IMPROVING RUGBY

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20786, 22 April 1939, Page 9

IMPROVING RUGBY

NECESSITY OF PRACTISE WAIKATO STANDARD UNION PRESIDENT'S PLAN Seeking a remedy for the mediocre form of the Waikato Rugby representatives who tiail the individual players but lacked team work, the president of the Waikato Rugby Union. Mr D. R. F. Campbell, suggested, at the annual meeting last evening, that

the representatives should be brought together for training before representative fixtures with a view to reviving the standard of Rugby in the district. "One of the matters which has been occupying our attention considerably during the off-season,” said Mr Campbell, “is the standard of play of the Waikato representatives. The team's record last season of three wins, three losses and one draw was not very brilliant, to put, it mildly. “A particularly poor showing was made against Auckland in the first match of the season. It lias been exercising our minds to find a remedy for this. For a long time the Union has not been financial but that position does not pertain at present.” Mr Campbell said the money could be used to send a Waikato team touring or for the improvement of Rugby in the district. He favoured the latter. Individuals Good ‘‘Our forwards last season were equal to those of any team we met and, man for man, our hacks were just as good, but we did not meet with the success we hoped for. “The first difficulty, I think, was the lack of practice together,” said Mr Campbell. “In a widely-scattered union, sucli as Waikato, it is difficult to get the players together and mould the side into a good team. The remedy is to bring the players together for a week or even a few days. If the players met on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then rested over the week-end before meeting Auckland on Monday this season it would be to the good.” Mr Campbell considered the previous practice of selectors instructing players just as they were about to take the field was almost useless as, in the excitement of the game, footballers quickly forgot hasty instructions and immediately played then* own individual game. The only sure method of instruction was to assemble the team before the day of the match, instruct the players, and make them put the advice into practice during the training. The Five-Eighth Problem The difficulty of finding good fiveeighths was also referred to by Mr Campbell, who recognised .that it was a difficulty throughout New Zealand, oven among the All Blacks. “It takes brains and good kicking ability to become a live-eighth and •very few men have the qualifications,” said Mr Campbell. “A man with sufficient enthusiasm to practise assiduously can he, trained, however, and in Hie Waikato we have the coaches to do it.” Mr Campbell also suggested that prior to Hie first Auckland-Waikato fixture a Waikato trial match should be arranged. Mr A. St.C. Belcher supported the suggestion that the funds of the Union should he devoted to building up a good Waikato team. If that were done the representatives would be an attraction when tours were made and good gates instead of poor ones, as in recent tours, would assist the Union funds considerably.