THE RULES OF RUGBY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20251, 10 May 1929, Page 11

THE RULES OF RUGBY.

OPPOSITION TO CHANGE.;

DECISION IN AUCKLAND.

MAINTAINING BRIGHT PLAY.

The Auckland Rugby Union intends to stand firm against the proposal to introduce tho old rules into New Zealand Rugby in view of the tour of the Dominion by the British team next season. The matter was considered by a special meeting of delegates from the clubs last evening, the president of tho union, Mr. J.' Arneil, presiding. There was not a large attendance and this was taken by the chairman of the management committee, Mr. H. Frost, as a sign that clubs were quite prepared to leave the matter in the hands of the committee.

In outlining the position Mr. Frost said Auckland introduced the amended rules in 1918. The most radical change was tho restriction on kicking direct into touch. From then on Auckland had played under the new rules and they had fulfilled the greatest expectations. It was only after a struggle that the rest of the unions were persuaded to adopt tho new rules. Since playing under tho

new rules the Auckland representative team had ranked with the best and had been quite ablo to play under the old rules when occasion demanded. Experience in South Africa.. * "Tho chairman of the management committee of tho New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr. S. S, Dean, pressed for the universal acceptance of the new rules when ho was in England in 1924," Mr. Frost said. "Having already argued that the new rules are better for the game it would bo rather like weakness to go back. We are supported by the primary schools and the secondary schools; both are emphatic in their wishes to continue playing under the amended rules."

Mr. A. St. C. Belcher, of the Grammar Old Boys' Club, moved that the meeting express its opposition to. playing. under the old rules. "I want it to be seen that not only the men in Auckland who framed the new rules, but all interested in Rugby arc opposed to the change," Mr. Belcher said. "The movement to kill the new kick-into-touch rule is coming from the Petone Club in Wellington, which is using the experience of the All Blacks in South Africa last year as an argument." "What right have we got to suppose that the rules were responsible for our defeats in South Africa ?" asked Mr. Frost. "It is not the new rules that are at fault, but the methods being adopted. I admit that forwards have not been working in the scrums as they should have and that too much attention has been paid to the forward who shines in the loose. The grubber kick, too, is creeping in and this* is not what we intended. Wo want to see the ball in the middle oE the field." Success of 1924 All Blacks.

Mr. A. Tilly said no strong argument could be put forward for the reversion to the old rules. The 1924 All Blacks won all their games in Great Britain in spite of the fact that they had been playing under the amended rules before the tour. They won the games because they played unorthodox Rugby and next year's All Blacks would attempt to do the same. They would certainly not follow the old style of play. Mr. C. E. O. Badeley, who was one of the Auckland members of the 1924 All Blacks, held that the new rules were directly responsible for the success of that team. "We played under the old rules," he said, "but we played in the spirit of the new rules. These make for faster and brighter Rugby and that intensive backing-up which so astonished English players and critics. One player said that playing the All Blacks was like playing a team of 20 men. Wo have to back up under the new rules; they did not think of it in England." Decision ol Delegates.

Mr. Badelcy said he did not think the Maine for a few defeats in South Africa could be laid at the door of the new rules Rather, it was the result of taking forwards who had made their reputations and who liked to shirk the tight work for opportunities to shine in the open. The new rules needed forwards with ability to scrummage just as much as did the old rules, for no matter how many opportunities backs, were given to make the game open the paramount necessity was possession from the scrums. Mr. Belcher's motion was well discussed and eventually passed in the following form: —"That this meeting of club delegates to the Auckland Rugby Union is opposed to any suggestion that all or anj' club, representative or trial matches in 1929 and 1930 should be played under international rules and is of the opinion that any departure from the amended rules sanctioned by the English Rugby Union is not in the best interests of Rugby in New Zealand."