Making rugby safer

Press, 28 June 1983, Page 15

Making rugby safer

Rugby’s think tank will be bubbling vigorously when the international conference on rugby and sports medicine kicks off at the Russley Hotel tomorrow. “Rugby Towards the Nineties” is the title and theme of the conference, which is orchestrated by the New Zealand Federation of Sports Medicine, in association with the New Zealand and Canterbury Rugby Unions. The first day of the conference tomorrow will be devoted to rugby topics, with the aim of addresses and discussions being coaching for safety skills, success and enjoyment, and preparation in the game. The line-up of speakers will be led by Mr Micky Steele-Bodger, chairman of the Four Home Unions’ tours committee. He will be followed by Mr Tom Doocey, the No. 1 New Zealand referee, Mr Bill Freeman, the national director of coaching, and Mr Dick Marks, his counterpart of the Australian rugby administration. Mr Marks, who played 17 tests for the Wallabies as a centre between 1962 and 1967, has replaced Mr Don Rutherford (England), a former Lions full-back, on the list of speakers. Sir James Stewart, the celebrated Canterbury coach of the late 1960 s and early 19705, and two current coaches, Messrs George Simpkin (Waikato), and Dick Glover (Poverty Bay), will also speak. Their fellow contributors will include two former Canterbury All Blacks, Dr Hugh Burry and Mr Bob Stuart, two leading figures at Canterbury rugby symposiums, Messrs Sam Leary and Jerry Rowberry, and Mr Jim Blair, who has much to do with the physical preparation of footballers. Mr Bill Dickinson, who coached the 1975 Scottish team on its New Zealand tour, and Grant Perry, the Mid-Canterbury captain and former All Black hooker, will contribute their thoughts, and the New Zealand soccer coach, Mr Allan Jones, will deliver his ideas on motivation. The chairman of the con-

ference committee, Dr Don Dailey, will round off the first day programme, which will include audience and panel discussions. The Dr Tom Anderson memorial lecture will be delivered by Sir James Stewart in the Limes Room of the Town Hall tomorrow at 8 p.m. His subject will be "the state of rugby,” and it will include a wide-reaching

audiovisual presentation. This is an annual lecture presented for the sporting public of Canterbury by the provincial branch of the national sports medicine The medical programme will be followed throughout Thursday and on Friday morning, and many not able authorities have been engaged as speakers. The object of this part of the

conterence is to analyse rugby injuries and deal with their diagnosis, management, rehabilitation and prevention. Interest in the conference is widespread, and coaches are coming from several parts of the country. The opportunity to watch today’s big game at Lancaster Park has been an added incentive.