RUGBY Reporting Players For Repeated Infringements

Press, Volume C, Issue 29480, 5 April 1961, Page 17

RUGBY Reporting Players For Repeated Infringements

A player who persistently and blatantly infringed the laws was one of the biggest menaces to the game, particularly at representative or senior level, said Mr R. G. Condliffe, who attended the recent annual conference in Auckland of the New Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association, during his report to the Canterbury Rugby Union last evening. Mr Condliffe was commenting on law 35c which reads: ’’Where a player repeatedly infringes any at the laws other than laws 20 and 34. the referee must caution him and must. In the event of any further repetition of the infringement in respect of which the caution was given, send a report naming the player and the circumstances to the union having jurisdiction over the match.” “I would respectfully draw metabers’ attention to this law and would be grateful for an assurance that this union recognises the referee’s responsibility under this law.” he said. Anv player reported to the union for a breach should be dealt with accordingly. “I can assure this union that every effort is being made by referees’ associations throughout the country in arriving at a state o'f uniformity in rule interpretation,” Mr Condliffe stated. To that end, the New Zealand Referees’ Association is issuing a referees’ manual now that the ‘red book,’ like ’Lolita’ and ‘Lady Chatter-

ley’s Lover,’ has been banned in New Zealand.” As. there were no new laws to be introduced by the international board until 1964, the main theme of the conference had been a full and trank discussion or the existing laws. While the conference had been in session, the “New Zealand Herald" had reported an interview with Mr C. S. Hogg, the New Zealand Rugby Football Union’s delegate to the International Rugby Board, and had attributed to him a statement that the board had altered the law relating to the penalty kick. He had been reported as saying that the kicker of a penalty could be the first person to play the ball after it had travelled 10 yards or to the goal line. “However, as this information was not available in an official form for the conference referees must continue to rule under the old law in the meantime,” Mr Condliffe said.