RUGBY MEN “BUTTING IN.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17881, 24 June 1926, Page 1

RUGBY MEN “BUTTING IN.”

HEAD UNION OFTEN TOO AMBITIOUS. DOES NOT KNOW FORM EITHER OF PLAYERS OR OF SELECTORS. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON, June 24. The little explosion which was made at the meeting of the Alaori Rugby Advisorv Board at Gisborne on Saturday night need not be be taken too seriously (says a writer in the “Dominion. ) Whenever limelight is thrown upon the game by an overseas tour, quite a fury of enthusiasm is displayed by people who in normal times take very little part in the management of the game. When the 1924 All Black team was being assembled, a well-intentioned enthusiast even went so far as to wait upon the Acting-Prime Alinister and tell him that unless a certain player whom the. selectors had not considered good enough for inclusion was not included in the team the prestige of New Zealand might be seriously ai' fected. The present is the Alaori Advisory Board's first attempt at assembling a team for a world's tour, and it is only natural that there should be a little excitement. From what can be gathered, it would appear that there has been a surprising lack of open diplomacy all round. There has been a want of confidence between the N.Z.R.U. and the Maori Advisory Board on the one hand, and between Mr Parata and the board on the oilier hand. It would have been wiser on the part of the parent body had they left the selection of the team solely to the Alaori Board, and confined themselves to a general supervision of matters. This course could well be followed in the selection of the South Island team for the inter-island match each year. The sad muddle made in the selection of the last South Island team could have been avoided had the Alanagement Committee of the New Zealand Union said to the South Island Unions, “You fellows appoint your own selectors; you know better than we do up here who are the men best fitted for the task.” A little correspondence between the South Island unions would soon have resulted in the three men who had the widest knowledge of form being appointed, and the outcome would have been an infinitely stronger South Island team. Instead of taking this course, the New Zealand Union appointed the South Island selection committee from nominations received, and they made an unhappy choice. In order to give representation to the Buller unions, Air Banner, of Golden Bay, a man who had no knowledge of form in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland, was appointed. Only one man from the Buller unions secured a place in the team, and the other two selectors, Messrs Davis and Geddes, in endeavouring to compromise, made an unholy bungle of the selection with the result that the South Island team was hopelessly beaten before it took the field. Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union should remember that if members are all confined to Wellington they cannot be expected to know form throughout the whole of the two islands, either of players or selectors, and would be well advised to leave as many matters as possible to those who are best qualified to deal with them.