RUGBY RULINGS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22349, 21 February 1936, Page 15

RUGBY RULINGS

DISCUSSIONS AT HOME OLD scrummage formation future tours arranged [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION J WELLINGTON. Thursday The delegates who represented New Zealand Kugby Union at the Imperial Conference, Messrs. S. S. Dean and J, Prendeville, submitted their report to the management committeo of the union last night. Mr. Dean said the most important point the overseas unions had gained vas the agreement of the English football Union to set up a Dominion Rules Committee to which the English Union Would submit any pnn poscil changes in the future to the laws of the game. Each Dominion would now have two representatives 011 the English Union Committee and England six. making a committee of 12. The International Board had agreed to'consider the framing of a rule providing for a penalty for a player not in the scrummage advancing beyond an imaginary line through the centre of the scrummage. The Home union delegates had considered that sui-li matters as the Jrick-into-touch rule, leaving the ground at half-time and playing a two-three-two scrum were more customs than rules, and unions desiring to follow such customs' were at liberty to do so. i(i was not likely that New Zealand remits concerning alterations in the scoring would be adopted, but if the present system was adhered to it was possible that field goal points would be reduced to three. The conference had opposed the referee putting the ball into the scrum, .but it was agreed the rule should be amended to allow' the ball being put in at a reasonable pace. Speaking of the introduction of amendments to meet local conditions, Mr. Dean said in the English union there was a very definite feeling of sympathy toward the Dominions. The English Ihigby Union had the power to grant such dispensations as local conditions might make advisable. There was among members a very earnest desire to hetp the Dominions in their difficulties.

The conference had been a great success, said Mr." Dean, and the overseas delegates were well satisfied with the results.

Mr. said the programme of international visits which had been tentatively arranged for confirmation by the respective unions differed slightly from that which had been published. In 1944, or as soon after that as possible. the visit of a Maori team to England to play club and county teams had been proposed. . The complete list was:—Australia Yisits New Zealand this year; South iAfriica visits Australia and New Zealand in 1937; Great Britain visits South Africa in 19.18—tours which had been definitely fixed; Australia to Great 3ril:ain in 1939; New Zealand to South Africa in 1940; Great Britain to Australia and New Zealand in 1942; South Africa to Great Britain in 1943; Australia to South Africa in 1945; and New Zealand to Great Britain in 1947.