THE RUGBY TOUR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19069, 15 January 1924, Page 10

THE RUGBY TOUR.

SCOTTISH UNION’S ACTION. SUPPORTED BY INTERNATIONAL BOARD. The result of the Rugby International Board’s deliberations on the sensational action of the Scottish Rugby Union in sujpeiiding the international player, Neil MacPherson, for accepting a watch, valued at ij'6i as a memento of the Newport team’s fine" record during last season, has been received by mail from England. The board sat for three and a-half hours, and subsequently announced that it had the following decision; —“That this board disapproves of th© action of the Welsh Football Union in sanctioning the presentation made bv the public of Newport to the players of the Newport Club on account of the high intrinsic value of such presentation, and that this board recommends to the several unions that no mementoes exceeding in value the sum of £2 shall be given to players.” The decision is as difficult to understand as Scotland’s attitude of protest in the first place (states the Athletic News). Apparently professionalism is a matter of amount. A player must not accept a gold watch, but he may a Waterbury. According to this decision a player docs not become a professional on a matter of principle, but on a question of an amount of money or the value in kind. File finding seems to have “nothing to do with the case,” but the whole situation is amazingly Gilbertian, and wo can see Rugby players with a Pooh-Bah strain looking contemptuously on a tin timekeeper as another insuit. Welsh opinion on the decision is expressed in the following terms: “What concerns us is the ruling of tho board llyit acceptance of a memento is not an act of professionalism. That is the heart of the matter; everything else is of secondary importance. Tho great majority of Rugby folk ui Wales want peace and good comradeship. . Wo do not waqt to quarrel with Scotland, but if Scotland insists upon quarrelling, let the consequences bo on her own head. Our contention from (he first has been that it is not an act *of professionalism to present to players mementoes of' a special achievement ‘ or a special association. That, view the International Board endorses. They do not forbid presentation of mementoes; such presentations are not to ho regarded as involving professionalism in the future. Logically, therefore, the next step is for the Scottish Union to withdraw their suspension of Noil Macpherson and their ban upon the Watsonians’ visit to Newport on Boxing Day. and we sincerely hope they will take tliis logical, common-sense course. We do not see how Scotland can do otherwise. To persist in the ban upon the individual player and the prohibition against the Newport team would he to d<*fy tho ruling of the International Board. We bow to (he opinion of the board that it may he. wiser to limit the value of future presentations to two noimds. but there was no suggestion of a limit till now; therefore, there has been no offence. We exnecf Scotland to do tho docent, thing, the only thing—withdraw.”