RUGBY FOOTBALL

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2147, 21 April 1928, Page 4

RUGBY FOOTBALL

WAIKATO UNION'S ANNUAL REPORT. A FINE RECORD. The 1927 football season, as set fortft in the annual report of the Waikato Rugby Union, was a most successful one, the five representative games played being won by comfortable margins. ! l ' : The most important event of year, says the report, was the conference with the Hamilton sub-Union, which was held early in the season under the presidency of New Zealand officials. The result of the conference was a complete re-casting of their constitution in an endeavour to meet the growing needs of Hamilton, which would now have three delegates on the management committee, and the Hamilton treasurer would become the Waikato treasurer and the Waikato secretary the Hamilton secretary. It was hoped that greater progress would be made under the new regime, which will come into being at the annual meeting. The representative team had the enviable record of winning all its games, and Mr T. A. Cooper must be heartily congratulated on his labours. The results of the matches were: Against Auckland, won by 11 to 5; King Country, won by 30 tp 6; Manawhenua, won by 19 to 9; Thames Valiey, won by 17 to 3; and Wairarapa, won by 14 to 8. Points: For, 91; against, 31. In the All Black trial match at Auckland the Union was represented by seven members in the combined tea.m, which put up a fine display against the Auckland representatives, the game ending 8 all. Stan Thomas, the Waikato full-back, also played in the North Island Possible and Probable match at Palmerston North, and P. Courtney was an emergency in the: same game.

During the year a new plan was devised of playing representative games away from Hamilton, the idea being to encourage the Rugby game in other centres. The move proved highly successful.

Transport of players had given the: committee considerable trouble, and the expense incurred was considered excessive. This was due principally to the playing of representative games away from Hamilton, with the result, that the Union received less gate takings, and greater transport expense was incurred. Players had evinced reluctance to travel by train or usfe their own cars, and had practically demanded taxi hire.