RUGBY RULES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 99, 28 April 1922, Page 7

RUGBY RULES.

■— ■ THE TOUCH KICK INNOVATION. EVERY UNION TO TLAY IT. (Special to "Star.") WELLIXGTON. this day. At the annual meeting of the Xew Zealand Rugby Union a motion was discussed from the "Wellington Union that permission to play under modified rules be not granted any union. Mr. S. S. Deans (Auckland) said we had only to see what Xew South Wales had done to understand the position. Mr. O. 11Dixon was under the impression that tho dispensation asked for was to apply only to the Auckland Union. He would suggest that the rule be made universal throughout the Dominion, aud not applicable to a few unions only. 'Mr. H. Vrost (Auckland) said that if the meeting would look at last year's minutes members would find that the rules then sanctioned had been adopted by Auckland, which union, along with •Australia, had obtained the sanction of the English authorities. Auckland was playing in accordance with the Rugby Annual of Rules, the only points upon which Auckland was drawing its own interpretations being an imaginary line through the back of the. scrum, the freekick, and the referee putting the ball linto the scrum. ! Mr. •Routhgate (Wairarapa) spoke against the motion, and the chairman having put the motion to the vote it was negatived i>y n large majority. The chairman then put before the meeting the reply of the English Rugby Union to a letter sent iby the committee dealing with the question of kicking into touch. Discussing this, Mr. S. 11. Wilson (Canterbury) said he had never seen the new rule played, and very few Wellington men had seen it played. When he saw experienced men in favour of it, he was satisfied the rule must have its good points. Why not give it a go? Mr. Hales (Wellington) said that it was a matter of opinion whether the new rule was any improvement, but to be of benefit it should be adopted universally. Wellington had not got the wind up, as Auckland had, and delegates had no right to try and force upon them a rule which might not be followed by another team \isiting here. The chairman said that the X'ew Zealand Rugby Football Union was going to do what it liked, and the ruling of that body would be made obligatory all over the Dominion. As a. matter of" fact, fivesixths of the unions in New Zealand were going to play the new rule. ■Mr. INlathiesan (Xorth Auckland) denied that Auckland had the wind up. Wellington, ho said, was afraid the trustees might take away their ground from them. Mr. Hornig (Wellington) said that no amended rules were needed. When they remembered the forwards that aAucklanu used to have, and contrasted them with the. present forwards, the present Auckland forwards were rotten. fMr. Deans hoped the rule would be given a trial. They would look foolish, he said, if, nfter "asking the English authority for a dispensation, tbey should not use it. They would look like a lot o-f kids. They had never had any team that could compare with the Auckland teams of 1903, 1904, and 1905, every man of them a. rep. > (Mr. Dixon pleaded that the amended rule, if adopted at all, should he made operative universally over the Dominion. An amendment "moved by aMr. Hornig (Wellimrton), seconded by Mr. Pre.ndeville (Wellington), was then put to the meeting as follows: "That tbe Amendment Committee be empowered to grant permission to apply the amended rules only to such unions as may apply for same." This was negatived unanimously. The chairman's motion that the new rule be applied during the 1922 season was adopted.