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THE NEW ZEALAND RUGBY ANNUAL 1930
New Zealand Rugby Football Union.(By Geo. W. Slade) The date when Rugby was first played in New Zealand cannot be definitely stated, but it is known that it was a popular game as early as the year 1868. It is to the young men from the Universities and Public Schools of the Homeland that we are indebted for the introduction of the game, and it was they who laid the foundations of that sporting spirit and strict regard for fair play which, to this day, may be considered one of the dominating features in the control of the national winter sport of the Dominion. It was in the early seventies of last century that organized visits between the individual provincial districts were first inaugurated, and in the year 1875 the Auckland Provincial District extended the practice by sending a representative team from one end of the Dominion to the other. It was about this period that the necessity for some central controlling authority was first recognized and discussed amongst Rugby enthusiasts, and in the year 1883 an incident occurred in an interprovincial match in this city between Auckland and Wellington which brought before the public and players the necessity for some better government in the football world. In this match a dispute arose which has not been settled to this day. It arose through the different methods of controlling the game then prevalent in the two centres. Each side stood by its interpretation, and considerable feeling was evinced in the two centres with regard to the rights and wrongs of the case. Incidents such as this made central government more desirable, in order that the interpretation of the laws of the game and the methods of controlling matches should be uniform throughout the country. In this connection it is interesting to note that the two captains, who came to serious disagreement on the field were G. F. C. Campbell, of Wellington, and the late T. Henderson, of Auckland. Both these gentlemen took an active part in the formation of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, were members of the first appeal committee, and late each had the honour of being president of the Union. It is also on record that for many years afterwards they worked together harmoniously for the good of the game generally. It was also felt that a central authority to regulate not only local tours, but also the intercolonial tours, was necessity, In negotiating with the Union of New South Wales for periodical visits to or from Australia the difficulty of dealing with separate Unions in New Zealand hampered the arrangements very greatly. It was not until 1891, however, that the desire for central control began to take practical shape. Mr. E. D. Hoben, secretary of the Hawke;s Bay Union, took the matter up with great energy, and in the course of a tour through the dominion, sounded the various local Unions on the subject of forming a New Zealand Union, and so satisfied was he woth the promises of support that he convened a preliminary meeting in Wellington, which was held at the Club Hotel (the Midland now occupies the site) on November 7h, 1981. The gentlemen present at this meeting were:- Messrs. J. M. King, R. C. SIm (Wellington), J. B. Waters (Otago), A. D’Arcy (Wairarapa), J. R. Gibbons (Manawatu), Levi Coupland (Auckland), W. Fraser (Taranaki), and the conventor, E. D. Hoben (Hawke’s Bay). After a long discussion extending over two days, it was moved by Mr. Hoben and seconded by Mr. D’arcy:- “That this meeting having considered the question of the formation of a New Zealand Rugby Union is of the opinion that the time has arrived for the matter to receive the definite attention of the various Unions, and that the constitute be submitted for the their consideration.” A draft of the constitution was eventually passed with a few amendments, and sent to the Unions for confirmation at a later meeting. 1924-1925 NEW ZEALAND( "invincibles").
Back.- W. H. Brown. M. F. Nicholls, R. R. Masters, I. H. Harvey, J. H. Harvey, Q. Donald, B. B. McCleary.
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