The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1923. A VICTORY FOR SPORT

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 15, 19 April 1923, Page 29

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1923. A VICTORY FOR SPORT

<§«p? AST year the Otago Rugby Union permitted* £. |J J? the State schoolmasters of Dunedin to boy? W[j X. Ij"t cott the Christian Brothers boys—and with ; tAST year the Otago Rugby College permitted' the State schoolmasters of Dunedin to boycott the Christian Brothers boys—and with them those of McGlashan College;—for the jlfemjf attack of the bigots being aimed nominally at private schools hit McGlashan as well x as the Catholic schools. North and South, notably in Wellington and Invercargill, the action of the Otago Union was vigorously condemned as opposed to the best interests of football and wanting in the true spirit of sport. But the teachers had their way, and they boycotted the boys who had beaten them in athletics and in football, time and again, in fair fight. Few people had any illusions as to the motive of the attack, and few doubted that no such attack would ever have been made if the boys whom the State teachers tried to train had been able to hold their own against the Catholic schoolboys of Dunedin. But alas, they were not able, et hinc Mae' lachrymae. * On"last Saturday evening,the question was brought up again before a meeting of the delegates of. the clubs affiliated to the Otago Rugby Union, delegates of. the Otago State Primary School Sports Association,', of McGlashan College, and of the Christian "Brothers' Schools being present. The question was, what was to be done for the primary classes in the private schools which had been boycotted. The representatives of the O.S.P.S.S.A. (three in number) made their speeches first. One spoke in a circle round the point and said he was brought up among a class of people who could not play games with private denominational schools without sectarian bitterness being introduced, and much more in the same # or similar ineffectual strains. A second orator took it for granted that private schools ought to be prepared to suffer many disadvantagespresumably believing that it is part of his business to aid the P.P. A. Government in penalising private schools, as much as ■possible. A third could not understand (most of them suffered that way) why things should not be left as they were-last year, and expressed his confidence that he would have the support of the delegates present. He was quickly, disillusioned as to that. For when Brother Bowler -put the case for the boycotted hoys plainly and

clearly before the meeting it was already evident that there was going to be a victory for the cause of fair play and true sport, and that the delegates from the City and Provincial clubs could not see why boys of< private schools had not as much right to play football with the boys of State schools as they had to "do their bit" on the field of battle when their country called on them in the years that followed August, 1914. Mr. * Julius Dunne proposed the following motion, which was seconded by Mr. T. Cahill: v "That the primary schools Rugby football compe- _• _ . tition be -open to all primary school boys provided that the recognised weight and age limits are complied with." Speaking to his motion, Mr. Dunne said: "The principle adopted here was rejected in Invercargill Wanganui, and Auckland. Let us be men, and cater for football of all classes and creeds. I regret that bitterness has crept into this question, and-1 believe that the public consider we have been guilty of an error in judgment by allowing the Schools' Association to dictate to us. We pay the piper and we should govern the whole thing. Last year charges of disloyalty were thrown against us by Mr. Macdonald amongst others It may be news to him that patriotism is taught in our schools as a virtue.'. If I judge the Dunedin people aright, the delegates here to-night will vote for free and open competitions." - • lU-^i^T ;!: h omson speaking as a delegate from a u & 011 ? 01 Club ' said that the masters of the High ' School felt that the attitude of the teachers was unfortunate and would injure the game. He did not see why the competition should not be run by the Rugby Union itself. He did not think there was any question of sectarianism about it, but: he thought the State teachers would be in trouble if they maintained their present attitude. Mr. Strong (University) said the University Club strongly disapproved of the attitude of the Mate Schools Association in excluding the primary departments of the schools .concerned. His club wished him to say that it was cosmopolitan and that the first thing to do was - to foster a spirit of brotherhood. Mr Gilray (University) supported the attitude taken up by Mr Strong. He threw cold water on Mr. Macdonald's sectarian fears and said there had been none of it under the teachers and among the boys when he was at school in Dunedin Mr. White pointed out that it was the business of the Otago Rugby Union to foster the game of football m.-Otogo, arid the people to blame for the present position of affairs were the teachers themselves. Then, Mr. Woods, on behalf of the teachers, got on his legs and said that if entries were called for from the State schools for the proposed open competition, the teachers would answer, "No." Which was as much as to say: You and practically all who care anything or know anything about true sport tell us we are not sportsmen; but all the same if we cannot boss you people and have everything our own way we will sulk rather than face those awful Brothers' boys whom we are not able to beat in fair fight. • ■• ■■•■■' '* m The delegates then continued to roll up, the passing minutes making it clearer and clearer that the manhood of the Province of Otago was standing fast by the boy■■?tt^A'? h ? > IMessrß 1Messrß - J - Watt (Zingari-Richmond), J. Mitchell (Alhambra), J. Calder (PiratesV J H Waight (Tuapeka), E. Bagley (Ravensbourne), W. Dougherty (Port Chalmers), A. McLellan (Kaikorai), A. Heffernan (Southern), and W. Allan (Taieri Rovers) . took part m the discussion. The whole of the speakers supported the motion, with earnest hopes that an amicable settlement might be found. The motion (Mr. Dunne's) was then carried, only the.*two O.S.P.S.S.A. delegates on the Union- voting agaimt it'. Thus in.no uncertain manner, did the clubs of the City of Dunedin and of the surrounding districts, make it plain to all concerned that the large number of young men of all creeds and classes for whom they stood were strongly opposed to the narrow-minded, bigoted, v and selfish!

action of the State School teachers of. Dunedin, who first tried to drive our boys from the athletic field and, then from the Rugby field, on neither of which were they able to train teams to beat the Brothers’ x Schools. We congratulate the Rugby Union on its vindication of fair play and clean sport. The delegates acted as men, just as the" Caledonians did a few years ago when a similar move was made to get.them to co-operate with ■the boycotters. >- .