BACK TO OLD ORDER

Waikato Independent, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3166, 12 June 1934, Page 5

BACK TO OLD ORDER

TOR THE FINLAY CUP tj fJO BE CHALLENGE TROPHY CAMBRIDGE WELL DOWN IN DRAW f The Waikato Rugby Union dei cided on Friday night last hy 15 < votes to 8 to go back to the old 1 order of things in connection with the Finlay Cup, and this, season, i’ ' instead of a continuation of the organised competition for the covi eted trophy, will revert to the chal--1 lenge arrangement for matches. ( The draw subsequently made fav--1 oured Putarurn, who will be the ( first holders. Taupiri has the first i -challenge, but Cambridge is second to last on the list. ■i The subject of future competition k "S Vt the Cup was very keenly debated, d g a r James, Cambridge delegate, (rfctrongly opposing going back to the ’challenge idea. He stated that CamBridge favoured the organised competition, and were suggesting that the rules be altered to provide for a competition of one round, all the subunions participating. The chairman, Mr W. Fraser, explained that it was customary to divide [the union into sections for the Finlay 'Cup competition, each with two or [three teams. Some years ago it was a ' Challenge competition but the rules had been altered. Since then there had Been much divergence of opinion as to [the system of play. Some wanted the icup to be a challenge trophy, others fwere in favour of the present competition, and others, again, were of the 'opin’on that it should be played in one 'Section. 1 To open discussion Mr J. B. Rolfe proposed that the competition should Be run on the same lines as last year, and in doing so he contended that this system was best from the point of view 'of the smaller sub-unions. i The Challenge Proposal l " As an amendment Mr W. T. Hasel- % flen (Waipa) moved that the cup should a challenge trophy. He considered under the existing rules there was little interest in the competition, and there was a definito feeling that the present system had. broken down. If It were a challenge trophy interest in the cup would be stimulated. ' Opposition to any alteration in the 'competition was contained in a letter from the Rotorua Sub-Union, read by Mr A. S. Cliffe. The Rotorua Union pointed out that according to last year’s draw both Matanmta and Hopkinsville would play at Rotorua this and any change in the rules ■Wight affect this arrangement. k Hamilton View f " Commenting on Mr Haseldon’s amendment, Mr S. E. Senior said that for a number of years Hamilton had •considered the smaller unions and had failed to draw any appreciable gates with its Finlay Cup fixtures: The time had now arrived at a stage where its financial position had to be considered. At present Hamilton held the cup, and he felt sure that the Hamilton Union ; Bould not look favourably upon the continuation of the present grouping ftvstem. Ho considered that the challenge scheme was a better system and for this reason he would support the amendment. .. , 1 Mr E. James strongly supported the motion that the rules remain the same as last year, although his sub-union favoured a one-round competition. He pointed out the difficulty of arranging friendly matches and said that with an organised competition each knew, to a considerable extent, its engagements ' Yduring the season. The organised competition provided representative matchthe weak as well as the stronger ' sub-unions, and that was what the Waiikato Union, as the parent body, should strive for. The attitude taken up by some of the delegates did savour of • parochialism. Support to the amendment was voiced by Mr C. H. Mclntyre (Morrins(ville). [ A Further Amendment • As a further amendment Mr Cliffe proposed that the present system should be disregarded and that the union should arrange a series of at least three matches to each sub-union, in its territory, the team with the greatest number of wins at the end of [the season to hold the enp, with a play-off in the event of a draw. He pointed out that under this scheme the sub-unions were not confined to sec fions, and a good deal of interest, would Be created by the matching of the stronger unions with others of similar strength, and the arranging of matches Between the weaker unions. Games in which strong unions met weaker unions %}id nof hold the same interest as a Wore equitable method of matching. The opinion that this might help the unions was advanced by Mr * Rolfe, who supported Mr Cliffe’s

amendment as designed on the right lines.

Mr James said that while the suggestion was not exactly what Cambridge wanted, still, as an alternative to thx straight-out challenge idea, he would support it. The Peace Cup A suggestion that the Peace Pup should be allotted to four or five of the weaker sub-unions, and the Finlay Cup be contested by the stronger unions -was made by Mr A. E. Gibbons. Mr Cliffe explained that under his scheme provision would be made by the union at the beginning of each season for teams to visit the smaller subunions, and by this means Mr Chapman’s suggestion would bo effected. After brief discussion Mr Cliffe’s amendment was lost by 12 votes to 11. Mr A. E. Gibbons then moved that the cup should be allotted to a group of unions, to be played in two sections, the cup to be contested by five of the weaker unions. This would provide n-aiiios for these weaker unions, and the stronger unions could arrange noncompetition games among themselves. “I think it is a great pity to discriminate among the sub-unions,” said Mr James. No seconder was forthcoming for Mr Gibbons’ proposal. A Further Amendment A further amendment was moved by Mr James that the Finlay Cup be played for in two sections and two rounds, and again strongly opposed the challenge proposal. Ho said the challenge proposal probably suited subunions that had plenty of football in club competitions and Peace Cup games but it was up to all the sub-unions’ delegates to view the matter from a Waikato football aspect. This amendment was lost by 15 votes to 6. Mr Senior then moved that the cup should be played in two sections, in which the stronger unions should be combined and the weaker unions similarly grouped, at the discretion of the management committee. The question of what constituted a weaker union cropped up, and when put the amendment was lost by a large majority. Mr Haselden’s motion that the cup should become a challenge trophy was then put to the vote, and was carried by 15 votes to 8. It was decided to have a draw to decide the first holders of the cup under the new system, the Putarurn subunion being successful in the draw. Sub-Committee Set Up A decision was reached to inaugurate the cup series on July 14, and a sub-committee consisting of Messrs Fraser, T. W. Thompson, and C. G. Speight was set up to draw up rules for presentation at the next meeting. The draw for the order of challenges resulted as follows: Taupiri, Matamata, Rotorua, Waipa, Raglan, Morrinsville. O nr n^)Hfl.<ro l Hamilton. The Taupiri sub-union will thus be the first union to meet Putarurn for the cup. "The Finlay Cup has become a challenge trophy, but I do not think that the union should arrange a scheme of matches in which sub-unions arc compelled to play one-another,” observed Mr Fraser. “If the union fixed definite dates for these fixtures the difficulty of arranging thorn would be obviated, and every union would have matches.” General support was accorded this proposal and it was decided that at the next meeting all delegates should state the dates on which they were prepared to play one “home” and or.e “away” match.