N. Z. RUGBY UNION.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXVII, Issue 8197, 9 August 1895, Page 2

N. Z. RUGBY UNION.

Wellington, August S. At the meeting of the Management Committee of tho New Zealand Rugby Union the Queensland Union wrote urging that a New Zaaland team should visit Australia next year, notwithstanding Queensland's .visit this., year having been postponed. Con-: siderable correspondence was received respecting the proposal to play the first North v. South Island matches at Christchurch on the 22 nd inst. Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington, South* land, and Canterbury approved, and other Unions raised no objections, but Auckland and Otago regretted that they would be unable to permit their men to take part in view of their meet-. ing on the 24th. It was.decided that it would bo inadvisable to play the match without the co-operation of Otago and Auckland, and as no other date was practicable the'initiation of matches is to be postponed till next year. Protests were received from Wellington and from Mr Firth (of the Appeal Committee) against the ruling of the Appeal Committee as to player# being off-side when being outside the scrum past its centre while the ball waß in. It was decided to refer the to the Appeal Committee with the re-; quest that the matter be considered, and a decision come to before Satur- ~ day, Latek. The decision of the New Zealand, Union Appeal Committee establishing« an arbitrary centre of a scrum, and' enacting that any player outside the. scrum or going beyond i« shall be pen-! alised, which was referred back to the committee yesterday is to be modified. . It will now read, that all players must be on their own side of the ball when it is put in the scrummage and flayers are not off side when behind the ball. The former decision caused much.comment amongst footballers as it threat" eni^-abolish;wing play. It was arrived at by three votes to two-oa-the-appeal committee. One of the majority now. exclaims he voted under raisappre-. hension and that his view is as above.