RUGBY SCRUMS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 139, 13 June 1940, Page 17

RUGBY SCRUMS

ORDER TO UNIONS

PUTTING IN OF BALL

A sharp reminder to unions concerned that, in having the ball put into the scrums by the referees, they are acting contrary to the laws of the game, is being given by the New Zealand Rugby Union's executive, and an order is being issued that the practice must cease. Moreover, the feeling of the executive, as expressed at a meeting last night, is that the present is a most inopportune time for any application to be made to the Rugby Football Union (England) for a dispensation to permit of the experiment being carried out in New Zealand, There were letters at last night's meeting from the Otago, Southland, and South Canterbury Rugby Unions pointing out that the game had been improved by the experiment in their centres and urging that a dispensation be granted to have the ball put into the scrum by the referees.

"The position as I see it," said the chairman (Mr. S. S. Dean), "is that we have to take a very definite stand in the matter. We should tell them that they must abide by the rules as laid down, and that if they want a dispensation there is a proper way of going about it; that is, by calling a general meeting "and having application made to the English Union. But I think the present is quite an inopportune time for anything in that direction. With world affairs as they are today, we should not have to worry the English Rugby Union.

"If we do not take a definite stand in the matter we are going to have chaos," Mr. Dean added, in calling attention to a split that came about on the New Zealand Union just after the last war. He stressed, too, the fact that the earnest appeal for uniformity, made by Messrs. N. A. McKenzie and J. H. Parker, at the last annual meeting of the New Zealand Union, had met with the general approval of delegates.

At this time, said Mr. J. Prendeville, in seconding a motion by Mr. Dean incorporating the points he had mentioned, when there was a call upon everybody for unity in world affairs it was entirely wrong that a feeling of opposition to the controlling body should be allowed to creep in. As for the referee putting the ball into the scrum, it was, in his opinion, entirely contrary to the spirit of the game. Other members agreed that, whatever the opinion about the value of the experiment, it would be most unwise to move for a dispensation at the present time. Captain C. L. Mullany, however, thought that, as the practice of the referee putting the ball in seemed to be generally favoured throughout the country, the matter might be treated in the same way as a local custom. The reply was that it could not be done, and the chairman's motion was adopted.

Those present at the meeting were Messrs. S. S. Dean (chairman), J. Prendeville, A. C. Kitto, A. McDonald, and J. H. Parker, Captain C, L. Mullany, Lieut.-Colonel J. G. Roache, and Mr. A. E. Neilson. (secretary).

A financial statement revealed that there was a likelihood*of the N.Z.R:U. being £2000 down on this year's workings. "