ALUMINIUM OR LEATHER?

Chronicle (Levin), 14 August 1947, Page 4

ALUMINIUM OR LEATHER?

COMPOSITION OF* RUGBY BOOT SPRIGS The contention that the present leather sprigs used toy Rugby foot-j, ballers should be' replaced by aluminium oiies has, again been raised, this time toy the Waikato: Rugby Union, which is now cir-; cularising other unions with a view to soliciting support for the change'. ■ ' * • When . the matter was first referred to the New Zealand Rugby Urion it was pointedj out that leather sptigs were required under the laws of the game, and that nothing could be done about it. It; , was pointed out by . the Waikato; Union, in a letter to the Horo-i whenua Union on Tuesday night, that aluminium sprigs ' were .eom- , mon -in those districts where League was active and, therefore, an ©pportunity existed for a .comparison of sprigs, which is invari- . ably disadvantageous to the leather type. A letter which it had reeeived from the Hamilton Corps, of the. 1 St, John Apibulance Brigade was ■ the reason given by the Waikato Union for the resurrection of the qhestion. ; The letter, which was also for- : warded to the Horowhenua Union, pointed out that the corps mem- : bers were coneerned. over the large j number of injuries caused by | leather sprigs. The leather used ■ for building up the sprigs w.as often ; of poor elass, and it soon wore • awav and exnosed the nails.

•"On one or two occasions latel-y I have noticed team leaders, no doubt with a view to making the sprigs safe for the game, about .to start to go round the footb.allers'' sprigs with a file," stated the writer. "This, to my mind, increases the danger, as once the head of the nails is reduced it incr-eas.es the risk of the first layer of leather becoming detached while play is in progress, leaving almost a quarter of an inch of newly-hled nail exposed. "There is little excuse for this stafe of affairs as there are other and much safer sprig-s avai-lable, and of these the ambulance men in the divisions ' of the corps of which I am corps superintendent, favour the- aluminium sprig. This sprig has a large base, with counter sunk holes for screws or r.ails pierced through a flange on the base. The sprig is raised ahove the flange and ther.e is no .danger of the nails being exposed. The large base also prevents the sprig from leaning over and making ihe boot uncomfortable. "The ambulance mep view with some concern that players are allowed to use obsolete sprigs when safer and better ones are procura)ble, and I would . be pleased to learn if the matter is being looked into and represer.ted to the proper authorities." Adding . a footnote to this enclosure, the Waikato Union said that it intended -to raise the matter at the next annual meeti-r g . of the N.Z.R.U., but would rfleanwhile be interested to learn the views of other unions, particularly if further support was forthcoming from other corps of the St. John Ambulance Brigade whose opinions, the letter added, had to be regarded in an impartial light. Commenting on the communication, the president, Mr. A. Gillespie, stated that he personally thought there was a great deal of logic in the proposal. Following discussion it was decided that a deeision would be withheld till the next meeting, and meanwhile the letter would be referred to the local corps of the St. J ohn" Ambulance Brigade.