CONTROL OF RUGBY GAME

Taranaki Daily News, 30 April 1931, Page 9

CONTROL OF RUGBY GAME

British UNION’S Demands Nfcw ZfcALArtD DEfel&feS A “SAY* REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, April 29. The prificipal topic discuSSfed at the anriuaj. meeting of tlie NfitV Zealand Rtigby Unioii Was wliethef the Union siioiild iigree tp abide By tlie declaration df tlife Itugby Fdbtbali Uiiion (England) that New Zealand rinist fall into line regarding the rules of the game. It v.-as decided to decept thfe iiiternaiional Bbard rilles in Nfiw Zfehland under the terms of the letter received from England, and the follOWiiig .additional resolutions, moved by Mr. S.' S. Dean and seconded by . Mr. E. Maddison, Were adopted; (1) That representations be made to the Rugby Fbotball Union for the establishment bf ail iiripeflfij Rugby board, with adequate diteet rejiffesentatiofi. (2) That tile Rugby Union be asked to cOnVdiitl a cblifeteiib’e of the RUgby unions Of Eiiglaiid, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada during the fbrthcbmilig tour of South Africa to Great Britain, with a view to establishing such aft liilpbrial fiiigby bofird, siteli Hodra to have tlie power to make the laws and. rulings for the government of the .game hi all Ceiitfefi. arid tlie prrangeinbht of iriiefiiatibiial tours. (3) That tlie Dominion unions bfe asked fOi - their co-operation and to Be directly represented at such a conference-

“SHOULD S£T AN EXAMPLE;”

“liistrtietioils hitvc been received from The Rugby Football Union (England), cancelling all dispensations granted’ in tile past; thereby ehtdiliiig tlie enforcement of tlife international Rules thtdugliout our football,” stated Dr. G. J. Adams, president, in his annual report. “That tliferfi should be only Oilfe set of itegby football rules (in evfery detail) throughout the Ehipire I alii sure hbbody will deny, but that those rules should be controlled- fill'd adjusted Uy fin international body representative of only ! a siuall section of the Eihpirb is decidedly ‘Wrong. 1-am-.firmly of tile Opinion that whilst England; Scotland, Ireland and Wales aloiie are tepreseiited bn the International Boafd stlfili a bofird is not Worthy of the Empire unless it hat Doiiiiriibii representation Oh it, particularly when the most powerful sections of the Empire’s football —New Zealand, South Africa and Australia—are ignored ih fcptesfeiiiatluii oil. siiUli a governing body. “This is significant-of Rugby football’s failiite ih tlifi dembetitejr Which hfia for long years been the pride find power bf 'the lifitisli Empire. Tliai there is fbbffi for iihprOteiiieilt iii thb international rules of Rugby is manifest to fill Whd have givfin flibse rules deep thought, and to those who have befih in the position to give certain amendments a reasonable trial, and where thete are differences of opinion in this rfespect betWcfen the different fbOtball powefs of the Effipirfi, therfe iS only one logical way of settling them and rendering uniformity of rules for the bettermerit of tlife gaiilfe; that is |by an International conference, proportionately represfentativb Of thfe refepfil’tivfi fbdtbrtll powers, with stlbSfequerit cbiitrol by a board truly representative of the whole Empire. PREPARED TO CO-OPERATE.

“That you unahimously decided, at yoiir last annual meeting, 'to adopt the intbrilatibnai Riiles if and when representation was granted to New Zea* liiiid. Oii tlib liitbfiiiitidfial Board,’ displayed the fact that you were prepared to wlidle-lititrtbdly throw, yoiir lot into the interiiatioiiiiiisatioii of the gaiiib, its rulbs aiid its btihtrdl; Mid it is surety only British that such a powerful Rhgby unit as tlie New Zealand Riigby Football Uiiidii slibuid lit Ibiist be aiitiW'cd a voice in tlie gahiO it is iislibd to control; “The instruction received from The Rugby Union (England) lias clearly disliliiybd that it lids failbd to apprdciata the fact that we are using' otir utmost biidbavours to iiiipHJVS tliii game; but more iiiiportdnt still, iiiiit the international Board has faihu to grasp the great part that Rugby football can play in Infperidlisiii; iii ibb Mother Cbilntry bdiiig tdosely united witii its Dominions in the spirit of the game and in its adniinistriitioii,; blit iiiitlidrmqre; with the full knowledge of yoiir resolution bf the last diliiiidl fiitieiihty, it Wbiild appear thiit it lias ufiWittingty preferred tb risk .our secession;. , “It ilciW falls tb ybuf lift to dbt ’an Cxaiiiple arid give a. lead tb the controlling body in the Mother Countrv Ijy •displacing j-orir Idydlty to tlie edde of Rugby football iii" accepting the intermitioiial rules, follbwirig which, representation slibiilff bd dbniiiiidbtl to iriaintitiii the liiiifoi-lnity of rules that we all desire to see. If the International Bbaiil tlieil fails ill its obligation tb the N.Z.R.J’.U. aiid othet Dominion Rugby unions it liiiglit be wise to seriously consider the . advisability of approaching the other Dohiiriions with the object of fdtiiihig- a Donlihidii bbard of Rugby fddtball control.”