New Rugby Laws Now Effective

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30405, 2 April 1964, Page 15

New Rugby Laws Now Effective

(From Our Own Reporter)

WELLINGTON, April 1.

The new Rugby laws will operate as from today, the council of the New Zealand Rugby Union decided in Wellington today.

The chairman (Mr T. C. Morrison) said this would allow all club competitions to begin under the new laws. If the introduction of the laws had been delayed there would have been confusion throughout the country. Mr C. A. Blazey said that the final draft of the new laws which had arrived in New Zealand yesterday differed slightly from the information published earlier. However, the changes had not meant a difference in the nature of the new laws—only minor grammatical errors had been changed. To help publicise the new laws Messrs C. A. Blazey, T. C. Morrison and C. H. Williams (representing the referees) will give a series of talks on radio and television.

The radio talks will be given over YA and YZ stations on April 8 and 15 at 7.45 p.m., and the television talk on April 17 at 8.20 p.m. Board Representatives Mr Morrison and Mr T. H. Pearce were appointed the New Zealand union’s representatives at a meeting of the International Rugby Board to be held in South Africa in May. Mr M. S. Ingpen was appointed manager of the New Zealand Colts’ team to tour Australia in May, and a former New Zealand selector (Mr J. L. Finlay) will be assistant manager. The trials for the selection of the Colts’ team will be played on May 13 and nominations for players will close on May 2.