RUGBY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12533, 20 April 1935, Page 6

RUGBY

TO-DAY AT THE OVAL HASTINGS v OLD BOYS The local Rugby season will be given a good ini.iation to-day when senior teams representing Napier Technical Old Boys Club and Gisborne Old Boys meet at the Oval. This match will be preceded by a third grade game between Napier H. 5.0.8. and Gisborne Old Boys. Play in both matches, with tile fast ground certain to tie encountered, should be very spectacular. The -senior sides, especially, have been training hard and the public are likely to be surprised at the high standard for so early in the season. The teams are as follows : —Napier Old Boys— G. Brown B. Johnstone, I. Venables, R. Boyle A. Kauter, R. Peterson C. Reddell B Lopddl, D. Dalton, J. Guillmont, A. Bowman, B. North, D. Hutton, N. McAustin, L. Banks Emergencies: B. Harris and J. Dallimore. —Gisborne Old Boys— A. Owen Henderson, R. Gardner, F. Martin Dovi’ and B. Solomon D. Littler Forwards: M. Wright, R. Tier, G. Frazer, B. Dodds, A. Campbell, P. Scholium, L. Afar tip, A. McPhail Emergencies: McPhail, Shanks, Collin, Clarke As a curtain-raiser to the senior game, the Gisborne Old Boys’ third grade team will meet the Napier High School Old Boys’ thirds, the team for this game being as under: Napier High School Old Boys: Fullback, Palmer; threequarters, Wepa, Scobie, and Cawston; fiveeighths, Collins and Spackman; half, A. Willis; forwards, Walls, Willis, (captain), darner. Mansfield, Wilson. Jane, Ammer, Guthrie, Hall (one to stand down). Gisborne Old Boys: Fullback, Scott; threequarters, H. Sebire, C. Sebire (captain), and Short; fiveeighths, Green and Watford; half, Kenny; forwards, Beets, Waite. Pyafit, Eastwood, Smale, Caie, Grant, and Pritchard; emergencies, Trengrove, Morgan; backs, Andrews, Corstorpkinc, forwards. REFEREES CONFER. PROBLEM OF THE NEW SCRUM. ‘Press Association). INVERCARGILL, April 19. At the annual conference of the New Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association the chairman of the executive Air. D. AlcKenzie (Wellington) presided over an attendance of 20 delegates. In welcoming the delegates to Invercargill Air. 11. Strang, president ..of the Southland Rugby Union, said that there had been too much tampering with the rules of the game during the last few years. A typical instance was the 'scrummage. Half the referees and players did not know when the hall was in the scrum and when it was not. This rule had been made too complicated and it ought to be simplified. He expressed the opinion that the suggestion that 'referees should put the ball into the scrum would be very acceptable to players. In the course of his address, the chairman remarked that it . was agreed that scrummaging of recent years had been a weakness in play in New Zealand. He was going to suggest to referees that, if the ball got fairly into the scrummage—that was on the ground past the first foot of the player on each side—-the whole intent of the rule had been carried out and, when this happened, referees should be prepared to allow play to go® on, provided the second and third feet did not play the ball before the fourth.

A lengthy discussion took place on a question from the King Country Association. “The referee failed to see a touch judge hold up his flag owing to the ball going into touch. Play continued and a fair catch was given and a free kick awarded.. On noticing the touch judge’s flag still xip, should the referee have altered his decision and ordered a line out?”—The meeting agreed that a referee might alter his decision if he thought it justified. The Southland' Association queried : “An attacking player kicks the ball and the defender charges down the kick, but fails to gather it. Another attacking player on his way back to get on side, plays the ball. All players are within ten yards of one another. Is there an infringement?”— The answer given by the executive last year was “The player is offside

' and should be> penalised for playing the ball while within 10 yards of his opponent.” .The chairman -said that this ruling was sent to England and the English Union had said that there was no infringement, as the player charging down the kick was not waiting for the ball. It was decided to reverse the executive’s decision. (V • NIGHT FOOTBALL IN SYDNEY There is .talk of reviving pight football in Sydney. The New South' Wales Rugby Leuguo will consider shortly a proposal to play a round of fixtures during March next year in place of the official practice matches. It is proposed to play the games on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and allow the clubs t-o arrange their own fixtures for Saturday afternoons It is believed that the public will appreciate the change from practice games which have no real competitive interest, with the players, who appear in variegated colors, being continually changed. The Sydney Sports Ground Trust intend to borrow sufficient money to instal a modern lighting .system which will make practicable the holding of night carnivals, and to provide improved accommodation for its patrons. Discussing the financial possibilities of night football, one writer points out that when the Kangaroos played a 'match at the Whiter City on the 1933-34 tour, the gate reached four-figure dimensions. He referred also to the 'takings of £{sßo at Olympic Park,' Alelbourne.