THE RUGBY GAME

Southland Times, Issue 18937, 10 May 1923, Page 5

THE RUGBY GAME

AN IMPERIAL CONFERENCE PARENT BODY AND BREAKAWAY TACTICS. TINKERING WITH LAWS DEPLORED. (Special to the Times). WELLINGTON, May 9. A strong recommendation is being sent to the rugby unions in Great Britain and within the British Empire, that an Imperial Conference in regard to the laws and conduct of the national winter pastime be held in South Africa next year, on the occasion of the presence there of an English team. In the discussion strong objection was voiced against any breakaway from the code of British rugby, and any further tinkering with the laws of the game was deplored. The first business tabled when the newlyelected management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union met to-night was to discos earnestly the question of the laws of rugby in the light of recent amendments of the code that have not had the sanction of the parent body, the English Rugby Union.

Mr E. A. Little, who topped the poll at the election for the Management Committee at the annual meeting last week, opened the discussion. “I think,” he said, “that there is a strong feeling among the delegates to the annual meeting that we have had too much strife in the past and that there has been too much tinkering with the rules. The time has arrived when we must get down to bedrock, and do the best we can for the game. As far as I am concerned the great question of the readoption of the amended rule has been definitely settled, and I am now prepared to abide by the declaration of the majority of the unions affiliated. There are quite a lot of happenings which older members of the Committee will agree, should not recur in the future. There is no need to labour the question. Members will all understand what I mean. Some of the old members of the Committee are not here. Some of us may not be here next year. There is always a feeling of regret when any man that has been closely associated with the ama/eur sport gets what might be called “the bump,” because I feel that he has done his honest best for the good of the game. It is the fortune of war.”

“We are going to have a strenuous year in the administration of rugby,” continued the speaker. “We should not continue to rely on certain individual members of the Committee for certain propositions that may crop up! I am referring to the expressed desire of the delegates at the annual meeting that an Imperial Conference should be held. I consider it is very necessary and we should not hesitate to go outside the personnel of the Committee to secure the best man to represent New Zealand on that conference. (Hear, hear). I sincerely hope that there will be no more tinkering with the laws of the game, which will come back to its own in good time. We have to recognise that we are sent here to promote the best interests of amateur rugby. (Applause).” Mr A. C. Kitto demurred for agreeing that any tinkering with the laws had been done by the outgoing Management Committee. The suggestion came from the annual meeting of delegates. He said he hoped that the new chairman (Mr S. S. Dean) would not bring his personal ideas too much into sway but would be guided by the majority. Mr W. S, Glenn, M.P., eaid he was in accord with everything that Mr Little had said, in regard to the tendency to get away from the code of the English Rugby Union. He confessed to being grievously disappointed at the decision cf the annual meeting in retaining the New Zealand amendment to the “kick into touch” rule, which from an old footballer’s point of view, was only educating the “vamping” forward, to neglect his werk in the scrummage, and become an open sprinter. “I am prepared to bury the hatchet, as far as the rule goes, and to abide too, by the majority. I hope we will be a happy family in our work. Mr McKenzie, by undertaking to come all the way from the Wairarapa to our meetings, shows how live his interest in the game is.”—(Hear, hear.) Mr E. Wylie (Treasurer), said that he was the oldest member of the new committee. “I might,” he said, “be classed as an ultra conservative’. I believe in no change being made in the rugby code unless it is world wide.— (Hear, hear.) I was the first to advocate the . International Conference, and I have continued to advocate it for some years. lam pleased to hear from the remarks of new members, that they are not rabid in their desire for change. The game of rugby has stood tjie test of time and what we want to aim at is to maintain the spirit of the game, apart from the principle of merely playing to win. We will find that the rules of the English Rugby Union are quite sufficient and good enough for us.— (Hear, hear.) The necessity for an Imperial Conference was becoming more imperative, said Mr Wylie, as there were now several nations playing rugby. It had showed tremendous growth in the outlying portions of the Empire and the younger countries were evincing .'more liberal views than the older ones. These younger countries were entitled to representation on the international board, and the deliberations of the conference should be directed in that channel rather than towards a breakaway from the rules of rugby.—(Hear, hear.) Although he had always opposed the new rule he would be the last to support any “piebald” game in New Zealand. Efforts should be made to bring in those unions that had attempted to legislate away from the'rules and to prevent the possibility of having a different set of rules for different provinces. “We are far too small to break away from the rugby of other countries,” said Mr Wylie. In conclusion, ‘Let any change come from the parent body in England and let it be world-wide. While we regret the loss of Messrs Griffiths, Howe and Slade, we have among our new members, men who have £iven years to the promotion of the game and I am quite sure that at the end of the year, we will be able to go back to the delegates, knowing that we have done our best according to our convictions in the best interests of the rugby game.” (Applause). Mr T. A. Fletcher said that he was like others imbued with the idea of pushing the game forward. The suggestion for an imperial conference had his heartiest support, and he commended the sentiment of Mr Wylie, in reference to the spirit under which the game should be played. Mr W. Ilornig assured the committee that the experience he had had in the past management of the game, would be at the disposal of the Committee. The following resolution was unanimously adopted on the motion of Mr Wylie:— “That our representative on the English Rugby Union be written to advising him of the desire of the New Zealand Union that an Imperial conference should be held and asking that the English Rugby Union take up the matter and that New South Wales and South Africa be asked to support us in the matter, and that the conference be held in South Africa during 1924, when an English team will be touring that Union.