MANAGEMENT OF RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 23 July 1929, Page 5

MANAGEMENT OF RUGBY

REORGANISATION DISCUSSED PROPOSAL BY SOUTHERN CLUBS. DELEGATES MEET AT INGLEWOOD. SPECIAL MEETING TO BE CALLED. Dissatisfaction among South Taranaki clubs with the present administration of Rugby football in the province culminated in a meeting at Inglewood last night at which delegates were present from all Taranaki clubs to consider a proposal for re-organisatio’j. After discussion it was decided to call a special meeting of delegates to the union to discuss the report brought down by the southern delegates and any other matters relative to the control of football in Taranaki.

The suggested scheme, arrived at at a previous meeting of the southern clubs, was that the present north and south divisions should have full management of all club football in their respective divisions. The office-bearers of a proposed reconstituted Rugby .Union were to be a president and a vice-president to be elected from each division in alternate years and three delegates to represent each division. This body would constitute the management committee of the Taranaki Rugby Union and have full control of all representative, interdivision and play-off matches, and all finance, protests and re-instatements relating thereto. ' Delegates present were: Messrs. Howell, H. Masters (Old Boys), Sullivan, Lepine (Tukapa), Aylward, Roberts (Star), Stimpson, Tate (Clifton), Wanklyn, Coutts (Inglewood), R. Masters, Young (Stratford), Garcia (Okato), Tunbridge, Coley (Celtic), Campbell, Mortlock (Hawera), Hickey, Wilson (Opunake), Robertson, Birchell (Okaiawa), Ryan, Lindrum (Athletic), Firth. Hammersley (Kaponga), McKenna, Rutherfurd (Patea), Bourke, McCracken (Waimate), Kaspar and Attrill (Eltham). Mr. J. L. Campbell was elected to the chair, and Mr. A. J. Christie (Waimate) acted as secretary. Rugby football should be on a better basis In Taranaki than it was, said the chairman, but the southern clubs did not desire to do anything to affect provincial football. They thought some alteration should be. made in the method of control with a consequent change in the constitution of the Rugby Union. The position in the south was that there were clubs without direct representation on the union. Under the scheme the north would control their own clubs and the south their own. They pro- ’ posed in the south to have one delegate from each club on a body which would have control over all games and finance, CLUB FINANCE DIFFICULTY. Such difficulty in carrying on with the money received from the union was ex- 1 perienced in the south that they had been forced to carry on with the aid t of honorary members. The president of c the proposed Taranaki Rugby Union would be chosen from north and south I alternately, but lie would be one of ' the delegates. There had been two meet- I ings in the south at which all clubs F had been represented, and unanimous t support for the proposal had been re- 1 corded.

In reply to a question from Mr. Wanklyn as to how the finances would be controlled and whether a paid secretary would be engaged, the chairman explained that' an honorary secretary would be appointed if one could be obtained to devote sufficient time to the work. The idea was that the southern clubs should manage their own affairs and distribute their funds themselves among the clubs, who would receive the whole of the gates instead of 55 per cent., as at present. Mr. Hickey explained that the basis of the scheme was the reorganisation of football administration in all grades throughout the province. There was an impression abroad that the union took no interest in football apart from what it made from it in senior grade matches. If it were not for the lower grades there would be little football in Taranaki, but the union failed to consider the difficulty experienced in keeping the lower grades going. The union did not know that in Opunake they were running a third grade competition with 70 players engaged, and that they had had to sell vegetables in the street to keep the finances going. The fact that nothing was refunded for travelling expenses except meagre gates was proof that the union was not fostering the game where it should. Mr. Garcia explained that the union was aware of the Des Forges Cup competition and a proposal was on foot to play a curtain-raiser in Stratford from the grade, as had been done once before. LIGHT ON GATE TAKINGS. Replying to Mr. Howell, who asked what the surplus funds from club games had been in the past, Mr. Garcia said there was little dissatisfaction in the north, save in minor matters, with the present system of administration, which was admirable. He thought the southern delegates had begun at the wrong end in their attempts at' reorganisation. They should have started by making the game more attractive and inducing a greater attendance of the public. He had heard it said that in the north play was brighter than in the south. Such matters as the provision of programmes, the numbering of players, and punctuality in starting tended to make the game more attractive. Such incidents as the straggling on to the field of the Athletic team 25 minutes late a few weeks ago did not help to induce people to come again. Figures for the average gate takings at the different centres in Taranaki during the first round of the present season were particularly interesting. They were: New Plymouth (average over seven days), £ z; l 16s sd; Inglewood '(four days), £2l 19s 4d; Waitara ;(four), £l7 6s 6d; Stratford (seven), (£2B 14s; Okato, £3 16s 6d; Kaponga .'(three), £7 5s 6d; Manaia (four), £6 18s lOd; Opunake (four), £l7 2s 6d; Ratea (three), £ll 5s 6d; Okaiawa , ((four), £l.O 7.s 3d; Hawera (six), £9 17s 3d. With the country round it, Hawera had a population of 10,000 and Inglewood only 4390; yet the gate in : the smaller town was much the larger. . Both towns had the Thursday half- | holiday. ]

