RUGBY RUMPUS.

Wairarapa Age, 10 April 1933, Page 5

RUGBY RUMPUS.

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST UNION MEMBERS. DELEGATE'S SPIRITED I ATTACK. Members of the Management Committee of the Wairarapa Bugby Union, and a certain section in particular, were subjected to some criticism by Mr. A. Knowles, a Carterton Club delegate, at the annual meeting on

Saturday night. In general terms, Mr. Knowles alleged that a section of the Management Committee had favoured the Red Star senior team last year by postponing the replay of the championship final for a week because Stars had six players on the injured list. The committee, he said, had held a meeting to consider the matter but had not extended the same preference to the Carterton senior team when they had three men injured just prior to the date of the play> off. He also referred at length to the committee's action in connection with the disqualification of a lower grade player last season and demanded an explanation from members for their reasons for the decisions reached in both cases. Mr. Knowles, referring to the Star-Carterton incident said “as an example of inconsistency and rank partisanship I think that was in class A.” As silence greeted his remarks he proceeded: “Soccer is being revived in the district and hockey is advancing in popularity. While other forms of sport are rapidly gaining in favour and advancing in the Wairarapa, Rugby football is declining, why?"

A voice: “Because girls play them.” (Laughter). Failing to elicit the explanations he desired Mr. Knowles observed “silence means consent to all that I have said.'' “As one of those who have been criticised, whitewashed and sat upon,” said Mr. P. Lynch, “I deny that anything underhand was done in connection with the postponement of the replay of the senior championship final.” pe considered that members had worked untiringly in the interests of the game in the Wairarapa and, personally, he would continue to do so although no longer a member of the Management Committee.

Mr. G. W. Sellar, a member of the management committee, said that he did not recall the facts of the case as stated by Mr. Knowles. All the decisions of the union had been reached after due consideration of all the evidence before the meetings. No partisanship had been shown by any member of the committee. “Well, you have heard the. explanations of two members of the committee,” observed the president, Mr. G. H. Perry, after Mr. Knowles had made a further spirited attack on members of the committee. Mr. Knowles: “Yes and they hre very unsatisfactory.” Mr. Perry: “That is entirely a matter of opinion."

The discussion was not carried any further.