BRIGHTER RUGBY.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 101, 29 April 1921, Page 6

BRIGHTER RUGBY.

j • THE AUCKLAND AMENDMENTS. PERMISSION TO PLAY THEM. NEW ZEALAND UNION'S DECISION. SUGGESTIONS TO E.R.U. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star."! WELLINGTON, Thursday. A qnestion which has agitated the New Zealand Rugby world for several eeasons was settled to-day at the New Zealand Rugby L'nion annual meeting, when after several hours' discussion permission was i given the associations in the Auckland province to play the new kicking-into-toin-h rule, under which the line-out is taken not where the ball goes into touch but- at a i«)int opposite that from which it id kicked. Mr. J. McLeod (Taranaki) presided over a large attendance of dele- : gates. After preliminary business it was decided to postpone the election ol ofiicerrf until motions by the Auckland Union had been considered, it being pointed out that if the motion were carried it iniplit be disapproved by some officers who might have to carry it out. At tl»' instance of the Auckland delegates it was decided to take first the ■ chairman's proposal on the subject as follows: "That the New Zealand Kug/by Union, in view of peculiar circumstances in Auckland, give the unions situated in . Auckland province permission to play in that prmince the rule regarding kicking : into to.icii as adopted by them during I liiht si-ason, and that the English Rugby I I'niiin be asked to endorse this authority." Mr. McLrod said that the English Rugby l'nion showed a distinct desire to , I moot New Zealand's proposals, but it was necessary to face the position as it existed in New Zealand. As the result of a visit to Auckland with Mr. Slade he ' I bcamo convinced that it would be hopeloss to get Auckland to recede from its : attitude of playing the kick-into-tooch rule. lie thought the time had passed for secret diplomacy and "winking the other eye" at the roal position. Therefore he favoured granting special permission to pay within Auckland province its amended rule relating to kicking into touch; that the union reaffirms its belief that it is a good rule, and that it be submitted to the English Union for adoption, rto did not think Rugby was in jeopardy in Auckland, but adoption of his motion would be a big nail in the League coffin. It must not bo forgotten that Auckland was the greatest Rugby province in the country. BRIOHTENED UP THE GAME. Mr. Meredith (Auckland) seconded the motion. He had, he »aid, gone to Auckland three years ago as an outsider. He got into football there, and as a result of experience he came to the conclusion that the touch rule was essential to the life of the game. The touch-line could be used for safety purposes, t>ut as it convoyed no advantage to the side kicking into touch it brightened up the game. The Auckland rule made for open play, {riving clever backs a chance and stopping beltinc the line all day. The League in Auckland was a serious menace— there was no denying the fact. It had ) great attractions to players, and particularly spectators. Though the posi- ! tion of Rugby had improved there had been a time when a majority of the pub:ic witnessed League game's. If the j motion were not carried Rugby in Auok- | land was gone. lie did not wish to hold ' this out as a threat, but the position had ' Heen considered by all the clubs, which ' I felt they must combat the League game ■ by brightening up Rugby. If Rugby in I Auckland fell back, so that the League: I game could draw together a first-class \ ; ! team capable of playing New South ! : j Wales it would give League football such i . j a boom as would prejudice Rugby through- j . j out Now Zealand, because there were' i 3000 Rugby players in Auckland, and if they went over to the League game they • would spread eventually throughout the • J Dominion. A refusal of permission to j - i p.ny the new rule would force Auckland i • i out of the Rugby Union. He contended j • : that the rule constituted no infringement i ot Rugby prieiples, but waa a simplifying , I and brisrhtpni.ig up of the game. | -Mr. Liitle (Xeison) stated that his ■ association supported the chairman's' ■ motion though he personally disliked: ■ i the rule. ll.' realised that the Auckland i I public and players were solidly in its' U favour. Auckland was rather apt to i draw the long bow nbottt danger" from the Learr,ie. Everybody "went back" | i during the war. but Rugby was better 1 • off in Auckland to-day than it had ever | been. ; Mr. Meredith: You should say "pro- • vided." ' Mr. Little went on to suggest that i ■ the 1/cajnie was at a big advantage in ! Auckland, hocanse it_ had one ground in! I n tMeklv populated district. Therefore ] people would <jo to its matches no: ' mater what sort of a same war, put on. I Mr. assured the meeting that if 1 a few rtiurbv enthusiasts had not sup-j rvor f .ed the new rue Rugby would have ' I almost disappeared by now in Auckland. NOT OFFERING A SOP. Mr. Harris asked if Mr. Frost's notice i of motion would come forward if the chairman's notion were adopted. Mr. Frost replied that he did not wish | to force the thing down anyone's throat. He hail considered withdrawing his , motion if the chairman's motion were adopted, but he was not offering a sop. | I An Otago delegate suggested that it j ] be made quite clear whether the English | . 1 Rugby l"7iion would decline to recognise) I New Zealand if the new rule were '■ I adopted. Mr. O'Pallivan (Marlborough) declared! that tlipre had been a good deal of : weak-knet-d policy about the question, j If Auckland were given a concession to j , do something in direct contravention of the mips, what would prevent Welling- j ton or Otago asking for .some little di- ' i pTpssion? He thought Rugby would have kept poing on the old rules if the Auckland Union had been firmer. Mr. Meredith: Nonsense. Mr. (TSullivan warned delegates aeninst having a hybrid game as opposed to the universal Rugby game. | Mr. S'nde raised a point of order that ! • the speakor wes poinsr against the Marl- ! borourh Union's instructions. A letter was rend showing that the ■ - MarlboroTiph Union nnanimouslv ap- I • nroved of fno am°ndf*d ru'p being played ; J ViT- A"eklnnd until the whole matter was \ . settled. I Mr. McDavitt staged t.hnt by paving j' • the nimPTidod rvlp the Sonth Auckland , J hfd kpnt the so well 1 J pt h"T tb"t t-TiJi soa.=on tfce Ruo-bv Ar=so- ;' 1 ' "i-itions hod 10 teams, whfe the League I I ' had not cnlled it» animnl meeting. THE SCRUM RULE. ' Mr. Geo. Dixon suggested that there I - had been good reasons given for the I r ■ touch line rule, and if the Auckland • . 1 Union was going to play any other: . 1 rules it liked, then he would object. I

