Cry Is Made For New Blood In Management Of Rugby.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19134, 29 July 1930, Page 14

Cry Is Made For New Blood In Management Of Rugby.

OLD MEMBERS HAVE DONE MUCH IN THE PAST,

BUT LATELY HAVE SLIPPED, SAYS CLUB CRITIC.

66 TX THE PAST the old members have done much for Rugby X football, but lately they have slipped. The cry now is for new blood, for men who will pull the game up. The game is falling in the estimation of the players as well as of the public; and this is due to the fact that the officials have been too long in office.” These statements were made at last evening’s meeting of the Christchurch Football Club by Mr D. M. M’Rae, who urged that steps should be taken to introduce new blood on the Canterbury Rugby Union.

Mr M’Rae said that the standard of Rugby football in Christchurch was declining. and that it was the fault of the Canterbury Rugby Union. He moved: “That two members of this club be appointed to confer with other senior football clubs, and see what attitude they would support with a view to introducing new blood Into the Canterbury Rugby Union.” The motion was carried. Mr M’Rae said that when -members were elected to the Rugby Union at the beginning of the year, the Linwood Club had sent up a delegate, but he had not been elected. Thus the Linwood Club had no representative on the union. Naming a certain member of the union and describing him as an outsider, Mr M’Rae said that that member had been in Canterbury only two months, and yet had been elected. There was any number of young players who were qualified for a position ! on the union, and who should have had preference. Regarding the Canterbury Rugby Union’s refusal to allow last Saturday’s test match to be rebroadcast, Mr M’Rae said that it was outside their field to dictate on ’ such matters. Verj' few would endorse their policy, just for the sake of the few extra shillings they gained. “It is such acts as these,” he said, “that jeopardise the welfare and popularity of the game.” All clubs were pleased to play cur-tain-raisers before the big games on Lancaster Park, but lately the Rugby Union had not been staging any. The union would be furthering interest in Rugby football if they put on more curtain-raisers. Mr M'Rae complained that last Saturday’s senior A grade draw had been very bad, the Christchurch Club, who had three men absent playing in the test, having- to meet one of the strongest teams in the competition. The best team should always win, but this would not have been the case if Christchurch had lost. Mr E. V. Phillips said that it was the first time in twenty-two years that he had heard any member of the Christchurch Football Club, the oldest club in New Zealand, make such outrageous criticism of the Canterbury Rugby Union. Regarding Mr M’Rae's remarks' about a certain member of the union, Mr Phillips said that he had been treasurer of the Otago Union for eighteen years and was well qualified for a position on the Canterbury Union.

The statement that the draw should have been changed because the Christchurch Club had three men absent was very unsporting, said Mr Phillips. It spoke well for the club that they had men to take the place of the absent members ,and it was a greater honour to them that they could put up such a good exhibition as they did. At the annual meeting of delegates, the subject of broadcasting matches had caused considerable discussion, and it was decided to broadcast the tests, continued Mr Phillips. It was thought at the time that the Broadcasting Company would make a grant to the unions, c*r to some charitable fund, but this had not been done. The Management Committee had then decided that only some matches would be put on the air. Some stations were granted permission to broadcast and others were not. Station 2YA, Wellington, had been given permission. The matter was in the hands of the New Zealand Rugby Union, not of the Canterbury Union. The club captain, Mr A. I. I-lughes, said that Mr M’Rae’s remarks about the draw last Saturday were very unsporting and that he objected strongly to them. He was satisfied, that the Canterbury Union was doing its best for the game, and that members should not allow club sentiment to over-rule the ‘common good. Mr E. Hardy-Joljnstone, an old member of the club, supported Mr M’Rae’s remarks. Outside men .should not be brought into the Canterbury Union and it was a slur upon Canterbury if they could not supply their own representatives. “At present everything seems to be a matter of cash,” ho said, “and if a game does not pay it is not worth while.” Many people were not able to attend matches, but always listened-in, and the Canterbury Union’s policy in not allowing matches to be broadcast was very unfair. Replying, Mr M’Rae said that the New Zealand Union had given permission to all radio stations to broadcast, so long as they had the consent of the union in whose district they were situated. The Canterbury Union had refused to allow last Saturday’s match to be rebroadcast and the blame rested entirely upon them. He alleged that the union had been extravagant in the way it had sown Rugby Park. After further discussion, Mr P. Kirby seconded Mr M’Rae’s motion, which was carried. Messrs M’Rae and Kirby were elected to be the two members to meet the other clubs.

