Rep. Football, Club Games

Northern Advocate, 6 May 1949, Page 7

Rep. Football , Club Games

WELLINGTON, Fri. (Sp.)—The effect of big football on club fixtures was a subject of discussion at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union yesterday. Mr E. J. Ken (Otago) said his union was embarrassed by the number of requests for early representative games. He considered that representative football should not hold precedence over club games and that the NZRU should take some steps to avoid so much interference with club competitions. The chairman of the council (Mr A. St. C Belcher) said that with the All Blacks away in South Africa, the Maoris in Australia, an Australian University ■ team arriving in a day or two, and an Australian representative team coming at the end of the season, the union would have to be careful it did not overdo things. However, Mr Kerr’s recommendation was entirely in the hands of the unions themselves. Because players were away that was no reason why club football, involving possibly 300 others, should be penalised, said Mr N. A. McKenzie (Hawke’s Bay). Too much importance was placed on club championships. Club football should be pursued at ail times, irrespective of representative matches. 3—2—3 SCRUM FORMATION “Otago is paying the penalty of holding the Ranfurly Shield.” said Mr H. S. Strang (Southland). ' The meeting was generally in agreement that the matter was one solely for the various unions ' j In advocating the reinstitution of the two-three-two scrum formation, the Taranaki delegate said that at least 10 minutes of every game these days was wasted in trying to get the ball through the three-front scrum. He moved that there should be a recommendation to the council that the international board should be approached and urged to adopt the twofront scrum. The motion was lost. Reference was made to the sterling work done for New Zealand Rugby by Mr S. S. Dean. Mr Dean is retiring from the national body.