The balance-sheet of the Rugby Union in the past five years showed receipts totalling £8202, of which £3109 had been refunded to clubs—an average of

£6OO a year. Payments for ground rent liad taken £1207, referees’ £162, gatekeepers £482, and advertising £525, and the profit from club football totalled £2223, or over £4OO a year. FUNDS FOR INSURANCE.' A delegate asked how under the proposed scheme it was intended to deal with the insurance fund for injured players in the south on the email percentage that would be available from the gates. Until the public in South Taranaki could be interested, continued Mr. Garcia, the financial position was not going to improve to any extent. The gates were so small that if the south utilised the same percentage of the. gate money as the north for an insurance fund there would not be many hospital bills paid. He believed it was said in the south that there was too much control from the north, but that was unfair. It was also unfair to say that if a new ground were obtained at New Plymouth the south wdpld have to pay its share. The grounds m most towns were good enough for many years but in New Plymouth, Stratford and Hawera some provision had to be made. The union had tried to save the Hawera club ground and was . prepared to put £5OO into the proposed debenture scheme. New Plymouth was not the only town considered. Rugby was fortunate there in having the use of Pukekura Park, but the pari, was now taken over by the borough and as soon as -the lease was up the association game would be able to demand its share of the ground and would get it. They had had a chance of obtaining a ground and every member of the union had favoured the idea.

* Regarding junior football, the union re- [ cognised that the secondary and the prim- : ary schools were the nurseries of the game ! ,'and they were encouraged. Control of ’ junior football had been divided among ■ committees, each of which had a member of the union as its chairman. If the committees in the south were not doing their duty it was their own fault. It was said in the south that all the representative matches were played in the north, but the figures for the last five years had been: New Plymouth 12, Hawera 11, Stratford 5, Eltham 1. Three championship finals had been played at Eltham, one at Stratford, one at Hawera and one at Inglewood, while all the North versus South matches had been at Stratford or Eltham. He thought very careful consideration would have to be given to the proposal before the present system was done away with. DIRECT REPRESENTATION. ' Mr. Birchell complained that some of the southern delegates to the union had been nominated by northern clubs. What was wanted in the south was direct representation on the controlling, body. Once Opunake had had £l6O in the bank but now, since the finances had been managed by the union, they were nearly bankrupt. It cost Okaiawa £BO to run their club but they received only £2O back from the union. The union was growing rich and the southern clubs poor. If the south had the management of its gates it would j be financial. The complaint from the i south was not the profit made in the north I but the return made to the southern clubs, I which were being run on charity. : Calling attention' to the smallness of the ■ Hawera gates the chairman said games had ! unfortunately been played on race days, ! while one day there had been no fixture ! and another day two games at once. Mr. Garcia explained that when the fix- I tures were drawn the delegates from both ' divisions approved them. i Returning to the main point at issue Mr. I Campbell asked if it would not be better : if each club were represented. At present | Kaponga, Patea and Athletic had no re- | presentatives on the union and there could j be no valid reason against the readjust- I ment. ;

He would be sorry to see the day when Rugby was contn.l’ed on such a parochial basis, said Mr. Garcia. The proposed system would perpetuate the north versus south feeling and would result in the control of the body being in the hands of the president, who would have the casting vote.

Mr. R. Coutts (Inglewood) considered that it was advisable that representatives of Primary Schools, etc., should not be on the union unless they were limited to take part in matters affecting their own interests. He also deprecated meetings being held as was the case at New Plymouth prior to the annual meeting to select their three representatives on the union to the detriment of others. As a result a man was elected who had never previously taken an interest in a club. He favoured cutting the voting down so that north delegates should vote for north representatives and south for south.

’ Mr. H. Kaspar (Eltham) agreed. Mr. Howell (Old Boys) refuted the suggestion that his dub had tied itself down to vote for any delegate. The meeting was held to discuss resolutions.

Mr. Hickey was positive that south football through all the grades would be run better under the proposed scheme, and he thought the north would also. Finance was only a detail. The scheme would be beneficial all round.

"NOT HOLE AND CORNER MATTER”

Mr. L. T. Aylward (Star) said he had come with an open mind to listen and report back to his club. He, however, considered Mr. Coutts had made a statement that was uncalled for. The three New Plymouth clubs had held a meeting to discuss incorporation and the principle question of a sole selector or three selectors, as well as other matters to come before the meeting. No club was tied to any platform. It was by no means a ‘ hole and corner” matter.

Mr. Lepine (Tukapa) endorsed these remarks.

Mr. C. S. Mullaney (Inglewood) considered the proposal an excellent one. Inglewood had no representative on the union and considered direct representation would be of benefit particularly to junior football. E» did not agree that the clubs should control all the finance as the union would require finance. The proposal would tend to eliminate many little difficulties. Inglewood could always receive a good gate and he asked that a match of importance be given them.

