RUGBY IN TARANAKI

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1929, Page 5

RUGBY IN TARANAKI

CONTROLLERS’ DISCUSSIONS CONDUCT OF COMPETITIONS. REPRESENTATIVE FIXTURES. A meeting of the management committee of tlie Taranaki Rugbv Union was held at Stratford last night, when there were present: Messrs. R. Masters (chairman), A. F. Neilsen, W. A. Guy, G. H. Percy, R. R. Tyrer, W. H. Moyes, J. Paterson, E. H. Young. J. Goodwin, J. Garcia and S. E. Neilson (secretary) . The Wellington Union intimated that it would be unable to send a B team to Taranaki on August 10 as its competitions would still be under way. • It was resolved to endeavour to arrange a match during September. The Rano-itikei Sub-Union wrote accepting a match at Eltham on Angus ll, rhe East Coast- Union wrote accepting a mid-week match against Taranaki, suggesting that it be played on Thursday. It expressed regret that the arrangement made at the New Zealand Union meeting to play on Saturday had not- been kept. It agreed to the undertaking to defray transport from Gisborne 0 to the coast and back to Gisborne. The Wanganui Union wrote agreeing to the suggestion that a B team should play at Wanganui on 24, the same day as the A team at New Plymouth. . The secretary of the Wellington Union wrote expressing thanks for the kindness extended to the team while visiting Taranaki. The union particularly 0 thanked Messrs. Goodwin and Paterson. INTER-SCHOOL MATCHES. The New Plymouth Boys’ High School was granted permission to play Wanganui College on August 7 at New Plymouth, Auckland- Grammar School at Auckland on August 24, and Hamilton High School at Hamilton on August 27. These are in addition to the Te Aute College match, which is to be played at New Plymouth on August 17. Arising, out of the protest by Hawera against Kaponga at the last meeting, on the grounds that Kaponga had played a player outside their district, and upheld by the union, the Kaponga Club wrote protesting against the Hawera Club for having included A. Guy in their team prior to his having fulfilled the residential qualifications, As they had only lost on July 1, the date the protest was decided, they claimed three days to protest (the letter was dated July 3). Kaponga also protested against the manner in which the Hawera Club made their protest, as no protest fee had been forwarded and therefore the protest was not in order according to the Taranaki Rugby Union rules, and the whole business could only be taken as informal. The 7 club enclosed a cheque for £1 Is. , The secretary of the Hawera Club (Mr. L. S. Hulbert) stated that A. Guy had fulfilled the necessary residential qualifications. Guy stated that after playina for Kaponga on June 8 he arrived hi Hawera on June 9 and had been in residence there since that date. He had thus fulfilled his residential qualifications before first playing for the club on June 22. He had also applied to the Kaponga Club for his clearance before playing for them on June 8. The Hawera Club was advised by the union on June 17 that the transfer to the Hawera Club had been approved. Therefore Hawcra’e action in playing Guy on June 22. was in order. The protest fee was, through an oversight, omitted from the protest. To place that matter in order the president of the Hawera Club gave the necessary fee to Mr. Goodwin to hand to the union on their behalf, and it was understood the fee had been received.

The Kaponga Club replied later that they had proof that Guy did not leave Kaponga until at least 6.30 p.m. on June 9. In regard to the Hawera Club omitting to "send a protest fee “througn an oversight,” the Kaponga Club was not responsible for the Hawera Club’s errors. If the Hawera Club had time to hand the protest fee to Mr. Goodwin they also had time in which to send it to the Taranaki Rugby Union. Furthermore, Mr. Goodwin stated at the management committee meeting that he would pay the fee (not as a member of the Hawera Club) so that the matter could be opened for discussion. Rule

23 stated that all appeals must be forwarded to the secretary of the union in writing within three days of a dispute arising, otherwise the management committee might refuse to consider the protest. All appeals were to be accompanied by a deposit of £1 Is, to be forfeited to the funds of the union if the appeal was dismissed as frivolous. The secretary of tlie Kaponga Club (Mr. Guthrie) stated that he had helped Guy to load hie furniture on Sunday afternoon, after which Guy and family had tea at his place and were there until 6.30 p.m. Mr. W- A. Guy stated that as far as he could recollect his sou had accepted a position on June 6 and had left for Hawera on June 9. Mr. Goodwin pointed out that there was only a day short of the residential qualification. He moved that further information should be obtained on the subject. It was pointed out that the letters from the Hawera and Kaponga clubs, as well as from Mr. W.A. Guy, were practically similar on the point. It was moved that the protest be upheld and that the match be ordered to be replayed. , . • 4.1 The chairman considered that in the event of the protest being upheld, as each team had infringed, the match should be declared null and void.

