Rugby Referees Concerned

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31654, 15 April 1968, Page 10

Rugby Referees Concerned

(New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU, April 14. The New Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association views “with grave concern” the refusal of the New Zealand Rugby Union to meet a delegation appointed by the association last year, to discuss the appointment of referees.

It passed a motion to this effect at its annual general meeting in Timani yesterday. The association had been slighted, said Mr G. Burton (Auckland). “If they will not accept us. what is the purpose of these annual meetings? Are we wasting our time?" he asked. Ideally, the association should be submitting its own nominations for appointments, putting forward about 20

referees, with their qualifications each year. Under the present system, nominations went through the various unions, some unions submitting as many as four or five nominations for appointment. This was causing problems for the selection panel. The matter could be rectified only through the concerted efforts of the association, said Mr Burton. It was agreed that the matter be discussed again at its next annual meeting. Out-of-date Law Book The need for a new, consolidated law book was stressed The meeting was told that at present there was not one book in the country which contained all the laws.

There were three booklets in l circulation and "masses of' other papers" from which referees had to draw their in formation. It was an "impossible" situation, said Mr Burton, "and these are the tools of our trade.”

There should be an up-to-date consolidated book of rulings, but the New Zealand union had never approved one since 1959.

"We should ask for one now, and if our request is turned down, we should do something about it ourselves,” he said.

Officers elected were: president, Mr L. C. Walker (South Canterbury): North Island vicepresident, Mr C. R. Gillies (Waikato); South Island vice-presi-dent, Mr L. Millar (Otago): executive. Messrs W. F. Falvey, E. J. B. Mathews, S. H. Palmer. C. H. Williams, A. J. Wilson, and H. B. Simmons (all of Wellington), Mr N. A. Neilson (Wanganui).