FOOTBALL.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16725, 7 January 1920, Page 8

FOOTBALL.

1 « CANTERBURY RUGBY UNION. AUSTRALASIAN CONFERENCE REVIEWED. X meeting of the Management Committee o( the Canterbury J'titrbv Football Union ■nas hold iast rislit. I'rocri —Messrs S. F. Wilson (chairman). W. B. Puller. G. Dobbo, A. Doy, Jt. W. Britton, R. E. 'Boaft. A. McPhoil, C. S. McC'-iliy, and H. E. NcaJo (secretary). The meeting waa cailed mainly to consider the report of the deleaves of the New Z'e.ilard Rup'iy Union o£, the conference held in Sydney at the end of October and ninsr of November last, at which repreeenta•irr* of »he N'ow Zealand. Now South Wales, and Queensland Union* were prceont, South Africa bein™ unab'.e to present. A lenjthy list of recommendations .M to the government, of tb" came ?enoralljrj*nd of amendments to the rules of Rus;by waa contained in tho report. With ropard to th© government of tho same, it was recommended that an international Bonrd of Co r,, ''''>l be act up, tho English Ru&by Union to bo asked to tako tho initial steps to inaugurate auch a Board, on which all tho affiliated Rugby _Union playins countries ahould have representatives. The objects of the Board, it was pointed out, should bo uniform international government, uniformity of laws and ruling, nnd the betterment of tho p»me by the exchange of international tours, or by any other means considered desirable. i It was decidcd to snpport the proposals. Considerable discussion took place -upon tho next proposal, which recommended "the , appointment of u central secretory for the •unions of New Zealand and Australia, who should be (a) a channel oi communication between the union* of New Qucenoland, and New South Wales, tho Rupby Football Union, nnd, when established, the International Board of Control; and (M tho medium for tho takln? of a moil vote on any question remitted by any oic of those unions, who should have power, where auch a vole wiis unanimous, to act T.pon and (jwo effect to snch decisions. After some discussion as to whether New Zealand would flot lose its identity by «uch a course, it was decided to support tho proposals and alfO tho appointment of Mr W. W. Hill, of Sydney, to tho position of central ho:'., secretary. Lengthy recommendations no to the lawo of the game were then cons!3erod, the sug-cc-rfions of tho conference dealing with a lari;e number of points in the laws which have been commented upon in recent seasons. It waa decided, after considerable discussion, to rote against the suggrated amendments for the present, with the object of holding thorn in abeyance pending tho formation or otherwise of tho international Board of Control. The conference added a that tho ,»i?Toe!!i«nt an to any n«w rules arrived at iihoti'd extend over a period comprising tours by Nfv &cakind team* in Australia in 1920 an 1022 and bv Australian teams in New Zealand in 1901 and ISffJ, each two tours to consist of sever, maicheo, including two tcet mutches. It waa the epinkm of the cnntaenco. in regard to international and oolonial tours, that negotiations be opened with tho South African Board for the visit of a'South African team to Australia and Now Zealand iu 1921, and it won also decided at tho conference to recommend negotiations with other Tiugbv Union conntri««. including France, for -tours to Australia and New Zealand. Tho chainnan roinarked that ho w« ai»appointed to oce thul tho South AiricJtoo had not been invited to tour New Zealand before 1921, but from privolo advioo ho and received ho understood that a cablo meesago had been sent from Wellington inviting them to visit New Zealand this . In case no such invitation had been it wis decided to urpo the Zea]«nd Union etronfrly to invito the South African Boaid to Gend a. ieam to New Zealand in 1920.