AMATEUR SPORT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19783, 26 April 1934, Page 6

AMATEUR SPORT

NEW BODY PROPOSED PROTECTING CLUB INTERESTS A meeting promoted by the South Canterbury Cricket Association to form a South Canterbury Amateur Sports’ Protection Association was held on Tuesday night. Mr P. Islip presided. The chairman extended a welcome to the representatives of various sports bodies. He said that the matter was a very important one, and he was surprised that an Association had not been formed before. The clubs represented were South Canterbury Rugby Union, West . End Swimming Club, Hockey Association, Miniature Rifle Association, and Rowing Club. Mr M. J. Angland said that the Cricket Association had experienced difficulty in regard to unfinancial players, and it was decided to endeavour to form a protection association in South Canterbur. The Otago and Canterbury Associations had been communicated with, and they had offered to assist in any way possible. To facilitate discussion, Mr Angland read portions of the rules of the Otago Sports’ Protection Association. He said that he thought the presence of such an Association would be to the benefit of all forms of sports. Mr A. G. Knowles said that he thought the matter should be confined to clubs, and not associations or centres. The chairman said that they had to start somewhere, and he thought the best way was to place the matter before the governing bodies first. Mr Angland said the idea of the movement was to protect all sports. If a footballer was not financial with his club, he would not be permitted to take part in any other form of sport until he became financial with his football club. Mr W. Gow said that he felt that if the movement was confined to clubs, it would become unwieldly. It would be better to embody the governing bodies. Mr J. Drummond said that he had had experience of the operation of the idea in Christchurch, and personally he was in favour of it. So far as the West End Club was concerned, it nad 66 members, and every one of them was financial. Mr A. W. Stead, speaking on behalf of the Hockey Association, said that he thought the time had arrived wnen such an Association should be formed. So far as the Hockey Association vas concerned, it was strongly in favour of an Association being formed. The chairman suggested that they should form a sub-committee to draw up tentative rules, and those present could then report to the bodies they represented. Mr Gow said the difficulty might be that all clubs would not join up. If the clubs were not unanimous, the movement would not be a success. Mr Angland said the Protection Association was not so much to prevent one Rugby player from going to another Rugby club, but to stop an unfinancial Rugby player from participating in hockey, cricket, swimming or any other sport. That was where the Association would shine. In the case of players in one sport going to another club in the same sport, they would be governed by the domestic rules of that sport. On the motion of Mr Stead, seconded by Mr Knowles, it was decided to form a sub-committee to draw up tentative rules, which are to be forwarded to clubs. A further meeting is to be called of club representatives to discuss the tentative rules. The sub-committee is to comprise Messrs P. Islip, M. J. Angland and W. Gow.