EARLY RUGBY DAYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20641, 13 August 1930, Page 16

EARLY RUGBY DAYS.

USE OF REFEREE'S WHISTLE. The first rofereo in New Zealand, aiul perhaps ii* the world, to uso tho whistle for tho control of tho Rugl>y gamo was Mr. W. H. Atack, who has just retired from the managership of tho Now Zoalaiul Press Association, states a southern exchange. He says that there used to bo two umpires and a referee, and the umpires used to quarrel with each other and the referee. Then the referee had charge, b(it had to uso his voico to stop the game, and when both sides were appealing the voice had to bo exercised loudly, and Mr. Atack found it exhausting. Thinking it over ono day, his fingers strayed into a waistcoat pocket, whore they encountered a dog whistle. The inspiration came to him that it wituld be a fine thing to use the whistle to stop the game. Tho next time he r&fereed ho called the teams together and they agreed to play to tho whistle. It was a great success and was speedily adopted all over the country. This, he thinks, was about 1883. "Playing to the whistle" has becomo a football maxim. It means that players do not let up even when conscious of a breach, unless the referee signals it. This calls for better referees, and prompt decisions.