NORTH TARANAKI RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 29 March 1933, Page 3

NORTH TARANAKI RUGBY

NEW PLYMOUTH OLD BOYS ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS. NEED FOR TRAINING URGED. The annual meeting of the New Plymouth High School Old Boys’ Football Club was held last night There was an attendance of over 30 members presided over by the president, Mr. A. A. Bennett. The committee reported, a fairly successful year and a slightly improved financial position. The year witnessed a fair football season, and though the club was not successful in winning any of the grades the teams played sound football. The senior fifteen started the season with good promise but through neglect in their training lost any chance of winning the championship. They showed by defeating once every team in the north that with proper attention to training they could have gone further. The juniors and thirds played well and showed much promise. The seniors played their annual match with the Athletic Club at New Plymouth and after a good fast game gained a victory by 15 to 13.

The Black and White Cup was presented for annual competition between Clifton and Old Boys. The club journeyed to Waitara to play for the first for the first time and were successful in gaining a win by nine points to eight after a very fast, hard and exciting game. Thanks were extended to the members and officials of Clifton for the manner in which they entertained the members. The balance-sheet showed a very satisfactory condition with a credit balance of £2l 9s sd, compared with a credit balance of £lB 3s 8d for the previous year. Thus on the year’s working the club bettered the position by £3 5s 9d. The committee experienced great difficulty in collecting subscriptions, as shown- by the. decrease of £2 4s 6d in subscriptions collected compared with last year. It was only through careful administration of the' club’s affairs that the executive was able to show a profit on the year’s workings. REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS.

Congratulations were due to K. F. Fookes, W. L.. Rutherford, D. Mace and R. Prior, who were selected to represent either Taranaki or North Taranaki. The club was unfortunate in losing the services of J. Galbraith and C. Drader, both of. whom were transferred to other districts. These two members who were always keen players and workers of the club would be greatly missed. The club congratulated the Okaiawa Club in winning the McMasters Shield and the Stratford Club the runners-up. ’Hie thanks of the club were due to all those who assisted actively or financially; to Mr. J. O’Neill for training the teams, to the president (Mr. A. A. Bennett), to the school authorities, members of the Taranaki Rugby Union, St. John Ambulance Association, Referees’ Association, and to the Press for its assistance generally in the interests of Rugby. Mr. Bennett, in moving the adoption of the report and balance-sheet, congratulated the club on a very successful financial year, which reflected great credit on the executive and the officers in whose capable hands they were. Representative honours were gained by various members of the club and in that the club had earned a fair share of representation. However, he could not congratulate the club on the standard they, reached or the performance they put up during the season.

He felt that last season there was something radically wrong. There was no doubt that on paper the club had the material. The players, had proved themselves capable of playing the best game of Rugby that could be expected from the northern end of the province, yet there were other occasions when the standard of play shown by Old Boys was lamentably low. An annual meeting was the place fa air grievances, and the club must take pains to discover why the standard, of play had fallen so low last year. Last year’s failure to annex the championship of the northern division was due in his opinion, Mr. Bennett said, to lack of training. The refereeing had been criticised last season, but he was going to ask them not to blame the refereeing because if a team came on to the field fit and keen it would overcome any mistakes that a referee might make. PLEA FOR SUPPORT. The club had had several men who were interested in it and who had given a lot of their time to getting the best out of the members of the club. He was disturbed, Mr. Bennett continued, at the lack. of support they had been given. He warned the members that if they did not give the coaches and trainers their support they would lose them. He hoped that this year the members would show whole-hearted support to the coach and to the club if. the club was to maintain the. position it had formerly held in Taranaki Rugby and which it ’ was worthy of holding.

Mr. S. F. Fookes in seconding the motion pointed out that owing to injuries 34 or 35 men played in the senior team last year. He was sure, however, tha| this season all the players would put their shoulders to the wheel and help to put the club in the position where it rightly should be. What the chairman had said about play was true, Mr. G. F. Bertrand, the club coach, said. Because it was true some members did not like it. He felt that in all grades there was a good deal that could be done. Probably some fault lay with the club coaches and they had to take some of the blame. It was all very well to say that the trouble was due to casualties, but casualties were due to lack of training. Players who were fit could stand the knocks but those who were not were soon found out when they received a few knocks. The following officers were elected:— Patron, Mr. W. H. Moyes; president, Mr. A. A. Bennett; vice-presidents, Messrs T. S. Jones and F. Whitcombe, and Dr. E. F. Fookes; honorary auditor, Mr. L. W. Lovell; honorary secretary, Mr. C. Smart; delegates to Taranaki Rugby Union, Messrs G. F. Bertrand, R. G. Howell and H. W. Brown; club captain, Mr. A.. D. Doile; vice-captain, Mr. L. Christie; club coach, Mr. G. F. Bertrand; selectors, the club coach, club captain and Mr. H. W. Brown; delegate to Old Boys’ Association, Mr. S. F. Fookes; executive committee, Messrs J. Birch, K. F. Fookes, H. L. Thomson, J. M. Blakeney and J. Insull. Messrs A. L. Thomson and J. K. Clark were appointed delegates to a committee to discuss the holding of a combined old boys’ sports gathering at Easter. It was decided to hold the opening practice next week-end. The arrangement of annual matches with Athletic and Clifton were left to the executive committee.

The schemes of play suggested by the Rugby Union for consideration were discussed and it was decided to strongly oppose the proposed McLeod provincial scheme in any of its forms and to support the scheme of play in northern and southern divisions as in previous years. The reasons stated for the opposition to the proposals were that extra travelling would be too great a burden on the pockets of the players, who could not

exnect any greater travelling expenses than previously, and that players would not be able to obtain the time necessary for travelling to South Taranaki towns. The delegates to the union were instructed to convey from the club a recommendation (Sat other unions throughout New Zealand be communicated with with the idea of arranging a proper scheme of conducting tours.

The secretary was voted an honorarium of £5 5s and donations of £1 Is were made to the Referees’ Association and the St. John Ambulance Association.

A letter of congratulation is to be sent to the Old Boys’ Cricket Club on having won the North Taranaki championship.