IMPROVING RUGBY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13839, 27 August 1908, Page 6

IMPROVING RUGBY.

AUCKLAND UNION .DECIDES,

MATTER FOB EARLY CONSIDERATIONAt last evening's meeting of the-: Management Committee of the Auckland Rugby Union a long 'discussion took placed on the question of '.'improving the Rugby gume of football. _' ''. The members wore unanimously of th» opinion that the.laws of the game required modification, the question; uppermost in the minds of the committeemen being the expedition with which the'; laws could [bo amended. The opinion was freely expressed that it. was impossible to 'wait until the re* commendations now being .carried ,to the English Union from the N.Z.R.T7. by Mr„ Ceo, 'Harriett, manager.: of the British team., were considered by ..that body. In any case', it was stated, the recommendations were lieing carried in an unofficial way. • In? order,, therefore, to have the,; matters discussed at an early date the union decided to intimate to the Otogo Rugby Union its willingness to co-operate with that body it) the 'endeavour," ■to secure a special general meeting Of tht?V N.Z.R.U., and to that end the following rev' solution was carried — '" • '?•-- That this union intimate to the : Otag<*-., Rugby Union that it is willing to cooperate with Otag<i. and any other affiliated union in a request to the New Zealand Rugby Union to cull a "general meeting of its delegates for t&e purpose of considering a modification of trio Rugby Union laws of the game. . ' 4 There is a considerable feeling of Unrest in Rugby circles throughout the Dominion, at the present time. > The advent of the Northern Union game has sin-ma th« 4veiprogressive New Zctlaadcr that; improvement can be made in his. national game. V hereyer exhibitions; of the. new game have been given Rugbyites have grown enthusiastic over the possibilities of tome of ''the innovations of the gaunt-. / ; : ; . Speaking to '-.prominentlocal- referee—* one who has handled a number of "big'* games—yesterday a JlzntXn representativa ' v.as informed that some of tire featured would have to''-.be-adopted now by Rugbyunions. The players and public would de- ;> mand it, as .otherwise they would desert the- '.'■ old game, and give i;h.-ir patronage to J the n;w. The new gamo went for til," elimiiiation of the heavy forward, and favoured scientific play of a spectacular nature,, in which a little man with cleverness to aid him would be useful to a side. It. would also tend to stop a lot of rough play. A. number of other prominent Rugby men'" when spoken to expressed appreciation of ■ some of the feature* of the nave game. .35 >'■'» The question of amending the rules was also discussed at a meeting of the Auckland '■ Rugby Referees' Association last evening and the following resolution was carried:—'•'■In the opinion of thus association the ■ time has arrived when the laws of the game require revision in the manner indicated by the suggestion* already put forward by this association—principally in the direction of the line-out, unrestricted free kicks, no player being allowed past a line drawn through the back of a scrum, thereby deleting the wing- forward; all ■ goals to count two points, except pottee goals three pomta. " ' >''