THE OUTLOOK OF RUGBY.

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1922, Page 14

THE OUTLOOK OF RUGBY.

Followers of Rugby football over a term of years will recognise a certain amount of truth in •an interesting, if lugubrious, article by "Poster"- in the Wauganui Chronicle on "The Outlook of Rugby" :—-.."

"Although the Rugby outlook'-in Now Zealand is exceedingly bright at the moment, the future is by no means clear. In the past, New Zealand's fortunes have . been .closely allied with those of Australia. Through the nineties in Rugby strength, the Dominion was superior to Australia, but there came a, time—about the 1906 season— when Australia had practically drawn level. Unfortunately, from that time tho Rugby Union strength of Australia has sadly deteriorated, and to-day the Rugby Union game has disappeared from Queensland,. while in New South Wales it has been abandoned by tho primary schools. In the face of that fact, one cannot regard the position there as by any means encouraging, and it seems that nothing but a landslide in the game's favour can avert anything short of a, Rugby catastrophe. To-day tho position may bo regarded by optimists with a spirit of cheerfulness, but what of the future? Where is the new Australian blood to come from a few years hence?

"This problem is of vital interest to New Zealand from a competitive viewpoint, us 'failing contests with our nearest Rugby ' playing country, the Dominion must look far afield in order to maintain oven her present playing standard.' The writer is firmly of the' oDinion that the high standard of Rugby in the Dominion in past, years has been due to contests with the cream oF Australian football, as tours of Australia have meant keen competition for places iv" the Dominion teams, and correspondingly in turn keen.competition for places in' representative and dub teams. But tours mean finnuee, and finance on a generous scale.' What will be thfi position the moment a tour of Australia rcinnot bo mode a financial success, or. if, on the other hand, the Rugby outlook in Australia becomes worse? , "From Australia' attention mi.pht be directed to California, where the' Rugby c'ame,\once so flourishing.1 is now as extinct as the '^odo. In 1910 California war. able to send a. team to Australia and Now 'Zealand. Hip visit- being returned liy AnsU-plip. in 191? mid New Zealand in 1913. Th?i. the Rugby pnme disd out in California, is a mattl>v of extreme re(/vet. It was popnlnr with the Californium playeri and public, but solely for'the want, of nomoetition it wilted nnd died. " To-day New 55»alnnd is in the vmsition of having no nope of comwtit.jon— ;n^!.vt from Aufti'filw—save v.itb .Smith Africa.. England. Wales, and possibly France. Even at tbo -moment Hir.rp is.ii ■iff, in the "!<'rencli "lute, and l.ho ■ fuLnro. is by no "meiiiis coH/'i'.i- Scntltipil andlrMp.'mHiiiVe. declared tfi'w Z^huul bb'vlc, ii.Hcjrrlly t'.fi III!! iiiiLwiuift of1 ri|iyi)i»nt In jplay'eve'■ iii. the last N'etv Zeitlund team

that went Home, and there is as yet no relenting on those unions' part. " But more important .still is the fact that New Zealand has now adopted several cardinal principles of the Northern Union game, and is playing a Rugby game of her own under the appellation of amended rules. True, it has been a dispensation, but that does not alter the fact that New Zealand is in the anomalous position of playing a. hybrid game. It means that should New Zealand meet ..South Africa, England, or Wales, a reversion to the proper Rugby Union game as played in those three countries will be necessary, for they will have none of the 'new rules, and when that time does come New Zealand's disadvantage will be indeed a serious one. "It is unfortunate that in name only New Zealand looms largely in the Rugby world, and is controlled by a moribund, conservative English Union, and denied a voice in the great council that should exist—-an international board of/Rugby control which would legislate <*for the general good of the game with a. standard set of rules for all the competing nations. But there is nothing as yet to suggest that that laudable desire will be realised. The present policy is one of 'play in your own backyard' and let tho future take care of itself."

One can hardly pass such an article without comment. "Dropkick" dealt some time a-go with the disaster to Australasian Rugby football, of the introduction of the Northern Union game under the blessing of the Sydney sporting press. Ho described ifc as the selling of a birthright for a mess of pottage, and that is exactly what it has been. Thi old, Rugby game languished, and lost its financial status as a drawing power with the public. The ltew League! game forfeited! Imperial status as an amateur game. What followed was a. money-making interchange of visits between Australia and the NortU of England, , where the Australians met tha real football .professional, and, imbibed a good deal of his spirit and' attitude to the game. The game inevitably deteriorated' into a mere gladiatorial display for tihs benefit of the gate. "Test" matches between profession-ill players have little meaning to those who witnessed the genuinely international struggles between New Zealand and South Africa last year in this. Dominion. To consolidate its position, and make it appear as, if it was a genuine international body, the Northern Union of England has changed its name to the Rugby Football. League. What difference does it really make? Where are the converts to com* from? -Not from England. . In Yorkshire, the Very home Of the > Northern, Union, there has since the war, been a most remarkable-, revival in the time Rugby game, andi the same may be said in''a* lessen.- degree of, Lancashire. The. League game makes, no . progress .in England whatever! In Australia it is faced with .another revival—that of Rugby in New South Wales. In New Zealand, despite the most strenuous efforts to drive out the Rugby ■game,-League lws in. fcha last season gone back greatly. Reinstatements have been made by the score weekly from League to.Rugby, and whole territories have been won back to the old game. The Maori League tour in New South Wales' was an utter .fiasco. It is understood thai the League authorities on the other side are to make one lasit despei*ate effort this season -by bringing- a. big team ovei here—Australia' and the Rest of Australia—and playing exhibition games wherever they can get; a ground. The whole position may be compared to the internecine conflict in Ireland between the Republicans and the' Freetraders. The League people want to impose their game on us when there is no room for two Rugby, codes, if we,are to maintain our international, reputation as footballers. Andi so the whole cut-throat business continues—the most calamitous in the history of Australasian sport. It has lost New South Wales its place in Imperial Rugby, and teams from-the other DoI minions call there and play, only because Australia lies en route. What a lamentable drop from the palmy days of the first decade- of the century!

Tile only real victory the League game has won in New Zealand is none the less most important, and . may prove vital. This is the Dominion adoption of the so-called amended rules. Opinions may differ as to their value in improving the game, but there can be no two opinions as to the origin of these "amendments." They are an expm-g----ga- chapter out of the Book of th© League. The story of how they' came to be adopted heed, not be repeated here— it is an old one—but the effect on the game has. been really revolutionary, and totally destructive of the old Rugby .tactics. , One is bound to agree with "Pester," that, when our representatives come to revert to the old code, as they must do against' any international team of visitors, "New Zealand's disadvantage,will be indeed* a serious one." Andperhaps then the fickle public, winch the promoters of the amendments said demanded! them, will turn on the men who "gave the public wlnat the public wanted," and accuse them of a betrayal.of trust. ..