RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17982, 29 March 1930, Page 3

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

OLD AND NEW RULES. DISCUSSION AT IWATAMATA. (By “Old Timer.”) Quite an interesting discussion took place at the Matamata Football Club’s annual meeting on the attitude of the club towards a reversion to the old rules of Rugby. Mr \V. L. Hollis, I-linuera, introduced the subject and the consensus of opinion appeared lo be in favour of the new. During his playing days the writer learnt his football under the old conditions and passed through much of the transition stages as a player. Still, notwithstanding the leanings and prejudices natural to old-timers lie plumps unhesitatingly for the present-day style of football. Sickening recollections of teams gaining a points lead, smothering all attempts to open up play, a weary succession of scrums and line-outs and the thousand and one little dodges resorted 10, force even the most rabid old-timer to ihc conclusion that the rules of the game at the present time in New Zealand cut out a lot of these tactics.

No Comparison. From the spectators’ point of view there is no comparison, and looking back one wonders how some bygone games were so interesting. But —and there is always a but —the New Zealand fotoball loving public is asking a tremendous lot from its representative players who are required to regularly play in our own particular style and are expected to uphold the high prestige, set by former teams playing the game as taught them from boyhood, in which may be called foreign matches. The Team in Africa. It has been said on all sides that the New Zealand team in South Africa was not up to former representative combinations. Followers of football got a severe jolt and several of them, when results of matches came through. A sigh of relief went up from one end of New Zealand to the oilier when the last test was played and honours were even. In the writer’s opinion the performance of the All Blacks in Africa was magnificent. These men were asked to meet a team with a physique equal to their own, playing on their own ground, under the rules they had been taught since they ever played the game, and the New Zealanders held their own —but only just. Put Another Way. , Put it another way and bring hack in imagination some of the old-time teams and play the present day All Blacks under the old rules, match our scrummcrs against Tyler and Casey, with the burly Cunningham as lock, and Charlie Seeling and Co. to make, up the pack, the dour scrumming, the dribbling, the 'driving rushes and the tackling would he a revelation. Combine this with the hefty hooting of Boh Deans, the uncanny line-finding propensities of Iho two Billies, Stead and Wallace, throw in George Gillett and Duncan McGregor for good measure, in the kicking to touch business and it will be admitted freely by many that the boys would be up against it. New Zealand football is at the parting of the ways, we have either lo adopt the intcrnaional rules, or some, and perhaps no far distant day taste the bitterness of defeat. We’ are selling the All Blacks a tremendous task and the adaptability of the men, so far, lias enabled us to hold our own. The position, ’sooner or later, will have to he faced and must be agitating the minds of footballers and their supporters from Uie North Gape to the Bluff. PIAKO RUGEY UNION. ■NAME CHANGED TO TE AROHA.

The attendance al the annual meeting of the Piako Rugby Union in Tc Aroha .was large and representative. Dr. W. B. Lawrence presided. ■Thu balance sheet showed receipts

£278 14s sd, and expenditure £297 9s Gd, leaving a debit of £l7 15s Id on the year’s working. The insurance account showed a credit of £4B 9s lid. The president read the annual report, which, with the balance sheet, was adopted. . During the year the Union contributed £3O to the Te Aroha Unemployment fund, which was controlled by the Borough Council. The election od officers resulted as follows:—Patron, Air C. E. Macmillan, M.p.; president, Dr. W. R. Lawrence; vice-presidents, Messrs J. C. Carroll, J. A. Hepburn, S. Davies, P. Lockyer and T. M. Curran; secretary, Mr Gus Walsh; hon. auditor, Mr E. 11. Edmonds; executive committee, Messrs Hepburn, Lockyer, Ileathcote, McCowan and Landman. It was resolved that it be a recommendation to the committee that the season be opened on April 26. According to notice of motion Mr J. A. Hepburn proposed that the name be changed from Piako Rugby Union to Te Aroha Rugby Union. This was seconded by Mr F. Lockyer and carried. y