REFEREES COMPLIMENTED AT UNION FUNCTION.

(Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAND, July 28. Mr W. H. Sobey, vice-captain of the touring side* proposed at Saturday night’s Rugby dinner the toast of the referee, Mr S. Hollander, who had controlled all three test games. The team would have to go a long way to find a more competent and impartial referee, he said. SOBEY TO BE AVAILABLE. (Special to the “ Star.”) AUCKLAND, July 2S. Ten members of the British team left for Rotorua by train this morning, and the rest for Whangarei. Those who have gone back to Rotorua are Black, Aarvold. Murray, Sobey, Spong, Ivor Jones, O’Neill, Bonner, Beamish and Farrell. They will rejoin the rest of the team at the match at Hamilton next Saturday. After the match against North Auckland at Whangarei on Wednesday the British team will come back to Auckland on Thursday and leave the same day for Hamilton. It is announced that W. 11. Sobey, the brilliant English half-back, will be available for the match against Wai-kato-King Country next Saturday.

NORTH AUCKLAND MATCH.

Per Pres 3 Association. WHANGAREI, July 28. The British Rugby representatives who will meet North Auckland on Wednesday, comprise the following:— Full-back: J. Bassett. Three-quarters: J. S. Reeve, T. C. Knowles, 11. M. Bowcott, A. L. No vis. Fly-half: T. E. Jones-Davies. Scrum-half: N. Poole. Front row: D. A. Kendrew, D. Parker, H. Rew. Middle row: J. M’D. Hodgson, S. A. Martin dale. Back row: W. B. Welsh, F. D. Prentice, Wilkinson. The players were accorded a civic welcome at the Town Hall directly after their arrival from Auckland this .afternoon. To-morrow the Whangarei golf course is to be placed at the disposal of the visitors, who will be entertained at a banquet after the match on Wednesday.

BLOW ON HEAD RESULTS IN YOUNG BOY'S DEATH.

Per Pres-s Association. WELLINGTON, July 28. On Saturday afternoon Kenneth Ebbles Oram, aged thirteen years, a son of Mr and Mrs G. C. Oram, of Wallaceville, received a severe blow on the head from another boy’s knee while practising football. He walked home but soon after showed signs of serious injury. A doctor was called in but the boy became unconscious and died at 2 a.m. on Sunday from cerebral haemorrhage.

HALF-YEARLY MEETING OF CHRISTCHURCH CLUB.

. The half-yearly meeting of the Christchurch Rugby Football Club was hold last tevening, Mr L. C. Matson presiding over a fair attendance. T The report stated that the member- •! ship of the club was 420, compared with 445 at the commencement of the season. Nine teams had been entei'ed, I compared with eleven teams last year. I The Red and Black Ball was to he held at the Winter Garden on September 3. The club was running third for j the Evans Shield. The balance-sheet showed credits of £44 7s 6d and £lO2. Outstanding subscriptions were increasing rather than diminishing. } It was resolved to write to the Wellington Club and congratulate them on attaining their diamond jubilee. Representative honours had been gained by the following:—Canterbury: ‘ A. I. Cottrell. G. F. Hart, J. E. Man- : Chester, G. Scrimshaw and R. T. Stewart; New Zealand: A. I. Cottrell, G. F. 1 Hart and R. T. Stewart. A motion that the committee should ■ obtain the use of Mr Musson's rooms ! for training for the two senior teams on Wednesday nights was carried. As the lease of thte club rooms could not be renewed for a long period when the present lea.se expired, no new furnishings were being bought. The secretary was endeavouring to obtain • rooms which could be rented for a

