Thrown Out

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 665, 17 May 1929, Page 7

Thrown Out

i Old Rugby Rules Not Wanted (Special to THE SUS) WELLINGTON, Thursday. “Jock Richardson, who led the All i Blacks to victory in the three tests ! at. home in 1924. told me that he conj sidered the fact that we had had practice under the new rules and learned to keep the ball in play contributed to the success of that team,” declared one delegate at the annual meeting lof the New Zealand Rugby’ Union , yesterday, in a long debate that the j conference had on the question of rei verting to the old rules, in view of | the visit of the British team next year. The proposal by the Management Committee that the old .rules be | introduced for all games, supported by Mr. S. S. Dean, was thrown ou» by an overwhelming majority, and the proposal that the old rules be played in the inter-island game this year and in the trial matches next year was decided upon. The subject created a full discussion, but the opinion of the majority was that the new rules have not deteriorated the game. Some speakers said the new rules had developed the “shining” forward, but this had been encouraged by the recognition given that type of player by selectors and newspapers. Delegates voiced the opinion that to revert to the old rules would be a serious thing for such districts as Auckland and Canterbury, where the game had opposition from the rival code. Other speakers said they could not see why club and provincial footballers should be placed under a handicap for the benefit of a few players who play in international matches. Mr. G. A. Maddison set the seal on the debate by remarking that the South Africans, after seeing the two styles played by the All Blacks, had expressed a preference for the amended rules. Some speakers advanced the opinion that the serum formation was responsible for any falling-off in the standard of the game.