Comprehensive congress in full swing

Press, 6 July 1977, Page 10

Comprehensive congress in full swing

The Congress of Asian and Pacific Rugby Countries, to give it its full title, has come a long way since the first congress, at Sydney three years ago. Then, 18 delegates representing 12 countries attended. The second such conference, which started at Lincoln College at the week-end, has attracted 70 delegates from 28 overseas unions, including the seven Australian state unions.

They join another 60 from the New Zealand Rugby Union and its 26 provincial unions, and the presidents and club captains from all the Canterbury clubs.

The "conventional” rugby-playing countries represented are Australia, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Western Samoa; the “foreigners,” England and Scotland; and the emerging nations are Hong Kong, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, New Caledonia, Malaysia, Hawaii, Thailand, Tahiti and Sri Lanka. The whole thing is a promotional exercise for rugby, and women have not been forgotten. Mrs Vai Hern, secretary of the Canterbury Rugby Supporters’ Club, is the only woman directly involved in the organisation, as a member of the social and entertainment committee. But Mesdames K. McLean, R. Gilbert and E. Peachy will speak on Friday morn-

ing’s topic: “What about the birds?”

After the official opening on Saturday, the congress proper started on Sunday morning with a study of the various levels in administration, problems, deficiencies and needs in a paper by Canterbury Rugby Union president and national councillor Russell Thomas, with commentaries from former Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Sir Ron Scott, and former chief of defence staff, Major-General L. A. Pearce, now chairman of the Vocational Training Council. Sydnicate discussion followed. In the afternoon, the subject was teen-age and junior rugby — Christchurch club and primary school sides demonstrated 10-a-side rugby. Informal discussion among delegates, and players followed. Three members of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union’s teen-age committee, Merv Barnett, Les Russell and Husky Preston, gave papers dealing with the special problems of administration at this level, the need for proper relationships between secondary schools and clubs, “drop-out” trends, promotion, social attitudes, and coaching in schools. Yesterday morning, Bob Stuart, a former All Black captain and coach, gave a paper on coaching, with commentaries from the

former Canterbury coach Jim Stewart and the N.Z.R.F.U.’s coaching director, Bill Freeman. They covered coaches’ reliance on sound administration and planning, the key role of organised and imaginative practices, the need to develop progressive units for technical and knowledge skills, the relationship between coach and player. Mr Freeman, the former All Blacks Fergie McCormick and Biair Furlong, the former Linwood club coach Ken Jane, and Canterbury back coach Gerald Wilson used the Canterbury representative squad to demonstrate coaching individual skills. Dr Stewart and Mr Jane (scrums, rucks and mauls) and Canterbury coach, Tiny Hill, and captain, Alex Wyllie, (lineouts, rucks and mauls) demonstrated the coaching of unit skills with the Canterbury squad. In the afternoon, Brian Molloy, a former All Black and Canterbury University coach who helped prepare New Zealand Universities to beat the British Lions, the Auckland B coach Brian Craies and Mr Furlong deal with development of back skills. Mr Freeman and the Canterbury squad ran through an imaginative practice. Last evening, there were syndicate discussions and an open panel discussion. The remainder of the week’s programme is:— This morning. — Physical conditioning: Aucklanders Noel Bowden, Barry Heslop and Eugene Chereton look at physical conditioning, how to test it and its practical application. An open f.orum follows. This is very much an exploratory session and it’s hoped the final session will provide recommendations to help develop a precise and professional approach to the subject. This afternoon. — Use and abuse of visual aids: Geoff Moss of Wellington presents a paper and static display for an hour. Administration. — Two hours to discuss administration as it affects the various Pacific and Asian regions. Delegates will form special regional syndicates for this session. This evening. — Administration: Open forum and panel discussion on coaching, junior and teenage rugby, finance, social aspects, the role of women in the game, communica-

tion problems, modes of administration. planning and organisation. Tomorrow. — Turf culture G. S. Robinson and C. Walker from the D.S.I.R.’s grasslands division, and J. P. Beggs of the New Zealand Institute of Turf Culture discuss grasses for football fields, management of football turf, and weeds and pests of the turf. An open forum follows. Thursday morning. — Prac- . tical refereeing: The N.Z.R.F.U. chairman, Ces Blazey, a former , referee, gives a paper. A panel of top referees Peter McDavitt Alan Taylor, Tom Doocey, Dave Millar and John Pring, and an open forum follows. The idea is to look at refereeing rather than the rules. Procedural machinery and referees’ attitudes and problems are two topics for discussion. Thursday afternoon. — Coaching: Ail Black practice. Sports medicine. — Dr Bill Treadwell gives the main paper supplemented by Dr A. McAlister on facial injuries, and a former All Black, Dr Hugh Burry, on evaluation and management of some acute rugby injuries. Peter Stokes and Malcolm Hood speak on physiotherapy, strapping and the physiotherapist’s role in treating injuries; and Dr Tom Anderson on medical problems with touring, overseas sports teams. Thursday evening. — Promotion: A national councillor, Tom Johnson, chairs a three - part programme: “Beauty and the Beast,” a former All Black, Grahame Thorne, now a television reporter, on rugby and television; “Rugby is My Line,” an hour’s forum with five journalists; and a rugby radio programme. Friday morning. — Promotion: “What About the Birds?” Three women discuss administration, social activities and refereeing, and a former Junior All Black, Paul Anderson, just home from oveseas, introduces women’s rugby. “What’s Happening?” Mr Johnson surveys national activities. Otago’s John Dowling looks at the provinces, and Robin O’Neill (Hamilton Marist) and Keith Webber (Northcote) note the club scene. Syndicate discussion and a keynote address by Sir Ronald Scott. Friday afternoon. — Syndicate discussion and open forum on any topic.