After further discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Messrs. Goodwin and Paterson, that representatives of the two clubs and A. Guy appear before the union at a special meeting. The matter of the Hawera protest fee will also be dealt with at that meet-

in Of » . It was stated that despite the ruling criven bv the union in regard to Mercer’s residential qualification, Kaponga was still playing him. The Kaponga Club will be called upon to show cause why it should not be dealt with over the matter. PLAYER ORDERED OFF. An incident in the Okato v. Inglewood match at Okato on July 6, when G. Roebuck (Okato) was ordered off, was the subject of reports by the referee (Mr. 'M. D. Clarke) and the player concerned. The referee said he ordered Roebuck from the field for offensive language within the hearing of a lady and other spectators. The writer penalised Roebuck for lying °n the ball, and had said: “You must get off that ball and not lie on it,” whereupon Roebuck replied, “Lying on the ball be •” The writer then ordered him off. Mr. Clarke also reported that the o-oal posts at the western end of the ground were in need of renovation. One of the uprights had been broken, and then bound together again, with the result that one end of the cross-bar was about three feet lower than the regulation ten feet from the ground.

Re°ardinor the ordering off incident, Roebuck stated in a letter that he regretted the referee considered the words used were intended for his hearing. He assured the union that they were not, and if the referee thought they were he would apologise. The position was that he was underneath a number of players, when the referee said he must •ret off the ball. He then made the remark complained of to himself on the spur of the moment. He trusted the explanation would prove satisfactory, and assured the union there would be no repetition. Roebuck was stood down for a fortnight as from the date of the offence. The Inglewood Football Club drew attention to the position in the third grade competition of the central division. The club pointed out that at the start it was decided to run two divisions, and Inglewood had defeated Stratford High School in the first round. Several teams had drawn out and it was then decided to run the competition in one division, playing one round. Stratford High School had defeated Inglewood and were now likely to win the championship, though each team had only had one defeat. The club was asking the central committee to arrange a further match between the two teams.

Mr. E. H. Youn;, chairman of the central committee, said Inglewood delegates had agreed to the suggestion.. The chairman: Now in view of the changed result they want the position reviewed.

In view of the fact that the decision was unanimous to play all the teams in one division and. wash out all the matches played in the first round, Mr. Young thought Inglewood should abide by it. It was decided to hold over the matter till next meeting. INGLEWOOD SEEKS FINAL. The Inglewood Football Club asked that the senior final should be played at Inglewood. The advantages of the ground were explained. The matter -was deferred till next meeting. It was suggested by Mr. Garcia that a match between the runners-up should be played, as a curtain-raiser. That was also deferred till next meeting. It was decided to vote £5 5s each to the Hawera and Stratford Technical High Schools and to the New Plymouth High School. Permission was granted to the central juniors to play a match against Hawera Wednesday at Hawera. The suggestion of the Taranaki Girls Sports Association that the shield should be allocated for competition between the winners of the northern and southern basketball competitions was approved. Opunake applied for permission to play S. Hunt during the remainder of the season. He had left to reside in Patea and that club had no objection to his playing for Opunake during the remaining three matches. The rules would not permit of the request being acceded to, it was decided. The Stratford Domain Board notified that, in response to its application, the Department of Internal Affairs had approved of the proposal to charge 2s for the Canterbury representative match. The board also notified that in connection with the stand proposed to be erected on Victoria Park, it had been decided that the board would take the whole of the stand takings. Mr. Goodwin-. Doesn’t Stratford want any representative matches? The chairman: They are going the right way. A member: Are the showgrounds available?

The chairman said he thought so. Mr. Garcia said the Railway Department- was now willing to stop trains alongside the showgrounds. Mr. Guv- I think it is absolutely over the odds. In any case they could get another ground. The chairman agreed it was an imposition that they could not stand. Mr. Percy asked whether Stratford was “suffering from one man or was it the general opinion?” The chairman said in the case of the stand the Domai: Board was generally favourable, but in regard to the recent Star-Stratford match incident the majority of the board were not in agree-

ment with the Mayor. It was only fair to the board to say that. On the motion of Messrs. Nielsen and Guy it was decided that the letter from the Domain Boar’, be received and that the board be informed that the union does not agree to the conditions regarding the stand. *