THE RUGBY TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 18 September 1918, Page 4

THE RUGBY TROUBLE

■? AN INQUIRY HELD. The recent. Rugbv trouble was inquired into by the Wellington Rugby Union last night. The captain of the ■Wellington representative team, L. Nicholis, attended, and the. chairman (Mr. D. D. Weir) explained that the New Zealand Union had asked for an. explanation. In the Wellington-Auck-land match there bad been 'certain innovations. Mr. W. W.Cook: Is that so? The chairman: Yes. Another member: What were they? The chairman: First, there was no charging of .kicks'. A member: That is not an innovation.. Mr. Weir said be was only after information, and Nicholis was present; becauso they wanted to know "why wo introduced certain innovations." Mr. J. N. Millard: We? Mr. Weir: Well, Mr. Nicholis. Mr. Cook: Did he? Mr. Weir said that he thought that probably after Nicholis had spoken the New Zealand Rugby Union's letter would go to the wall. He had not spoken to Nicholis on the subject, but that was his impression. Nicholis said that there were only two questions he was asked bdfore the match. Both were by. the Auckland captain. One was as to the length of the spells. The other was regarding charging kicks. The Auckland skipper said: "What about charging?" Nicholis replied: "What about it?" The Auckland sjcipper: "Well, you know that in Auckland we don't charge." Nicholis said he would leave it to the discretion of the forwards. Ho gavo no instructions to the forwards. i Mr. Weir: No members of this committee approached you? Nicholis: No. Mr. Weir: What age are you? Nicholis: Eighteen. Mr..Weir: You are a very young captain, and are to-be complimented. In reply to other questions, Nicholis said that ho was not a party to any agreement about putting the ball into the scrum. He heard Mr. Kitto (the referee) say in the shed that Rugby rules were to be played. It was decided' to answer the New Zealand Union to the effect that there was no agreement to vary the rulos, and that no instruction was given to the .Wellington or the Auckland captain not to charge kicks, not to claim the right to put the ball into the scrum, ete. The chairman asked members if they were .willing to allow the matter to rest there. Mr. Millard said that he was not. There seemed to be more in this matter than met the eye. He heard that the New Zealand Union were making the, Wellington Union an anvil for thrashing out personal grievances. He moved:—"That wo ask the New Zealand Union why no exception was taken to the playing of the amended rules while two present members of the New Zealand Union were Auckland representatives on. that body." The motion was seconded by Mr. A. Griffiths and carried.