RUGBY RULES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 232, 1 October 1931, Page 17

RUGBY RULES.

CHAT WITH PORTER. SOMETHING "UP HIS SLEEVE." NOT ENAMOURED OF OLD RULES. (From Onr Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, August 24. Returning from e, 'business trip to England, Cliff Porter, famous AH Black captain and wing-forward, lias made some very interesting remarks about Rugby to the Sydney Press. "I had an interesting conversation with Wakefield, the former captain of England, at the Savoy Hotel at a hmcheon to the New Zealand cricketers," Porter related. "We old chaps found thai we were in complete agreement that something should be done to inake for uniformity in Rugby throughout the world, especially in regard to the acrum. The point arose whether New Zealand, with the 2—3 —2 formation, should give way and adopt the formation of the other countries. _ I said I would be prepared to help in this regard as soon as it was .proved that three men were better than two. Porter said 'he had heard since he left England that the Rugby Union had produced a rule, in effect, that the ball could not be hooked in a scrum unlcwi it had passed three feet of the men on either side. Porter laughingly remarked that New Zealand had been vindicated, in that the effective front row of the 3—2—3 formation, do far "as raking was ©oncernod, had thus been reduced, to two, for the man in the front row on the side that the bail was put in could not assist. Porter evidently has something up his sleeve. He nays it may be thought that New Zealand will have to; adopt the three formation, because of the rule, but he has the idea he can see a way out for the New Zealand pack. To do this he imust have a sorum set "to try out his theories. "As for abolishing the wingforward," he added, 'Veil you can't, so Ion?; as he is behind the ball." Porter said he had at one time favoured reversion to the old rules, but 'h,e now realised that the public must be catered for and that the old rules could be used to slow up the game. DOMINION'S OLJJEST CLUB. DUNEDIN CELHBRATES DIAMOND JUBILEE. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") DUNEDIN, Wednesday. Dunedin, the oldest active Rugby club in the Dominion, celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday. In the early stages Dunedin played two games of football a years, its opponents being the Union Club, which is still in existence. In 1877 the Dunedin Club, with two Union players, sent a team through New Zealand, playing matches at Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, Temuka, and Timaru, winning all of these, and drawing with Auckland, not a point being scored against it. The oldest llring member of the Dunedin Clnb is Mr. W. Mills. He joined in 1873 and was a member of the team that toured New Zealand, and represented Otago until 18S5. KNOCK-OUT COMPETITION. FIXTURES FOR SATURDAY. The Auckland Rugby Unfon's senior knock-out competition and matches in other grades will be continued on Saturday, the draw being as follow: — SENIOR GRADE. College Rifles v. Technical Old Boys, Showgrounds No. 2, 1.45 p.m., Mr. A. A. Lucas; Ponsonby v. Manukan, Showjrrounda No. 1, 3 p.m., Mr. A. J. Malcolm; Eden v. Otahuhu, Gribble-Hirst Park, 3 p.m., Mr. T. Mahoney ; Marist v. North Shore, North Shore, 3 p.m.. Mr. A. E. Macintosh; Rosklll v. Parnell, Showgrounds No. 2, 'A p.m., Mr. A. A. Lucas. JUNIOR GRADE. Unlrerafty v. Ponsonby. Showgrounds No. 1, 1.30 p.m.. Mr. A. J. Malcolm. THIRD GRADE OPEN. Waitemata v. Penrose. Onter Domain, 3 p.m., Mr. J. G. C. Wales. FOURTH GRADE. Technical Old Boys v. Manukan, Outer Domain, 1.30 p.m„ Mr. J. G. C. Wales. HOUSE MATCHES. Dominion Road Churches v. Ponsonby Churches, Gribble-Hirst Park, 1.45 p.m., Mr. T. Mahoney; Hardleys, Ltd., v. Technical Old Boys, Showgrounds No. 3 p.m., Mr. B. Bird; City Telephone Exchanges v. Suburban Telephone Exchanges, Showgrounds No. 4, 3 p.m., Mr. M. A. Edwards; Farmers' Fertilisers v. Kempthorne-Pros-i ser's, Onehunga No. 2, 3 p.m., Mr. F. E. Gargan; Brown and Barrett v. Bond and Bond, Avondale No. 2, 3 p.m.." Mr. N. Blucher; Waitemata Power Board v. Auckland Power Bord, Takapuna, 3 p.m., Mr. C. 11. Hayden ; United Repairing Company v. Union Steamship Company, Onehunga No. 3, 3 p.m., Mr. H. Gargan. Reserves.—Messrs. A. J. Dotchin, C. W. Henderson, L. Rightoh. PRIMARY SCHOOLS' COMPETITIONS. Following Is the draw for the final matches to be played in the primary schools' Rugby competitions to-morrow: — Senior Grade.-—Maungawhau r. Otahuhu Junior High School. Showgrounds No. 1, 3.30 p.m., Mr. Tunnicliffe. Intermediate Grade. —Northcote Junior High School v. Remuera, Outer Domain, 4 p.m., Mr. Moore. Junior Grade.—Kowhal Junior Hign School v. Remnera, Outer Domain, 3.30 p.m., Mr. Bullians. MASSEY CHALLENGE CUP. The final Rugby match of the season will | be played at Pukekohe on Saturday for the Massey Challenge Cup, between Pukekohe (holders) and Manukau (challengers). The Pokekohe team is as follows: —Willis, Rogers, Wood, Brown, Walters, Jamieson, Hogan, Guise, Crisp, MeAlpine (2), Harard, Brown lee, Parton and Chitty. Reserves: Stefctteon, Carnafcban, White And Wharfe. WELLINGTON RETURN MATCH OFF. On account of the difficulty of getting leading Auckland players away, a proposal to play a return match with Wellington at Wellington has fallen through. It was a condition required by Wellington that the teams should be approximately those which played In the match at Auckland.