MOST BRILLIANT BACK ON SATURDAY WAS SPONG

(Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAND, July 28. In the course of an editorial entitled “The Great Match,” the -“Auckland Star” says:—“The game was memorable for good sportsmanship as for hard, exciting and skilful football, because its generalship was better. .Apparently by general consent the most brilliant back on the ground was the British half-back, Spong, but if it was anybody’s match in particular it was Nicholls’s. The veteran’s judgment did not fail. Indeed, it was a memori able match in the number of famous players engaged, some of whom are at or near the end of their careers. Though Nepia was hardly the Nepia who has been acclaimed the greatest of all full-backs, it is something for one to be able to say that one has seen Nepia and Bassett on the some field. “After a match like this, compliments such as were exchanged between the sides were entirely appropriate, and it is very regrettable that Mr E. M’Ken zio, manager of the New Zealand team, and one of the hosts cf the British team, should have made such a discordant exception of himself. This was neither the time nor place for such a criticism of the visitors’ tactics, and what Mr Baxter said early in the tour was no excuse for such a serious breach of the code of good manners. The Rugby officials who afterwards expressed regret at Mr M’Kenzie’s state- , ment spoke for public opinion as well as for themselves.” TOWN V. COUNTRY MATCH. A- W. Roberts, who has been selected as full-back for the Town team to meet the Country team on Wednesday, has notified the selectors that he is unable to play. J. .Edmonds, of the Linwood Club, has been selected in his place.

THE LEAGUE GAME.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE. The Management Committee of the Canterbury Rugby Football League met last evening; present—Messrs F. Shea-* han (chairman), L. Cox, A. Drury, L. Amos, R. M’Gloin, P. Kirton, W. Rogers’ J. M’Quillan and S. M. Richardson (secretary). Mr S. M. Richardson moved that the motion instructing the selectors to nick twenty-two players for training for’ the representative team be rescinded. This was carried on the casting vote of the chairman. Mr* Richardson then moved that the selectors be instructed to pick thirteen players and two emergencies. Members expressed the opinion that this was enough, and the motion was carried on the casting vote of the chairMr .T. Saunders was appointed a selector in the place of Mr J. K. Worrall, who had been granted leave of abThe ordering off of L. Amos in the Addington-Sydenham game on Saturday was discussed in committee, no report being made. Junior Advisory Board. At a meeting of the Junior AdvisoryBoard, held prior to the centre meeting, permission was granted to the Woolston third grade and schoolboys teams to travel to Greymouth to play matches there on Saturday, August 2. The West Coast Marist Club notified that their junior team would travel to Christchurch to play Hornby Juniors on Saturday, August 2. Saturday’s Matches. First Grade—Waimairi v. Svdenham, Monica Park, 2.45 p.m. (Mr C. Hill); line umpires. Messrs R. Keller and E. Jones; Hornby v. Linwood, Linwood Park. 2.45 p.m. (Mr E. King); Marist v. Woolston, Innes Road, 2.45 p.m. (Mr P. Kirton); Addington a bye. Second Grade—Riccarton v. Marist Hagley Park West, 2.45 p.m. (Mr A.’ Vivian): Linwood v. Addington, Jerrold Street, 2.45 pm. (Mr F. Dorizze); Hornby v. West Coast Marist, Monica Park, 3.30 p.m. (Mr E. Jones). Third Grade—Templeton v. Hornby, Hornby, 2.45 p.m. (Mr T. Carroll); Svdenham v. Marist A, Sydenham Park. 2.45 p.m. (Mr J. Condon): Linwood v. Marist B, Woolston Park, 2.45 p.m 'Mr A. Wylie); Sydenham a bye. Sixth Grade—Linwood v. St Joseph’s St Joseph’s. 2.45 p.m. (Mr W. Young); Marist v. Riccarton, Wharenui School, 2.45 p.m. (Mr W. Desmond); Hornby v. Waimairi, Ilornby, 2.45 p.m. (Mr C Rowe). Seventh Grade—Linwood v. Marist Linwood Park, 3.30 pin. (Mr A. Clark); Riccarton a bye. Schoolboys Grade—Linwood A v. Addington A, Hagley Park West, 1.30 p.m. (Mr A. Davis); Sydenham A v. Sydenham B, Sydenham Park, 1.30 p.m. (Mr C. M"Guire); Marist A v. St Joseph’s. St Joseph’s, 3.30 p.m. (Mr W. Young); Addington B v. Marist B, Jerrold Street, 1.30 p.m. (Mr E. Gearv); Linwood a. bye.