Rugby cup final

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32666, 23 July 1971, Page 24

Rugby cup final

(Special Crspdt. N.Z.P.A.) LONDON. English Rugby Is now to have its own cup final, as Rugby league and soccer have had for many years. The dispute between the English Rugby Union, which wanted all clubs to be eligible, and the top 38 gate-taking clubs, which did not want to waste good Saturdays knocking out far weaker teams, has been settled—if only for one season. It has been agreed that 43 clubs will take part in next winter’s cup on an experimental basis, after which the gate-taking clubs will review the success or otherwise of the tournament Matches will start on a

regional basis, but when the last 16 teams are reached, all the names will go into an open draw. Tries will have special value because if the number of points scored by each side is equal, the team with the most tries will win the game. If they score an equal number of tries, the side kicking the most conversions will win, and if that does not separate them, then the visiting team will be declared the winner.

Among the first-round fixtures are London Scottish v. Harlequins, Bath v. Gloucester, and Moseley v. Northampton. The final will be played at Twickenham on April 29.