New Rule Is ‘Wasting Time’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31365, 10 May 1967, Page 21

New Rule Is ‘Wasting Time’

The amended kick-into-touch rule seemed a complete waste of time, Mr D. B. Doake told a meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union management committee last evening.

The rule came into force for the first time last season, and will continue until May 27.

Mr Doake said that if the New Zealand Rugby Union or the International Rugby Board wanted some valid arguments to relate to kicking out on the full, the law should have been changed to make it illegal to kick out on the full between the twenty-fives, not just from half-way. Mr C. Rhodes, chairman of the coaching committee, said that he could not see any great difference in the Rugby played on Saturday from that played under the old rules. “The game on which I took statistics, Linwood and Old Boys, produced the largest number of line-outs of the 15 games in which statistics were taken,” said Mr Rhodes. There were 90 line-outs and neither team made any real effort to run the ball.” The coaching school run by the Canterbury union had been a great success, said Mr Rhodes. Attendances had averaged about 130 at each of the four meetings.

Mr Doake said that at the last coaching evening some very worthwhile suggestions had been put forward by coaches who had attended.

“They want more emphasis on practical demonstrations rather than lectures,” he said. “Coaching schools within clubs and special coaching within grades such as tbe under 18, 19 and 20 grades were suggestions that are well worth taking note. “The paucity of good coaching films of New Zealand Rugby was an indictment of the New Zealand Rugby Union. We are supposed to be a strong Rugby-playing country, yet there is not a decent film made in New Zealand.”

The committee, on Mr Doake’s motion, decided to recommend to the New Zealand union that it investigate the making of coaching films.