Mr. E. H. Young (Stratford) said they had come with an open mind and expected to hear concrete proposals from the south. So far, however, the arguments had been not convincing. The chief bones of contention were that the south did not have sufficient representation and not sufficient finance. The figures produced by Mr. Garcia were very illuminating and certainly showed that football in the south had reached a low' ebb. He did not see that the control as suggested would treble the gates and make the clubs prosperous. As far as he could analyse it the position appeared to be that the south wanted to decentralise control and carry it to their respective spheres. That w r as now done in connection with junior football and worked well in the Central Division, keeping junior football in touch with the union. He did not know if that was so in the south. Possibly the members present were not in touch with the delegates, who were chairmen of those committees, and possibly they were not looking after the matter properly. If the south delegates thought the proposed system would improve their position, na doubt the north clubs would support them.

They would, however, report back to their ' clubs. Mr. Tate (Clifton) agreed that something more solid was expected from the southern delegates. He pointed out that a few years ago the clubs took all the money. How did the union manage then? Mr. Coley (Celtic) said that as a young club they had come to learn. They would favour each club having representation, but had no suggestion regarding finance. RESULT OF BETTER RUGBY.. . Mr. A. L. Roberts (Star) said their committee considered the proposals in the circular somewhat nebulous, but eo far nothing concrete had been placed before them. They had not felt the same need in the north as apparently the southern _ clubs had. Star were fortunate in having as their delegate Mr. Jas. McLeod. Star were building up a fund with a view to erecting a gymnasium so as to further improve their play. As the result of improving their standard of play their gates were increasing. He pointed out that the union had expended a lot of money in fostering primary and secondary school football out of the gates received from the High School matches, but with the completion of the High School ground shortly that source of revenue would cease. Mr. Howell (Old Boys) expressed disappointment at the matter placed before them by the southern delegates. He had expected something much more definite, he said.

The chairman said they had concrete propositions before the meeting—for each division to run its own club affairs and for three delegates from each division, with a president and vicepresident alternately from each as the management committee. If the southern delegates were prepared to undertake the hurdle on their small finance he did not see why the north should not be prepared to do the same, Mr. Lepine (Tukapa) said he had come for information. The chairman stated that the southern delegates had decided to call a meeting to place their proposal before the union. They could have done so direct but preferred to approach the northern clubs first, Mr. Masters said that if the management committee was responsible for the parlous state of the south, then it should be given credit for the successof the north. While the southern delegates had brought down some good suggestions there was the danger of interfering with the provincial aspect from some points of view. He had expected more information as to policy from the southern delegates, whereas there seemed to be no unanimity. The chairman said they would • take 100 per cent, of the gate money, whereas Mr. Hickey said it had not been definitely decided. They should be certain on that point. Finance was necessary, no matter what might be said regarding commercialising. Funds, however, were necessary to cater for representative football. Taranaki was probably the weakest financially of any of the major unions. It had less assets and was endeavouring to provide money so as to secure grounds in the larger centres. Mr. Masters admitted the union was not perfect, but he said it had been.elected by the delegates and was representative of them. A lot had been said regarding junior football, but in the central and northern divisions committees had been set up and had done good organising work. They had urged on the south to do the same and had appointed their members as chairmen.

A delegate: That's where you made a mistake!

CELTIC CONGRATULATED,

Mr. Masters said the central junior organisation had been responsible for the formation of a senior elub—Celtic

—whom he congratulated on their splendid showing. He pointed out that the union had fostered primary school as well as junior football, but the union could not do everything, and unless they h-’-d the active co-operation of clubs they could not succeed. Mr. Hickey: You can’t get it.

Mr. Masters said that they got it in other districts and should be able to get it in the south. He resented the imputation that the union was responsible for the financial position of the southern clubs. He admitted there was a lot in the proposal worthy of commendation.

Mr..Coutts (Inglewood) said in the main the scheme was good, but there were details of finance, etc., necessary before finality could be reached. The Kaponga, Waimate and Okaiawa delegatee all spoke in support of the Okaiawa delegate, considering some new distribution of finance was required. Mr. Rutherfurd (Patea) held that under the proposed scheme the union would be composed of delegates from clubs and they would know what percentage the union would require to carry on. -Mr. Ryan (Athletic) said it was necessary to foster junior football, and they must have finance to do that. A separate committee in the south would be able to boost football by creating increased public interest. He recognised that in the north the public supported football much better than in the south, possibly because it was brighter.

Air. Mortlock (Hawera) said his club had agreed that the time was ripe for some alteration so as to create additional interest.

Mr. J. Garcia (Okato) said his club had an open mind on the question, but were well satisfied under present arrangements. Air. Christie (Waimate) resented Hie suggestion that concrete proposals had not been submitted. The matter of finance was only one of detail that could be thrashed out by delegates. His club last y‘ear received £9 back from the union and had to sell vegetables in the street to secure funds. They must have club football if they were to have representative football. Regarding the statement that southern football was not as bright as northern football, he pointed out that tlie south had beaten the north this year. The ehairman made it clear that there was no intention of breaking away into separate unions. That would relegate Taranaki to the status of two minor unions instead of a major union as at present.

It was decided to hold the special meeting after the return of the chairman (Mr. J. AlcLeod) from Australia. A vote of thanks was accorded the chairman.

Delegates were then the guests of the Inglewood Club at supper, the club being accorded a vote of thanks.