RUGBY REFORM.

Evening Star, Issue 13145, 29 December 1908, Page 2

RUGBY REFORM.

AN " ALL-BLACK'S " OPINION. AND A REJOINDER. j [From Otje SrECiAi, Correspondent.] LONDON, November 20. The "All-Black," Ernest Booth, who is now at Home with the New South Wales combination, lias written a lengthy letter to the ' Sportsman ' apropos the proposed changes in the rules of Rugby football suggested by the N.Z. Rugby Football Union, and submitted to the English Rugby Football Union by Mr George Harnett. In the course of his letter Mr Booth says that of late years "all the Australian Unions have raised various proposals and suggestions from players, referees, and critics, and intend to make radical changes for the betterment of the game. The colonial unions have waited in vain for the English Rugby Union and the Internationl Board to move in the matter, and now they cannot afford to wait any longer. The inno vaticn and introduction of the Northert Union game has practically' forced then 'hand. The Australian .public wani open, crisp, attractive football, spectacular in the highest degree, and whether it be tho amateur or Northern Union game, it matters not one ioc: to them. They want a more continuous game and a simplification of iU prosent complexities; also n restriction of tiie present-day whistling solo: by referees, who understand only tin letter of the many laws, which won!'.: ; pusszle a Philadelphia lawyer." After-briefly tracing the evolution of the game from its infancy to the present day, the New Zealauder refers U> the changes suggested by the N.Z. Rugby Union. These, he urges, are easy of adoption, and at least worthy ' of a trial, and he assures us they only voice the general feeling IC down under " with regard to the future. Ho adds: : " It has also been publicly discussed that each side should not play more than fourteen men a side—i.e., seven forwards ('_', 3, 2 formation) and seven i backs, meaning, of course, the abolition of wing forwards. Then, a fair catch in mid-air, one of the finest features in the Australian game, should be recognised as a mark. The charge, which is only a relic of the barbaric, ages, should be abolished, and a free kick should be one in every sense of the term. The kicker should place the ball himself. This would improve placekicking very considerably. In kiekingott all kicks should be from the centre of the field—i.e., between touch lines. Other suggestions have been to make touch-downs count, and when kicking j out after such to be from behind the : goal line." i The adoption of these rules would, IMr Booth declares, tend to vastly imi prove the game and rejuvenate the I " apparently expiring corpse of good j old Rugby." He expresses the pious hope that'the R.F.U. Hoard will throw their conservatism overboard and join ! hands with the colonial Union to imrove the game. If they do not, he uggests that the Australasian unions ill "cut the painter" and go their wn way. In conclusion, Mr Booth ays:—

In the future- the colonial players, | heing mostly of the working; class, , will demand payment for the loss of : time from work, as well as travelling; ; expenses. This means a new defini- , tion of an amateur, which is largely the trend of the game in both Aus- ! tralia and New Zealand. Moreover it is quite on the tapis that South Africa ; and Canada would slowly follow the ' lead of the colonies. The game might j be improved very much by sec re- : taries and referees receiving "open'' i . payment for their services and ex- j -peiises, the general control to be on . thorough business lines. '■ I BEG TO DIFFER." Adverting to Mr Booth's letter, Mr Percy Adams, an old player, who is now president of the Old Edwardians E.C.. remarks that it is "a very convincing contribution to the all-important discussion ou professionalilm, and says that if it voices the views of the Australasian Union the sootier the painter is cut the better. . Concerning Mr Booth's remarks upon what the Australasian public want, Mr Adams savs : " When Rugby football is played soblv to cater for gatcvinoncy and not for the sake of the "game and the pleasure of; the player, it is time either to ' put up I the shutters' or to exclude from eur j membership the clubs and unions whose onlv object is providing athletics to {ittract the public." He adds: "Mr Booth is very outspoken in his advoI cacy of professionalism, and it is very ' useful for us in the Old Country to I know that it is useless to try and keep I a veil over the status of the players ; from ' down tinder ' just for the senti- ! mental cant about Imperial unity. Ftis I letter is a great help to those who are j working hard to impress upon the j Rugby Union that our game is drifting towards universal professionalism. The I sooner the potential members of the | Rugby Union face this fact the stronger they will be to rc:-ist it. If they do not take thir stand side by side with the Scotch and Irish Unities against this worship of gate-money, we shall find ourselves stranded, like the amateurs in soccer, and have to start afresh as they I have done." | As to Mr Booth's suggested altera- | tions, Mr Adams remarks that if the ! number of players is reduced the strain i of playing will be increased upon the i individual. .Many men who enjoy their i weekly football until after thirty years i of age, but who have no special time 1 for training, will be shouldered out of ! the game before they reach twenty-five. | None but specialists and professionals j could stand it. He is with Mr Booth about the free kicks, and thinks a man should be allowed to place the ball himself and have time to kick. At the same time he thinks a penalty goal from a drop kick worth more than from a place. To revert to scoring touchdowns, which are often the result of bad play on the part of the attacking side, would. Mr Adams says, be a very retrograde step, and asks us to picture a team with the wind behind lucking touch-downs, and their opponents kicking out from the goal line for thirty- | five or forty minutes.