RUGBY PASSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 April 1938, Page 8

RUGBY PASSES

CONCESSION TO PLAYERS URGED. PROPOSAL REJECTED. By a margin of two votes, the Wairarapa Rugby Union, at its annual meeting on Saturday night, rejected a remit urging that teams having a bye be provided wih complimentary passes to attend club games on the Saturday on which the team had a bye. Mr M. Welch considered the proposal a step in the right direction. It was most unfair that players should have to pay to attend club games, and the policy of the Union on the subject was having the effect of sending players away to other sports. The president, Mr A. Cprskie, referred to the difficult financial position of the Union -during recent years. It was possible that players having a bye might be entitled to free passes but if a ballot of players were taken on the matter he thought they would find that they would be agreeable to paying. The Union unfortunately was not blessed with much finance.

Mr C. Gray; “How would you distinguish between players and non- ■ players A team might have forty players when it had its bye.” Mr H. J. McKenzie described the remit as a hardy annual. In 1905, he added, he moved that passes be issued to players on the day of their bye. The proposal was turned down, and he now thought, rightly so. The Union was in a bad way financially, while there was a risk of the concession being abused. Personally, he would like to see all complimentary passes cut out, except in the case of players. Mr F. Clarke said he knew how the players felt about the matter. They were anything but complimentary to the Union. He realised that the Union was up against it but at the same time thought that any reasonable concession should be granted to players. Mr J. W. Colquhoun said he was very much in favour of the remit. On one Saturday, he said, the Union asked the players to provide the attraction, which would produce finance for the Union, and the next week the players were asked to pay.

Mr S. A. La Roche said the question of the Is did not matter. It was the principle that rankled with players. He thought the Union had nothing to lose and everything to gain by agreeing to the request.

Mr L. Pearson referred to the expense travelling involved players in during the season. Mr Corskie said Rugby was about the cheapest sport a boy could play. He did not think the players would begrudge the Is. On being put to the meeting the motion was defeated.