Matters Affecting Control Of Rugby

Chronicle (Levin), 20 July 1948, Page 7

Matters Affecting Control Of Rugby

WELLINGTON, July 19. The need for some urrangement to secure coutiol by tlie N.Z. Rugby„Union in faueh Rugby* ii'xtures as tlioso ar . ranged-. by railvvayuien, tramwaymcn, Governnient .dopartmeuts and .otliers, I wus stressed at ,today '» meeting of the management eoniniitteeiof tlie aX.Z.R.U.. when considerutioii* was - given to a Waikato lct'tef dealing witli Railways Rugby. Waikato suggested that thc N.Z. Railways Rugby Council should - becoiue aililiated witli the N.Z.R.U. It was eonsidered: that fho matter could be resoJved by negotiution. In a iiumber of friendlv Rugby games tliere were factors which niiglit cause coti cern to the-.union; as the coiitroliing authority .for Rugby. .Tliese ineludcd observanec'of any penalties wliicli mav have beeii inflicted on players for nvis denieanour in' inatches uiider its jurisdicUon and tlie rules regarding jirofessioiials. In vfcw of the inany rmplica tions in the jnatter, a deeision was held over till.a further meeting. llefcrecs appointcd for the Ranfurly Shicld games are: — Otago v. 'Sout l; Canterbury, July 24, Mr. J. Fitzjmt rich (Wellington;; Otago v. Soutliland, July 31, Mr. A. Fong (West Coast). A protest by the Poneke Club, Wel lington, against -tlie referee awarding a try in a third grade match after tlu ball had touched him in Ihe field oi play, was upheld'.c The deeision of tlu union's ayipeal committee was that tlu referee 's deeision was contrary to law 30 which states that if thc ball or the playcr witli the ball touches the referee in the field of play, a scrumniage shall be "awarded at- tl\%t plaee. Tn tliis easc thc referee admitted the ball touched hiiu but he awarded a try as it was ecr tain to hav« been/seored. Tt was deci'tjed to advise the Canter 1 bury ITnion. that a tour of tlie South lsland bv ! tlte New Zealand Maori team affer its return from Fiji, aviis not praetigable as it would mean too long an absenee from tlieir cmplovment by players.-