RUGBY LAWS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17126, 5 December 1929, Page 7

RUGBY LAWS

UNIONS TO BE CONSULTED LETTER FROM INTERNATIONAL BOARD The suggestion by the International Rugby Football Board that all Dominion unions should agree to adopt the laws of the game ns framed by tho International Board before the question of setting up an Imperial Rugby Board is considered, does not appear i to meet with the approval of the New Zealand Union at least, j The following letter was received by , the management committee of the Now i Zealand Rugby Union from the sccre* ! tary of the English Rugby Union: — j “At a meeting of the Rugby Football Union Committee on October 4, 1929, my committee received the report of our international board representatives regarding a resolution adopted by the board last March. It appears some misunderstanding arose regarding the communication being sent to the Dominion unions. I am therefore now directed by my committee to forward the board’s resolution to you, which reads as follows: — “As a condition precedent to the consideration of the creation of a consultative body under the supreme control of this board, all Dominion unions should agree to adopt the laws of the game as framed by the international board. “Will you please let me know whether your union is prepared to accept this resolution, which, as previ--ously stated, .my committee recommends.’’ AN OLD ARGUMENT ‘■‘l think a copy of the letter should be sent to all unions in New Zealand and also to the New South Wales Rugby Union for expressions of opinion, ’ ’ said Mr. >S. S. Dean. “It is a very vital matter for certain unions in New Zealand, and very vital for New South Wales and other unions in Australia. I think it is one concerning which we shall probably have to call a special meeting of delegates. This is' a very old argument, and I do not think any lead we might give will have any great effect.' The question of reverting to rules as laid down by the international board requires very serious consideration. We know that it iS mokt 'unlikely that Now South Wales’ would agree to go back. Unless we agree to,-the rules they am not going to give us a conference. . . . If we want uniformity, and a say in making the rules we will have to go back to the old rule's. Impersonally, favor going back if wc can get a say in making fbe rules.” Mr. H. S. Leith: Would they give us a voice in that case Mr. Kitto: I cannot see where we will ever get any farther. Mr. E. Wylie: ,Of course, if you are getting a' voice you can plead your case, and if you are beaten you will have do take it. , • ' TALK OF A BREAKAWAY “We are either going to stick to. .the constitution as laid down by the international board and the English Rugbv Union, or we are going to drift,” said Mr, Dean, “And it' we drift we are going to fake other unions with us. We know that New South Wales and the other Australian unions are with us, and Canada is playing our amended kick-into-touch rule, while with the agitation going- on in South Africa I think they, too, would follow suit. If the international board is going tp hold the big stick over us do -npt th’ink we are'going to lie down to It. I am quite convinced that if we made a break France and the other European unions would also support ILS. * * “How arc we going to get on with this conference?” asked tho chairman. Mr., Ivitto: It is a wash-out. Iu the event of delegates from overseas agreeing to cotne, Mr. Leith considered that the conference would be futile, as they would have no voting power. It Was' resolved that copies of the letter from England be sent on to unions for expressions of opinion. No decision was made regarding a special weeding of delegates, but Mr. Dean suggested that if it came to a pinch the annual meeting of the New Zealand union , might be called at an earlier date than usual.—Dominion.