RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Evening Star, Issue 22070, 2 July 1935, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln view of the meeting between Southern and 'Varsity A in the near future, I would like to suggest that the 0.11.F.U. endeavour to obtain a referee from either Christchurch or Invercargill to take charge of the game. This seems to be the only possible hope of the public seeing a game of Rugby played properly this season. Last Saturday, in the match Pirates and Southern, the off-side play by the Pirates’ backs was over the odds. In fact they were hardly onside throughout, and naturally attacking movements by them were nil. The referee only penalised them twice all day, and the game got completely out of control towards the finish. The week before, Pirates and ’Varsity at Carisbrook saw the same thing, except that in this case ’Varsity were the offenders. One of their hookers and their centre threequarter seemd to forgt what side they were playing on. Again the referee shut his eyes to such glaring breaches of the rules. The week before that again, Southern v. ’Varsity, the two top teams met, and about 6,000 spectators paid to see what they rightly expected to be a tiptop game of football. What happened? The team that in past years has played such splendid football played a spoiling game, with one forward and two backs making no attempt to get on side, and 6,000 spectators went home disgusted. On this occasion the referee seemed quite happy ,as long as there was a heap of players with the ball underneath them. The more the merrier, and the whistle would certainly not blow until the very last forward was on top of the heap. No wonder the crowds at Carisbrook are getting smaller each Saturday, and the sooner tho O.R.F.U. wakes up to the reason, the better for all concerned. The reason is weak refereeing.' —I am, etc., Onside, July 1.