FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144051, 22 March 1913, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

(By “Rugger.”)

The .Management Committee of the Xmv Zealand Rugby Union on Thursday night accepted the New South Walt's Union’s suggestion for a further interchange of visits on tho basis of the agreement made in 1910. An Australian team will visit Now Zealand this year, and it is suggested that tho tour be opened with a match at Auckland at tho end of August. Nino matches will probably bo played in tho Dominion, three of which will bo tests. A sub-committee was appointed to draw up a programme. The secretary ~ of the New South Wales Union forwarded an invitation through the New Zealand Union to Mr. W. T. Parata to take a Maori team to Australia during the coming season. Such a tour, it was stated, was desired both, in New South AVales and in Queensland. It was decided to approve of the invitation. Tho suggested programme for tho .Maoris is as follows: —heave Auckland on May 2b, arrive Sydney May 30. On Juno 2 they will play in Sydney; oiP.luno 4 in one of tho northern centres of Now South Wales: on June 7 in Brisbane; on June 1.1 in a country centre;,on Juno 14 in Brisbane; on June 18 in a western centre of New South Wales; on Juno 21 in Sydney, and on June 22 in Sydney. The thirty-fourth annual report of tho Canterbury Rugby Union, which was submitted to delegates recently, stated that a considerable loss was sustained on last year’s working. The gate takings for the inter-club matches showed a falling off of nearly £OO as compared with those of the previous year. This loss was almost wholly due to the bad weather experienced for several of the most important fixtures and to tho fact that fewer matches wore played than usual. The loss on the. year’s working amounts to nearly £l2O, but more than this was incurred in special and non-recurring items of expenditure. Of those the principal items were; —Grant to insurance fund. £3O, as against £3O voter! in 1911; cost of sending a junior representative team to-the South. £CO; the extension of the bi-annual trip to ‘Wellington to cover Taranaki and* Wanganui cost an extra expenditure of £10i), while the endeavour to further encourage sub-union football in the province cost in the least £2O. In addition tb these items £25 was voted towards the cost of erecting a training hall for the various clubs. Tho South Canterbury match also, which usually returns a profit of about £SO. resulted, owing to severe weather, in an actual loss of £l2.

One of the strongest supporters of Rugby fotball in the .southern hemisphere is Mr. 0. F. C. Campbell, vicepresident of the New rZoaland Union. In acknowledging his election to the position of president of the Athletic Football dull (Wellington) this week, Ain Campbell urged players to try to maintain the amateur spirit. As long as the amateur game was kept going, tiien they would ho assured nt tho support of tho better people of the community. If the professional element were allowed to come into tho game then tho game would deteriorate, and tho same spirit that had characterised tho Rugby game in tho past would not remain with them. . It was tho proud boast of many distinguished old players of tho game that they had not a single emblem to show marking their success. Rugby was almost tho only game in which the prowess of tho individual is not rewarded by prizes or monetary gifts. Young men might not think of these gifts much, .but those who-had passed the ago of usefulness as athletes thought of them n good deal. It was a real pleasure to him to see so many young men going in for the Rugby game, which was tho truest amateur sport left to them. Advice of the following alterations in the laws of Rugby football has been received from the English Union: —

1. Definition of tackle : “A tackle is when the holder of the ball is held by one or more players of the opposite side, so that he cannot .at any moment while lie is so hold, pass or play it.*’ The words “at any moment while he is so held” have been added to the previous definition.

2. Daw 16: “fn the case of a throw* forward or knock-on the ball shall bo brought back to the place where such infringement occurred, and there bo scrummaged, unless a fair catch has been allowed or the opposing side gain an advantage, or unless, in the opinion of the referee, such throw forward or knock-on is wilful, when he may award h. free kick to bo taken at the snot where such infringement occurred. This shall not apply to a wilful throw forward or knock-on into touch, which must bo dealt with under Law 16a.” All the words after “gain an advantage” have been added. 3. Law 16a: “If a player shall wilfully pass, knock, or throw tho ball into touch, the opposite side may claim either a free kick or a scrummage. Such free kick or scrummage is to be taken at their option, either (a) at any spot at right angles to the touch-line. 10 yds, from tho place where the ball went into touch,, or (b) at tho spot where such pass, knock, or throw forward occurred. In the case of a free kick the spot, whether under (a) or (b), shall bo taken as tho mark. This law shall not over-ride the power of the referee to allow or disallow a try under Law 13.”

Law 13 refers to tho power given to a referee to award a try if, in his opinion, one would have been scored but for unfair play or interference on tho part of the defending side, or to disallow a try if a try would not have boon scored but for unfair play on the part of tho attacking side.