RUGBY PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 April 1938, Page 2

RUGBY PARLIAMENT

ANNUAL MEETING OF WAIRARAPA UNION STANDARD OF PLAY CAUSES CONCERN. GAME TO BE FOSTERED IN SCHOOLS AND LOWER GRADES Delegates to the annual meeting of the Wairarapa Rugby Union at Carterton on Saturday night took a serious view of the poor standard of play which has been evident in club and representative matches in the Wairarapa in recent years. It was agreed that the time had arrived for drastic action and it was decided to make a purposeful effort this season to effect an improvement. A move to restrict the number of teams in the senior competition to four was rejected, delegates expressing the opinion better results might be achieved,, by fostering the game in the schools and lower grades.

The president, Mr A. Corskie, occupied the chair and there was a full and representative attendance of delegates. Mr G. D. Wilson, chairman of last year’s Management Committee, said he regretted that the annual report was not more encouraging and gave an assurance to the delegates that any criticism contained in the report was not aimed at the players. It was the policy of the committee to do everything it could for the players. Referring to the standard of play in the Wairarapa last season, Mr Wilson said that over the past four or five years the standard had been going down

until today they had reached a stage at which it was absolutely necessary that drastic action should be taken to effect an improvement. Even taking account of the presence of the South Africans in the country and the effect of the broadcasting of matches, the attendances at club and representative matches last season had been really appalling. One or two representative games only attracted attendances of about fifty. The poor standard of play, he felt, was largely responsible for the unsatisfactory position. Bright football would have attracted crowds in spite of counter attractions. ’ POSSIBLE SOLUTION. Mr Wilson said the Management Committee thought that a possible solution of the problem might lie in its recommendation that the number of teams in the senior competition be reduced to four. That was the main question to be decided at the meeting. The recommendation had been brought forward with the one intention of trying to raise the, standard of play in the Wairarapa. “It has been suggested that I am retiring from the Union this year,” Mr Wilson continued, “because I am disappointed with the working of the Management Committee. I want to give that suggestion a flat denial. The members of the committee worked together most harmoniously and I can say quite definitely that I was agreeably surprised at the manner in which delegates sank their club and parochial feelings at meetings and did the best they could for the good of the game as a whole. My reason for going out is simply that last year I found the burden too heavy for the work I have on hand.”

Mr Q. Donald urged that Mr Wilson reconsider his decision. In paying a tribute to his services, he said Mr Wilson had been one of the best chairmen the Union had ever had. The big representative programme last year had increased the work of the chairman considerably. DUE TO RISE AGAIN.

Mr E. McKenzie agreed that they had experienced three seasons of poor football. That, however, had happened before in the past and Wairarapa had worked its way back to the top again. There was a cycle in Rugby as in everything else. Wairarapa was due for a rise, but an improvement in the standard rested with the players. Referring to the financial position of the Union, Mr McKenzie said that had it not been for the New Zealand Rugby Union they would have finished up very badly. He trusted that the delegates would not be carried away with any feelings of enthusiasm and saddle the Management Committee with commitments that would increase the expenditure. The Accident Insurance Fund was not in a bad position, but if they proposed increasing the benefits they would also have to raise the premiums.

Mr M. Welch said he would not b-?.-on the Management Committee for all the tea in China. The attendances at representative matches last year were an absolute disgrace. The gate receipts from one representative match amounted to only 17s. The position was most serious and he did not blame Mr Wilson for retiring. Mr Wilson: “That is not the point.”

TRIBUTE TO MR WILSON. Mr Corskie paid a tribute to the work Mr Wilson had done for Wairarapa football and, on behalf of the Union, congratulated him on the results he had achieved and thanked him for the very keen interest he had taken in the game over a period of years. Mr Wilson said he wished to correct

any impression that he was retiring because of the position of the Union and he repeated his previous statement that he was going out because he found the burden of work too heavy. He would be just as keen as ever on Rugby and some time in the future he would be prepared to come back to the Union again if he were wanted. REVIEW OF FINANCES.

In a comprehensive review of the financial position of the union, the treasurer, Mr H. A. McPhee, said the season finished with a loss on the year's working of £162 Is Bd. When account was taken, however, of the Union’s allocation of £4OO from the profits of the South African tour, the loss was turned into a profit of £237 18s 4d. Last year concluded with a profit of £73 9s 2d. Gate and stand receipts from club games were down £77 6s 9d on last year, while receipts from representative games also

showed a decrease of £32 13s as compared with the previous year. The returns from club games were the lowest since 1928. The Accident Insurance Fund showed a profit of £2l 18s 4d, as compared with a loss of £l5 10s 3d in 1936. Mr McPhee sounded a note of warning regarding the finances and said it would be very necessary to keep a careful watch on expenditure during the coming season.

Mr Donald said the expenditure had been cut as fine as possible. Most of the expenditure items were down on the previous year, while the poor gate returns, due to the South African visit, had made a lot of difference to the finances. This season the Union would not be faced with the expense of entertaining so many visiting representative teams. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Patron, Mr W. H. Booth; president, Mr J. F. Thompson; vice-presidents, Messrs C. Smith, Q. Donald jnr., E. B. Booth, J. B. Jury, S. Gilman, W. G. Lamb, G. A. Vincent, G. D. Wilson; vice-president to New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr G. D. Wilson; delegates to New Zealand Rwgby Union, Messrs E. McKenzie and Q. Donald; secretary, Mr E. McKenzie; treasurer, Mr H. A. McPhee; sole selectors, senior, Mr E. McKenzie; junior, Mr K. Reid; auditor, Mr N. R. Armstrong; Management Committee, Messrs Q. Donald, E. B. Booth, M. Parker, C. Gray, L. Pearson, K. Fairbrother, N. G. Rayner, K. Reid, S. Henson. SEASON OPENING DATE.

Mr F. Clarke urged that an effort should be made to open the season as early as possible. In the past, he added, the competitions had been too drawn out and interest was lost to ; wards the end of the season. It was decided to open the season on April 23 with a seven-a-side competition for senior and junior grades. An invitation from the Hawke’s Bay Union for Wairarapa to play Hawke’s Bay at Napier on the King’s Birthday was accepted. MR. McPHEE NEW CHAIRMAN. At a subsequent meeting of the Management Committee, Mr H. A. McPhee was elected chairman and Mr Q. Donald deputy chairman. Mr McPhee welcomed the new members on the committee and a vote of thanks was passed to the retiring members.

It was decided to contribute half of the expenses of the delegate from the Wairarapa Referees’ Association, who would be attending the annual conference of the New Zealand Referees’ Association, to be held in Oamaru at Easter.

The mattter of obtaining a supply of school footballs was left to the secretary. The method of distribution is to be decided later.

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union wrote applying for a match between its touring team and Wairarapa this season. It was decided to hold the application over in the meantime. Applications for reinstatement from League to Rugby were received fron/R. Warren and N. Mason. Both are to be sent on to the New Zealand Rugby Union, in the case of Warren with a recommendation for favourable consideration. No recommendation is to be attached to Mason’s application. The following Easter matches were approved: Old Boys v. Hutt, at Hutt; Greytown v. Eastbourne, at Greytown; Gladstone v. Miramar, at Gladstone. Other applications to play Easter matches will be dealt with by the secretary. The following committees were appointed: Fixtures, Messrs McPhee, Parker and Fairbrother; appointment board to act with a representative of the Referees’ Association, Messrs. Gray and E. McKenzie; postponement Messrs. Donald, Rayner and E. McKenzie.

It was resolved that nominations of teams for the club championships and the seven-a-side tourney must reach the secretary by Tuesday, April 19.