“Dirty Play” Spoils U.K. Rugby

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30389, 13 March 1964, Page 16

“Dirty Play” Spoils U.K. Rugby

[By

VERNON MORGAN,

Reuter Sports Editor]

LONDON, March 12. The 1963-64 Rugby season in Britain, now in its death throes, looks like ending as it began —on a sour note. In spite of the fillip given to the game by the All Blacks, who produced some really great football, the season has been marred by dirty play.

The season started with a shocking display by two sides that should know better, the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and last weekend the international between Ireland and Wales in Dublin was nothing but a shameful brawl

A nasty tendency has crept into the sport, even at the top level, and it now seems to be the thing to “do” your opponents as early in the game as possible. Artistic skill has given way to brute force, especially up forward where players regard fisticuffs as just a part of the “man’s” game. That the public do not like it has been shown by the almost unprecedented amount of booing that now goes on, but the players, referees and

officials turn a deaf ear to it. The time has come to clean up the Rugby game just as the Football Association has done in the sister game of soccer. They have told their referees to stand no nonsense and to have no hesitation in sending a man off the field, whatever his reputation, if he commits a foul.

And off they have been going, fcmed internationals as well as lesser-known players, and at times for not such very serious crimes. But today in Rugby anything goes. The referees are certainly not doing their duty. When one considers what has been going on in recent years it is a sad reflection on the referees, and the game of Rugby, that 40 years have passed since an official had the "guts” to put out a player. Not since the New Zealand forward, Cyril Brownlie, was sent off, -with Royalty present, at Twickenham in 1924, has any player received marching orders in an international. A referee may send off a player for one dirty foul, sis is done in soccer, but fouls of the gravity that would send a

rooms pass by unpenalised in Rugby. The player is not usually told that he must not repeat the offence. So he has no compunction in doing it again. Why are Rugby referees so lenient compared with those in soccer? There seems to be a feeling among the Rugby

officials that if rough play develops it is their fault. Thus any severe measure imposed would reflect on their ability. Naturally they do not want that. But they should take the long term point of view. Severe measures now will make their task easier later.