THE RUGBY CRISIS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 297, 4 September 1918, Page 6

THE RUGBY CRISIS

WELLINGTON'S DECISION FORBIDDEN RULES TO BE PLAYED DISQUALIFICATION POSSIBILITIES CAN USE OF ATHLETIC PARK BE PREVENTED? The match between the Auck- . land and the Wellington Rugby representative teams next Saturday will not only be of great interest, but it may be of taweaching importance, 'for the Wellington Union decided last night to play under the forbiddon Auckland rules. If the present intention is carried out an attempt may bo made to disqualify both unionstwo of the strongest in New Zealand. On tho other hand it is possible for tho "experiment" (a3 it is termed) to result in eonie notable alterations to tho rules of the'game Those present at last night's meeting of the Wellington Union were Messrs. D. D. Weir (ohairman), J. Lundon, H. Griffiths, A. C. Kitto, J. N. Miliard, W. H. Donovan, R. J. M'llrailh, W. W. Cook, K H. Ward, and T. H. Jones (lion, secretary). On August 28 the Wellington Union sought from the New Zealand Union permission to play Auckland on September 7 under the following amended iules as an experiment:— (1) Abolition of wing-forwards. (2) Absolute ifree kicks. , (3) Referee to put tho ball into the scrummages. (4) Advantage rulo to appl* to line-ouis. . ) (ti) Knock-on rulo modified. Permission was refused. Then,, last Saturday, the Wellington Union sent the following telegram to the Auckland Union:—"New Zealand Union refuse permission. Notwithstanding, ,aro you still prepared to play under amended rules?" On the same day came the following reply:—"Yes. Wellington support keenly appreciated." ' The chairman: Well, gentlemen, there is the position. Are you^prepared to leave it there, or shall we take no action? ■

A question was asked ae to why an arrangement had been sought for the use of Newtown Park. The chairman: A move may bo mado to close Athletic Park on us, and we have taken the precaution to got Nowtown Park. Mr. Millard: What move could bo made? Tho chairman: The trustees may step in and say that we have not conformed to our agreement in playing a game that is not approved by the New Zealand Union. Mr. Griffiths: Well, in face of all that I don't shift my position. I think this committee is bound together. , It was remarked that Mr. Woir had attended a meeting of the New Zealand Union at which the new rules affair had been discussed. Mr. Willard asked if, therefore, Mr. Weir could give any information about this grounds matter. The chairman: I was there at my own request, not representing this committee. Mr. Millard: Can you tell us any moro about the grounds? > Tho chairman: I don't think I am called on to answer thatj Mr. Willard: If there is anything you know I think it is your duty to tell us.

Mr. Weir: I went there as a private individual, not as your chairmaii. A delegate: If you had not been our chairman would they have received you P ■ The chairman: Yes. Mr. Ward: That won't wash.

~ Another delegate said that Mr. Weir made a mistake in going to the meeting at all. Mr. Kitto: I -think you are. getting dowii to a pretty h'lle point. If there was anything to our advantage, or disadvantage you heard there you ought to tell us. Tho chairman: I think I can say I found out, nothing there.

Mr. Millard: I don't want to know why you were there, but what you think'they can do about this ground. The chairman: You know they have power to expel, . . . Mr. ,Millard: They don't own the Park.

The chairman: To tho best of my belief'the trustees have not considered the matter. One trustee has been very proniinent. A delegate: And he is a member of tho New Zealand Rugbj Union. The chairman: I am not certain, but I think I saw a document on the table which had no right to be there. The secretary: No, it had no fight to be at that meeting. It should havo been in my -possession. Mr. Cook: You have not asked the trustees their attitude in the matter? The chairman: I have had no conversation with them at all. Mr. Millard: I think you should have. The chairman: Oh, no. Mr. Millard: Yes; then we would have had everything on the table before- us to-night. v Mr. Griffiths: Have-we no hold on this park at all? The chairman explained the position and added: "But we contracted to play Rugby fogtball on the Park." A delegate: Well, that is what we are going to do.

