“GILBERTIAN”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19862, 27 July 1934, Page 10

“GILBERTIAN”

SCHOOLS’ RUGBY TOURNAMENT. Describing the situation as "almost Gilbertian," the Southland High School Old Boys’ Association, in a circular letter to the Timaru, Otago and Christchurch Old Boys’ Associations, express a hope that by a sympathetic study of the facts and the co-operation of the associations named there may still be a possibility of holding the annual secondary schools' Rugby tournament. The circular states, in reference to the ban on terms students, that the present tournament age limit is 29 and yet the average age of the boys in Southland Boys’ High School who would have been entitled to play but for the terms bar, were:—l93l, 19 years (one boy only). 1932, 17 years 3 months; 1933, 18 years 6 months; 1934, 18 years 4 month,- It is advisable also to point out that of these terms boys only a small number would have been chosen to play had they been eligible—none in 1931, none in 1932, two in 1933 and four in 1934. The circular adds that it is understood that a similar position obtains at Timaru Boys’ High School.

It is pointed out that in wanting to play terms students, Southland and Timaru are making no unusual request. The Auckland schools raise no objection to terms students and they have been regularly played in the tournament held by the Wanganui, Wellington, Christ's and Nelson Colleges (age limit 20). No ban Is placed on terms students who compete in other inter-secondary school tournaments, such as athletics.

The circular concludes by stating that Southland and Timaru base their request to play terms students on the following grounds: (1) The boys concerned, while technically university undergraduates, are also technically free place sc-ondary schoolboys and very much the latter from every practical point of view.

(2) The claim to play terms students is in accordance with the practice of those New Zealand secondary schools. (3) The barring of terms students from the football tournament is not consistent with the attitude of Christchurch or Otago towards other activities and other schools.