ROUGH PLAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 113, 15 May 1925, Page 5

ROUGH PLAY.

TO BE SEVERELY DEALT WITH. BY AUCKLAND RUGBY LEAGUE. Although the football season has. been | in swing less than a month there have j been instances of unduly rough play, aud j the tactics resorted to are not always m , | keeping with what is regarded as true ' sportsmanship. Football is not. a game i for girls, although attempts were made to make it popular with the fair sex i from a playing point, but there was such an outcry against the proposal and , the efforts made, particularly in W'eUinu ton, that tbe move did not develop sufficiently to allow of a competition ( being started, and tnc proposal really died in its infancy. ' All football, be it Soccer, Union, or I League, at times becomes hard, but that i it no reason why players should so fir i lose control of themselves as ~, re.sorl to deliberate kicking unci punching ' opponents. Happily, this is not, in obliged in to any great extent, but it locs , happen, and when tlie culprits nre c caught they should be made to pay the '. full penalty. ( In touching on the matter of rough : play, the chairman of the Auckland Rugby League. Mr. W. J. Hammill,. this morning was emphatic that drastic steps 1 were to be taken to see that footb.-ill. under the League code, was to lie played ill that sporting spirit the public e'\ i pectcd. Two offenders had already ' been suspended and the appeals lodged ' by their clubs against the suspension were heard last evening by the Judical Committee of the New Zealand League and had been dismissed. Referees had been asked to report a?) guilty of illegal and unsportsmanlike play and t l "' plas'er who could not control himself : would soon lind a place on the sideline. Tbe player who could not take a hard knock, given quite unintentionally without losing his temper, was vol. wanted and the officials, with the sup port of the referees, were going to sec that he did not find a place on the field. Touching upon tbe present season's programme. Mr. Hammill said thai Mr. Quinlan, representing the Australian Rugby League was now in Auckland, and was making all arrangements in connection with the tour of a New Zen la ml team to Australia in July, 'flic dates for the matches had not yet been deliti itely decided upon, but, the New Zc„ landers would play several games. uio"lv in New South Wales and Queensland. In order to get the best team available ;, was proposed to play trial matches which would include one between learns rep resenting tbe North and South Islands. Interviewed subsequently. Mr. Quinlan remarked that the League game v. is lat a high standard in Sydney and Puis I bane, and some fine football was being | shown. However, the Australians always ' bad a high regard for any team from JMaoriland, and they did not forget (he New Zealanders were capable of winning the ashes from the Englishmen last year.