Televising School Rugby

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31347, 18 April 1967, Page 16

Televising School Rugby

The New Zealand Rugby Union is still divided on the question of televising school Rugby matches. The council of the union last week decided, by eight votes to six, to allow live telecasts of mid-week school matches. The question was first raised four years ago, when a request from the Canterbury union for permission to telecast the annual match between Christ’s College and Christchurch Boys’ High School was declined. Two years later the Canterbury sub-unions again raised the matter with the Canterbury union. The secondary schools’ representative on the union supported the request, which the union passed on to the New Zealand union without comment. Last year the New Zealand Rugby Union again refused. Now, on an approach from the Director of Television, the council has at last mustered a majority in support of the innovation.

It may seem a trifling issue to provoke a long debate by the New Zealand councillors, a small point to concede after a four-year campaign. The reluctance of the union to permit live telecasts of any Rugby match stems from an almost pathological fear of television’s possible effects on attendances at matches. As mid-week school games, in Christchurch at least, are not paid fixtures, it seemed that the question of the “ gate ” did not arise. However, four years ago the objection was raised that televising the Christ’s College-High School fixture might affect the attendance at Umaru, where a representative fixture was being held. A more reasonable approach to the question was taken this year, though misgivings apparently remain about the effect of this year’s concession to television audiences. “ Let “them get a toehold and anything can happen”, said one councillor, lugubriously. The minority of the council who share his fears may find they are magnifying the dangers.

The Broadcasting Corporation is, no doubt, keener than ever to televise mid-week schoolboy Rugby this winter when, for the first time, it will have regular afternoon telecasts. Yet the corporation would be unwise to set out to televise all such matches, for most of them would have a limited appeal. The Christ’s College-High School fixture, probably the most famous of all inter-school sports fixtures in the Dominion, would certainly attract a large viewing audience. But this match has a special following—of school supporters, rather than Rugby enthusiasts. It must be realised, though, that neither this match nor any other inter-school match has yet been approved for live televising this season. Each fixture has to be approved both by the headmasters of the schools and by the individual union concerned. Television is no longer a novelty; but some headmasters may still have reservations about live telecasts of school football. A headmaster’s views on this subject, as on any other subject affecting the boys he is responsible for, must be respected. The Rugby Union’s about-turn is welcome; but the headmasters must have the final word.