RUGBY “DISPENSATIONS.”

Hawera Star, Volume L, 6 March 1931, Page 4

RUGBY “DISPENSATIONS.”

The announcement that the English Rugby Union has decided to withdraw all “dispensations’.’ granted to Dominion Unions will certainly give the controllers and supporters of the game in this country something to think over during the preparations for the forthcoming football season. Details of the decision will be awaited with interest, but in it can be taken for granted that three variations of the rules adopted by New Zealand will have to go—so far as the English Union is concerned. Apparently England sees nothing good in our amended kiek-into-touich rule, which was introduced here with the double object of making the game faster and more attractive from the spectator’s point of view, and of combating the inroads being made into public favour by the league game in some of the metropolitan centres. The last British tour proved to ns that the &ame could be just as fast andi as productive of spectacular passing under the old rules — when played by a first-class team. There is a large body of opinion in New Zealand, however, which contends that ■ the game, as played by the average club' and provincial team, is improved by the repeal of the rule which allows the ball to be kicked into touch on the full. The Home Union will: no longer allow games to be played in four spells of twenty minutes' each, but will insist upon their being two spells only. The controlling authorities have also banned the practice of a “mark” being claimed unless a- fair catch has been made and the heel implanted in the ground. It is not known here yet what the union ha® done, during its solemn conclave, about our obnoxious wing-forward; under the laws of Rugby, as understood here, there is nothing to say that each of the fifteen players shall occupy specified' positions on the field. It is regrettable that such comparatively trivial points should be proving a bone of contention between the controlling authorities in the Old Country and those in New Zealand and other Dominions. The English Rugby Union refuses to admit that the overseas youngster has grown up and may be entitled, 'both by his loyalty to the game and the skill -with which he plays it, to a voice in its control. England says ,in effect, “This is our game; if you want to play it you must play it our way, which was the way our fathers' played it. If you want to play another game do so, but call it by another name and betake yourself into the outer darkness where all outsiders belong.” That, of course, is not an argument; it is merely an edict—and edicts, unsupported by any sweet reasonableness, are apt to prove galling to colonials. If there had been no appeal allowed from the opinion® of our golfing and boxing forefathers, we would be still playing golf withl a gutta porch a ball and entering the squared circle with our hands encased in metal knuckle-dusters.