OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13663, 30 March 1908, Page 5

OTAGO RUGBY UNION.

DtiNEDIN, March 28.

The annual meeting of the Otago -Rugby -Footljatt— Union was held- last night. The president, Mr G. W. C. Maodonald, -referred io the fact that last season the' "professional team left the DoDbgtniofi for England? No man was more stic^mgly - oipos'ed ■" to .professionalism than he was; but he certainly thought that the over-stringent rules of the amateurism adopted by the English Rugby Union hjtd- led to the establishment of professionalism- If a player who went on tour with an interprovincial team lost his wages, -.why " should the union not make 1 up his wages ? Thfe man did not" make his living by the game. . „ It was resolved, "That it be a recommendation to the committee of management to ' instruct its delegates to the New ' Zealand Rugby Union to move for a conference or the setting up of a cominWiee to go thoroughly into; the rules of the game, with the object of their improvement, and that the decisions of the conference or t suggestions of the committee be passed on to the English Union." It was aiso resolved, "That it bo ah instruction to the delegates to the New Zealand Union to pring 1 before the an-! nual meeting of the Union the question of the programme of the British team's to«y, with - a view ;to having .test I matches substituted for matches against the North and South Islands." Mr J. Hutchison was elected president.