FOURTEEN-A-SIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 90, 18 April 1939, Page 15

FOURTEEN-A-SIDE.

RUGBY PROPOSAL.

REMIT TO NATIONAL MEETING. MR. DEAN FAVOURS CHANGE. (By Telegraph.— Special to' " Star.") XAPIER, this day. Reduction in the size of Rugby teams, from 15 players to 14, is among "the proposals to be forwarded by the Hawke'e Bay Union for consideration at the annual meeting of the Xew Zealand Rugby Football Union, to be held at Wellington on May 3. The Hawke's Bay Union'e remits and recoil) mcndiitions were drafted bv a special committee, and in addition to the proposed reduction in the size of teams include:— Reduction of points for a field goal from four to three. Maximum of two men in the front row of the scrum. Provision for replacement of injured players. j"»<-u The ball to be put into scrums by the Reduction in the eize of teams would be effected by reducing the forwards, iiom eight to seven.

Among leading Dominion Rugby administrators who favour a reduction in the numbers o f the Rugby team is Mr. a. b. Dean, chairman of the management Union'"** ° f the ■ N * eW Zcaland -Kusby

Commenting on the proposal, first made in England, Mr. Dean says: "I think that H-a-side would provide the ideal name and with the 2-3-2 scrum and the present back formation all the troubles arisine from scrummaging would be at an end « nukfe B i? n ] T a ""i tbat the lotion of making it a 14-a-side game was raised by urn at the last Imperial conference when he was a New Zealand delegate He bclOVPd then, as he does now, that it would be [or the universal good of football. "The troub e over hooking would be banished Sds?tvouir e f o/' Wald ' ° r ****** f -

AUCKLAND ASSOCIATION. R.f-i If'L»'**'*'•, "feting of the Auckland hiiffbv Referees' Association Mr. J \ Malcolm, delegate to the annual conference of the New Zealand Rugby Referees' Association in Gisborne at Easter reported upon the business transacted. ' He said no new rules had been introduced so that much less confusion should exist during the early stapes of the season. \ otos of thanks were passed to the Gisborne Referees' Association, and to the Jiast Coast Association.

afam K. Dndran. jun.. D. Youn B , M. Polkintrhorne, J. Herrick, R. D Smith K L Wakcfield, S. Rhodes', R. a nd U. Maiden were elected members, subject to then- passing the usual oral and field examinations.

and i\. Mulhns were received on transfer trom other associations.