South African Rugby Referees Too Lenient?

Northern Advocate, 6 August 1949, Page 6

South African Rugby Referees Too Lenient?

(From CLAUDE KING.) PRETORIA, Fri. (11.30 a.m.). —Since the first Rugby test the South African press has been inundated with correspondence seeking reasons for the decline in standard of Rugby in this country. ~ ~ The latest and most startling contribution has come from j D, c (e Villiers, president of the Western Province Rugby Union, and one of the sport’s leading administrators and a former leading 'eferee.

On the other hand, W. C. Zeller, 1921 Springbok, and now president of the Natal Rugby Union, held that de Villiers’ statements were too sweeping, and that his union, for oney was always prepared to support the referees. AH Blacks Due At Wellington October 4 WELLINGTON. Sat. (P.A.).— The 'ew Zealand Rugbv Union announced ha* the All Blacks would arrive at Wellington on October 13 by the Dom'nion Monarch after their tour of ".outh Africa. The union also announced that ad:ssion prices for all matches played v the touring Australian Rugby am had been fixed on the same scale ~ for the 1946 tour. School Reos The selector (Mr W. A. T. Underwood. Hikurangi) has chosen the following 19 players to represent Whangarei primary schools against the Rest in a trial game to be played at Whangarei on August 13. From this game the Whangarei team to comoete in the Northland tournament at Kaitaia during the August holidavs will be selected. The 19 players chosen are: Forwards: Thorburn, Blackburn (Kamo). Sceats, Plaisted, Bassett, Ace, Drake, Mcllraith, Henderson .(High School). McLeod (Hikurangi). Backs: Moore (Hikurangi), Hadfield. G. Shaw (Portland), R. Shaw. McPherson, Babe. McKinnon, Crowley, Burke (High School).

Tn a press statement lie said that veak refereeing condoned by the apathetic attitude cf the South African Board and provincial union'- was slowly, but surely killing the game. ' Referring to the two separate -lunching incidents in the All BlacksTransvaal match, de Villiers said the offenders should have been sent off the held. ONLY SOLUTION? “In the past referees would have had no hesitation in doing this and the game was kept clean,” he says. “But today control is too lenient. “Organised sheltering round scrums, holding and pulling the jerseys of players not carrying the ball, and even boxing, are now just ordinary offences. if offences at all.” De Villiers said that the only solution was drastic action by the referees and strong support by the unions and South African Board. His remarks have provoked conflicting opinions. The referee in the All Black-Trans-vaal match said that modern referees had no hesitation in sending players off the field for striking an opponent deliberately. NO ACTUAL PUNCHES He saw no achial punches in this match but penalised players for having hold of an opponent who did not have the ball. The secretary of the South African Rugby Referee's Society (Mr A. Henkes) congratulated de Villiers on his remarks on the leniency of the Rugby Union when players were sent off the field.