RUGBY INSURANCE FUND

Taranaki Daily News, 27 March 1934, Page 9

RUGBY INSURANCE FUND

NECESSITY OF SELF-SUPPORT.

TARANAKI UNION’S DISCUSSION.

Ways and means' of putting the Taranaki Rugby Union’s insurance fund on a self-supporting basis were considered by the management committee at Stratford last night. It was decided to recommend to the annual meeting that individual contributions be raised to 5s and that the union liability be restricted in certain directions. He had noticed that the view of all clubs coincided with the union s that insurance must be continued at all They must decided what that cost should be. They had dipped into funds to the extent of £l4OO. The insurance fund must carry itself. . • • “I think that. if Individual contributions are increased to 5s and we hold the numbers insured the fund will be on a safe basis,” said Mr. McLeod. “It would mean that the players would carry the burden themselves, which is as it should be, and the scheme would probably still be the cheapest insurance in the world. It was only fair to state that last years figures included the southern tour. It had been made clear, said, Mr. McLeod to Mr. L. J. Furrie, that an increase to .5s would cover the costs. “I do not think we should accept liability for more than 6s for each visit to a doctor,” said Mr. J. Hickey, The doctors would accept that, I imagine, ana I do not think the players would find themselves ‘let in’ for the 4s to jnake up the 10s or 10s 6d now charged.” . The suggestion was a good one, said Mr. Furrie. Whether the doctors accepted the suggestion or not, if the union ac-r cepted liability. fcr only 6s that would cut down players’ visits to the doctor straight away. _ ■ Mr. McLeod commended Mr. Hickey s idea. The elimination of massage payments had made a great difference. He was relying on the fact that players would not have to pay, said Mr. Hickey.

There had been a move to enter an arrangement with the B.M.A. said Mr. McLeod, but it had not come to anything. Would it be possible to limit the payments to £l2 or £l5, asked Mr. J. Garcia.

If that were done, said Mr. Hickey, the worse a man was hurt the worse he would be hit It would be found the senior players were more dependent on the safeguard of insurance. If 60 per cent, were contributed by the union and 40 per cent by the clubs, said Mr. McLeod, the difference would be very marked. They must try to reduce the clubs’ contribution and the union’s. ‘ Mr. E R. Coutts agreed with Mr. McLeod that players should contribute 5s a head. ■ The executive had always arranged the insurance fund, said Mr. McLeod, but it would be necessary to obtain the annual meeting’s approval. If it were proposed to raise the subscription to 5s they must also mention the proposal to limit union liability to 6s per doctor’s visit. SCHEME SHOULD NOT BE DROPPED. DISCUSSION BY TOKO CLUB. “My advice to players is this: Even if the fee is raised to 4s every player would be well advised to insure,” said Mr. O. J. Platt during a discussion on the Rugby Union’s insurance rcheme at the annual meeting of the Toko Football Club on Monday night. He added that in these times few young men could afford the risk entailed in playing football unless they were insured. An injury, he pointed out, might incapacitate a man for a long period. Mr. A. Sangster considered the easiest way would be for each club to fix a subscription that would be inclusive of the medical fee. The weakness of the present scheme, he said, lay in the fact that contribution to the fund was voluntary. Only about half those playing last year in Taranhki took advantage of it.

‘T think we can Took for an increase in the levy, or the dropping of the scheme altogether,” said Mr. Knowles. He wondered whether the finances of the club would stand a subsidy to players sufficient to meet any increase in contribution. Members generally seemed prepared to accept an increase rather than see the scheme abandoned, but no motion was proposed.