The chairman: We received a request from the Auckland Union to play under' their rules. We stated that we would play under their rules in Auckland, excepting tho rule re the linekicking. We also said that we would play under ordinary rules in Wellington. Subsequently Mr. Griffiths (who was manager of tho Wellington team which played Auckland under Auckland rules at Auckland) camo buck and stated that Rugby as played in Auckland was a decided improvement. Hb also said that the Wellington players wero unanimous in favour of it. I verified that by asking the players. They said they had asked Mr. Griffiths to try to have the new game played here, as they thought it an improvement on tho ordinary Rugby. At the meeting here Mr. Griffiths put his motion forward, and it was carried. On the same night we received a- communication from tho English Ruj'liv Union drawing attention to rule 2. We get a letter from the New Zealand Union suggesting that we should meet them in conference, and Mr. Kitto and I met them, and we reported to you. We stated that the New Zealand Union thought that they had been slighted. Subsequently we decided hero that tli9 motion standing in Mr. Griffiths's nariio should be rescinded, and that we would writo to the New Zealand Union asking for their permission to play under the rules we played under in Auckland, and we expressly stated that it was to he taken as an experiment only, We also expressed regret to the New Zea-, land Union for having slighted them or dealt with the nwlter rather hastily. It appears to me that it is a question of: What will the Sow Zealand Union do? T tnke it that when the New Zealand Union is advised that vou are to play the game ns'ymi played it in Auckland (and, by the way, you played it three times that way lasl year), they will, if not satisfied with your action,

take such steps as they think fit, and will, if they think proper, suspend tho Wellington Union for so many months or so many years, whatever it is. That would take place at the first meeting of delegates called. Mr. Millard: Will wo have delegates if wo are suspended? The chairman: No. Mr. Millard: Auckland will not, either?

The chairman: No; and if are suspended other teams will not' be able to play against us. ... If wo happen to be disqualified and the delegates uphold the disqualification, that is the position. If the delegates decline to endorse it we will simply continue to play in matches as we do now. Someone asked about rule 2, and the chairman read it: "It shall affiliate with the English Rugby Union, and shall adopt the laws of football and tho rules as to professionalism' as from time to time frxed by that body." The chairman: Can any sane man say that we have not adopted the laws of the Rugby Union? A delegate: If we are breaking them he could not. Mr. Millard: We would have four rules there outside theirs. The chairman: If we adopt it after tho experiment, then you could say we have adopted it. Mr. Millard: I think we ought to face tho position. Wo are certainly adopting it for next Saturday. Mr. Kitto: Yes, that is the position. Mr. Griffiths: I don't see where we are breaking the rules. Mr. Millard: I am not defending the New Zealand Rugby Union's position. 1 think they are absolutely pig-headej over tho wholo thing.

Mr. Donovan: All we want is an experiment to see if tho game can bo improved. It is no use our going to til.'. English Union and suggesting alterations till we know how they are going to work out. They did away with the old maul andi other things, and it is only by experimenting like this that we can got any improvement. The New Zealand Rugby Union is pigheaded. Somo say'wo should do this in club matches, but I disagree. "T sav that-we want finished players foi au experiment of this kind. , Mr. Millard: The crux of the position scorns to be the ground. Tho chairman: I Lave no fear whatever on that point. lam confident that the New Zealand delegates at their annual meeting would not tolerato any such high-handed action. Tho Now Zealand Union lwve none out of their way to look ifor trouble. It is only the other day wo had to fight to keep tho New Zealand body in Wellington, because they are a discredited body. They are out of touch with tho game. -

Mr. Millard: It is a pity tho "personnel wa s not altered at tho time of the annual conference.

Mr. Kitto: AVe have given thorn flvery opportunity to come to the point in this matter, and they will not do so. I think that Mr. Donovan's arguments were very sound, and that we are giving tho New Zealand Union an opportunity to see'if tho rules should be altered. They appenr to have their minds mado up, and don't want to soe anything. Perhaps wo will give thorn an opportunity whether they want ib or not. The following motion by Mr. Griffiths was then read:— That we play the same rules ns wo played in Auckland—that is to say, we adopt the Auckland rulos for this game as an oxperiment only. Mr. Cook: What is the position about tha players?. Will they also be disqualified? The secretary: If the union is disqualified the , players are disqualified automatically. The chairman: It really means'this. We cannot see our way to abide by tho deoision of tho New Zealand Union, and seeing that Auckland is prepared to take the same risk as Wellington in the matter, -,we feel that no other course is open to us than to carry out this experiment. The voting on the motion was: Ayes: The chairman, Messrs. Kitto, Liindon, Griffiths, Donovan M'llraith, Cook. Noes: Ward, Millo-rd. ■It was decided also that the programmes of tho match shall contain a voting paper, and that the public shall be asked to express an opinion "for" or "against" tho new rules.