“RAFFERTY RULES”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20481, 28 July 1936, Page 8

“RAFFERTY RULES”

WEIGHTS OF FIFTH GRADERS RUGBY UNION MEETS A charge that the fifth grade competition was being conducted under “rafferty rules" and a suggestion that the competition be cancelled and a one round series substituted was made by Mr J. Pennycook at a meeting of the Management Committee of the Rugby Union last night. Present— Messrs A. G. Knowles (chairman), S. H. Sullivan, D. Hepburn, O. S. Priest, C. L. Cutler, A. B. Herdman, J. M. A. Ritchie, A. B. Rowlands, C. W. Kienan, J. Pennycook and M. J. Angland. The Permit Committee reported that there was a fair amount of dissatisfaction among players, mostly directed at the Temuka Club, from whom the weights of only 13 players had been received. As all other clubs had conformed with the regulations in forwarding weights of players as they were filed, the position, as had been pointed out earlier in the season, was a most unfair one. In addition, the Temuka Club was again playing a boy named I. Iles, who was declared overweight earlier in the season. “Fair and Square" Contending that it would be “fair and square” to all clubs, Mr Pennycook moved that the fifth grade competition be cancelled and that a new competition of one round be started. He said that dispensations had been given to some clubs which had played overweight players while other clubs had had to put their boys on the bank. Some players were still on the bank. There had been a dispute over the Temuka-Technical College game, a Technical College boy being stood down, while two Temuka boys who had not been weighed had been played. As a result it had been decided to replay the game later if necessary. If Temuka had done wrong, why was provision made to have the game replayed? Mr Rowlands said that at a previous meeting he had brought up the matter of players “sweating" down to 9 stone at the gas works at the beginning of the season, and a few weeks later being as heavy as 9st 61b. He seconded the motion. Mr Pennycook said some boys were going over to harrier racing because they were playing against boys who were too heavy. “Half the season is gone and we haven’t been keeping to the rules since the start.” It was pointed out that only 13 of the Temuka team had been weighed, so that two had been played who had not been weighed. Mr Rowlands said that Celtic, Star and Temuka were the leading teams. The motion was lost, only Messrs Pennycook and Rowlands supporting it. Games Forfeited Mr Hepburn moved that the Temuka Club be written to advising them that all the games In which the two unweighed players had participated were forfeited to the respective teams against which they had played. The motion was seconded by Mr Sullivan. Mr Pennycook: That’s more drastic than my motion. Mr Hepburn’s motion was carried. The chairman reported that in the event of the South Canterbury-Otago match at Dunedin on August 26 being for the Ranfurly Shield, the Railway Department would run a special train, leaving Timaru at 7 a.m. and arriving at Dunedin at noon, and leaving Dunedin at 7 p.m. and arriving at Timaru at midnight. The New Zealand Rugby Union advised that it had been decided to play the All Blacks against South Canterbury at Timaru on September 9. A grant of £5 was made to the Referees’ Association. Messrs Rowlands and Priest reported on the senior and junior representative matches at Oamaru on Saturday. It was decided to thank the North Otago Union for its hospitality. It was decided to ask the Mackenzie Sub-Union to arrange a match for the third grade representatives on August 8. Saturday’s Matches The following matches in the Skinner Cup competition have been arranged for Saturday:— Senior Star v. Zingari, Fraser Park No. 1, 2.45. Old Boys v. Temuka, Temuka No. 1, 2.45. Celtic v. Waihi, Fraser Park No. 2, 2.45. Geraldine, a bye. Junior Old Boys v. Star, Fraser Park No. 2, 1.30. Pareora v. Pleasant Point, Pareora, 2.45. Temuka v. Zingari, Temuka No. 2, 2.45. Washdyke, a bye. Third Grade High School A v. Old Boys, Fraser Park No. 1, 1.30. High School B v. Geraldine, School Park No. 1, 2.45. Celtic v. Star, Anzac Square, 2.45. Fourth Grade High School v. Temuka, School Park No. 2, 2.45. Star v. Geraldine, Geraldine No. 1, 2.45. Pleasant Point v. Old Boys, Pleasant Point, 2.45. Celtic v. Zingari, School Park No. 1, 1.30. Fifth Grade Celtic v. Star, School Park No. 3, 1.30. High School v. Temuka, Temuka No. 1, 1.30. Zingari v. Technical College, Anzac Square, 1.30. Jligh School B, a bye.