New Substitutes Rule Happy Shock To N.Z.

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31631, 18 March 1968, Page 22

New Substitutes Rule Happy Shock To N.Z.

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

“A shock, but a very happy one,” was how the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union (Mr T. C. Morrison) described the announcement from Edinburgh on Saturday that substitutes will be allowed for injured players in future international matches.

New Zealand had been pressing for substitutes for many years, but had made little apparent headway, said Mr Morrison.

“We are confident this change will prove a major step forward,” he added. “We have always supported replacements in all classes of Rugby, including internationals.” The announcement came from the International Rugby Board, after its annual meeting in Edinburgh. Representatives of England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa attended. TOUCH KICKING

The “Australian dispensation” rule on touch kicking will be tried out in Britain next season and other rule changes were agreed. The board said in a statement: “The revision of laws of the game, with a view to clarity, simplicity and consistency, has made progress. The board intends to issue the revised laws after its meeting in March, 1969. “The board made alterations in the laws of the game, including: (a) Touching a kick will no longer invalidate the goal. (b) Injured players may, subject to specifying conditions, be replaced in a match in which a national representative team is playing. (c) Players who line up for the ball to be thrown in

from touch must not leave the line-out until it has ended.” TOURS BY CLUBS

The statement added that the board had made a recommendation to member unions “to conditions which should be applied in the arrangement and control of tours by clubs to and from the overseas unions.”

The “Australian dispensation” will be played as an experiment in all matches, including internationals, during the 1968-69 British home season.

Under the “dispensation,” planned to speed up the game, when a ball is kicked out of touch on the full from anywhere but in the defending team’s “25,” the line-out Is held parallel to where the kick was made.

The following short tours were approved:—

Australia to Ireland and Scot, land, in October-November, 1968 (five matches).

Wales to Argentina, in September, 1968 (six matches).

South Africa to France, in October-November, 1968 (six matches).