SCHNEIDER CUP RUGBY

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1934, Page 3

SCHNEIDER CUP RUGBY

ARRANGING THE COMPETITION. Matters in connection with the Schneider Cup competition were discussed at Inglewood last night when delegates from the various Schneider Cup Rugby clubs met the committee of the Inglewood United Rugby Football Club. Mr. E. R. Coutts, president of the Inglewood flub, presided. The following delegates were present: Messrs. R. O. Byrne (Egmont Village, Kaimiro), president, C. Evans, W. Moir, K. Riley, G. Peters (KaimataWaitui), J. Wells (Ratapiko), E. Comey (Norfolk Road), R. Herbert* and T. G. Woods (Durham Road). It was made clear by several of the delegates that unless the matches were played during the week-end several of the teams would have to drop out of the competition. ’ Mr. Coutts expressed thanks to the delegates for the manner in which they had helped Rugby football in the Inglewood district. Mr. Geo. Peters (Kaimata) said the competition had been established primarily to assist the Inglewood club and to ensure that the young players in the various districts received a game of .Rugby. His club had decided to restrict the Schneider Cup teams to junior players only and leave the senior players available to the Inglewood club, which would thereby be strengthened. It was considered, too, that it was not fair to the opposing junior players to have to contend against senior players. Mr. J. Wells (Ratapiko) held that a couple of senior players in a team gave that team a great uplift. Mr. R. O. Byrne expressed appreciation of the assistance rendered by Mr. Coutts, who was accorded a vote of thanks. The competition had been admirably and harmoniously carried out, there not having been one protest. He favoured the principle of two senior players being allowed to play for each team. He o did not think those senior players should be cut out of the competition, which they assisted to improve, while at the same time they made themselves more fit to play for the Inglewood seniors. He did not know of one senior player who had refused to play for Inglewood. He considered it would be impossible to play the competition on any other day but at the week-end. His own boys and any other members of the Egmont Village Club were always available to play for Inglewood. The chairman said the day of play rested with the Schneider Cup committee. If they could play during the week the competition could be recognised by the Rugby Union. would come under the provisions of the insurance scheme also. Mr. Herbert said the senior players had raised the standard of their play to such an extent last year that he thought they might perhaps do without them this season. , • , , The chairman said the Inglewood club committee did not wish to debar senior players from playing in the Schneider competitions, but it wanted the Schneider committee to debar from playing in the competition any senior player refused to play for the Inglewood club without satisfactory reason. Mr. Woods favoured limiting the Schneider Cup teams to juniors. Mr. O’Byrne considered that dropping all seniors would end the Schneider Cup competition. Further discussion was deferred until the annual meeting, which will be held, early in April.