The chariman said he believed Auckland would not bother much about the scrum rule. It would be quite enough to call the attention of the Referees' Association to the necessity for strictly enforcing the scrum rule. Mr. Dixon said that the imaginary line through the scrum rule had caused' 50 per cent deterioration in Rugby. Mr. Prendeville asked if Auckland was prepared to drop its new rule if the English Union objected. The Chairman: It would have to be reconsidered. Mr. White (Otago) deplored any conservatism in the game, because stereotyped methods would result in Rugby becoming a back number. Mr. Dean (Auckland) declared that the men in control of Rugby were amateurs to the backbone, and he believed the English Union would come round to their ideas. Mr. Green (Buller) supported the chairman's motion. He could see no other way out of the impasse: otherwise Auckland players would drift into the League game. He approved of the new rule, because the game as played to-day was too much a line game. Auckland was wise in making a change which would improve the game. ATTITUDE OF ENGLISH UNION. Mr. Nelson (OtagoJ said that the Otago Union, while anxious to meet Auckland, was determined not to do anything which would jeopardise relations with the English Union. Mr. Pay no (Canterbury) stated that his association favoured allowing Auckland to play its rules so long as it played standard rules against outside visiting teams. Mr. Slade, replying to a question, said New South Wales had incorporated the kicking into touch rule in its rules this -ieaeon. Dr. McEvedy (Wellington) said he admired Auckland's persistent attitude, and he rather favoured the kicking into touch rule. The danger was that they would say after playing it that they could not do anything else. They were nlso playing their own rule regarding the scrum. Tie would like Auckland to come out into the open. Mr. Wilson (Canterbury) declared that he would rather jpnrlanirOT the constitution than endanger the gume. Tt was a business proposition. Players would always po where thi*v could eft the hand clap, while the public would go where they saw the best football. Mr. Ged-irs (So-urthVanil) r=aid Ancktan<l bar! come out into the open tn say what it wanted now. 'TTis union re-aliped that Airckiaivd was standing -.'irra.Tv by the pri-noipfes of amateurism, and was out for the good of Rugby. Theroforp they were prepared to support tne chairman's motion. Mr. Frost KtaW tlhat the terms of th-e cihairnnan'-s' circular letter to unions had suggested that Auckland should bo allownd to play the rules it had .pliwed during the last few Hie ha-d never "imagrnpd til Vat the d-ele-crates did not know what was being done. Oertainlv Auckland played other rules than ■the kick into touch ra!e. Auckland invited rppresemtativw of all unions in New Zealand to a cup final, an-d see for themselves wOiat new rules were being •playful. That surely was coining out into the open. The chairman paid the important ■point in dispute was the kiWring-into-tourfi rulv. Awek!ajH couli droD everything else without disadvantage. Otago and Wellington dc-legatee assured the meeting ihat they could support the motion if they were conI vinced ttti-at the &i rl-ish Union wou'd not I sevoT connection with iNow Zealand if it j were carried. I The chairman r<*pli-ed that this ?vad ■ not actually been pxit up to the Engti«h Union: therefore they did not know ' what attitude it would adopt, but to cut connection with Xfw Ze-aiand because I Auckland played a new touch rule would :be unreasonarie. I The motion was carried. I Discussion was resumed a-fter ! wh-e-n the chairman read letters from Mr j Wray (New Zealand d-e-k-pate on the |tEn*»li*h Rugby Union), Th'tve e-o-mmuni-catpons contained interesting comment on the now rules, which were taken in committoe. i Mr. Wyllfe (iWeMington) expressed the ; opinion that had the Auckland Union ; frraippied firmly with the position iinrme-|<!ia-tc!y it arose, it raiiht hare avoided • trouble, but as tihere was serious difti I cutty he was prepared to support th-e i motion co long as the matter was re- ! ferred to the English Union. It might ;be that Auckland noir'.d have to recon- ; sider its position. Mr. iFrost wished to make it cJear thot Aucldand not on ! ly played the rule invdoT discussion, but also the scrum rule. i vrtw?h ewluded the wing forward. Tii<? chairman po-intod out that the ■ Knglish Union did not .ptay a wing forward. Tire motion was put and carried without apposition. ; The chairman then mov«l further ! motions:—-(1) That tbo Xcw Zealand ■ Rugby -Union roalTirme ita caniert <-nn- ' viction that the suggest-ed rule regarding ! is in *he true interest iof tilie game, and that the Management ! -Oormnitte-e of tlie Xcw Ze-aihm-d Rujrbv j Union be instructed to again urge upon the Ererlish Rugby Union its adoption. and that a special sub-committex-e be autihoriscd to *tate fuliy New Zealand's reasons: C 2) that. Failing the English j (Rugby Union agreeL-n-g to adopt tikis. rale, ttoe English ißugby 'Union be UTged to grant New Zealand and New BoiFtii Wales -permission to adopt this rul-e play within their respective territories, conditionally on Xew Zealand and New South Wales when playing international games against 'Rugby 'Unions that hav-e not adopted the rue observe th? EngKsh laws of fche game." •Messrs. Mcleod, K. Wyllie, and H. Frost were appointed th-.- sub-comimittec indicated in the Sirst motion. The Auckland motii.n on the subject of the new rule was withdrawn.