mitchell presiding over delegates from the Winton, Limehills, Central Star, Wright’s Bush and Drummond clubs. The chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, said that the presence of only three teams in the senior grade had been most disappointing, and it was to be hoped that the bye would be eliminated this. year. He wished to congratulate the. junior representative fifteen on winning the Mudge Shield. The year financially had not been a good one, but . that was only to be expected in view number of representaive games held in the district. During the past year the sub-union had lost a keen worker ana enthusiast, Mr A. Watson, who had left the district. Mr Watson had been a player, a referee, a selector, and a committee man. In conclusion the president stated that as he was leaving the district he did not seek re-election for the coming season, and thanked all those who had helped him during his term. __ The following office-bearers were elected: President, Mr J. Reid; vicepresidents, Messrs McDonald (Wrights Bush), Clark (Winton), Phillips (Limehills), McEwan (Drummond), Hardy (Central Star), and Adam (Dipton); delegates to Southland Union, Messrs Reid and Clark; secretary, Mr H. Lihco; auditor, Mr D. Wildey; finance committee, Messrs Reid, W. Balch, Clark, McEwan, Morrin, McNamara and South; fixtures committee, the president and secretary. It was decided to ask all clubs to submit entries for the club competitions not later than April 6. The Western Sub-Union wrote suggesting June 12 as the date for the first Baird Cup match at Otautau. The question was left over until the next Messrs Morrin and Hewitt were appointed to control school football this The delegates to the Southland Union were instructed to try to obtain more equitable voting power for the subunions at, union meetings. ANNUAL MEETING OF GORGE ROAD CLUB

The annual meeting of the Gorge Road Rugby Football Club was held recently. Mr J. T. Lewis presided over a good attendance. The annual report stated that the club was in a sound financial position. The club had again entered a senior team in the Southern District competition and, though a young and light side, it had fulfilled all its engagements creditably. John McCallum, S. McCallum and D. Findlay had represented the sub-union during the season. The election of office-bearers resulted as follows:—Patron, Mr L. A. Niederer (re-elected); president, Mr J. T. Lewis (re-elected); vice-presi-dents, Mr A. Staples (re-elected) and Mr J. Holland; secretary, Mr D. Findlay; treasurer, Mr M. McCallum (reelected); delegates to the sub-union: Messrs J. Holland and P. Beck; selectors, Mr W. Holland, captain and vicecaptain; general committee, Messrs J. McCallum, B. Niederer, P. Beck, J. Holland and T. Peters. It was decided to enter a senior team in the competition. Opening day was fixed for March 20.