CORRESPONDENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3315, 6 September 1911, Page 6

CORRESPONDENCE.

POVERTY BAY RUGBY UNION

[TO THE EDITOR.]

■Sir, —Reading in your valuable columns of yesterday morning the report of the meeting of the Poverty Bay Rugby Union, their decision of a protest lodged by the Garrison Club struck me as being rather curious and out of the ordinary. I had occasion to he present when the match in question was played, and from a spectator’s point of view tlie lodging of the protest brought to light the very unsportsmanlike feeling which prevails among Garrison members. They alleged that their team was weakened by the putting off of the match till 3 o’clock ; but not until after tlie game had been played and they had lost. Is this a sportsmanlike attitude, sir? Did it never occur to the Rugby Union, when giving their decision, that the Kaiti-City team might also have been weakened? And again, can the Union, after officially altering the time, and advertising the same, order the match to tie replayed, because this covetous club sends in a hollow protest that their team was weakened by the delaying of tlie matcli for an hour? Had" things been vice versa, they would then have had some grounds for a protest. That the Kaiti-City players were inconvenienced to as full an extent. as their opponents was shown by the fact that three or four of them lost lialf-a-day’s work over the match, but they still stuck to their guns and played the game. Is it fair and encouraging to the winning team for the Rugby Union to practically present the Garrison Club with the cup after it lmd been played for fairly. It is no wonder, after such treatment as this, that Rugby football is deteriorating, and incidentally allowing tlie Northern Union game to creep in. Hoping that some abler pen than mine will bring this matter forward in a clearer manner. —I am, etc., “FAIR PLAY.”