THE RUGBY CRISIS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 231, 24 June 1919, Page 8

THE RUGBY CRISIS

A MENACE TO THE GAME WHITHER ARE WE DRIFTING? At the present time many supporters of the oid llugby game are troubled over tho threat that lianas over Hugbjr football in Xow Zealand as tho result of certain resolutions brouglit forward by tile Auckknd delegates at the annual meeting of tho Sew Zealand llugby l''oot)jall Union. "The changes in the laws of the game," said Air. A. W'ircn, discussing the position, "are not fundamental, and it may be that they do improve the game. Let me udmit for the sake of argument that they do improve the game, is that any reason why ono section of players should go as far as to threaten to wreck the whole fabric of Rugby in this country, with its wonderful llugby traditions, which 1 am glad to see are being maintained by the soldier-footballers. "If Auckland were lo break away from the New Zealand Union, Rugby will be given a blow from which it may not recover; and if we were persuaded by Auckland to adopt the new rules we would cut ourselves off from the English Union for all time. It would not be like a boy who does something wrong, and is caned for it, and forgiven. It would entail cutting the Rugby painter. It would be the end of international llugby tours, and all our brilliant traditions ■ would go for naught, for wo would be play ing. a game of our own, just like the ' Victorians. They have a game of t'heir own devising, but who ever hears of it outside their borders? Ko one has heard of a team from Victoria going to England, or an English team visiting Victoria. "I consider that any interference with the laws of the game unwise, simply because Rugby football is a national game, and if one country plays this way and another that, its national spirit and national interest departs, and you have in its stead a piebald game which probably no other country adopts or cares a rap about. You isolate your own country, and disenfranchise its players from the opportunities of becoming footballers of world-wide renown such as New Zealand has produced in the past. "It is unfortunate that some of the changes in the laws do appeal to the players,- and they cannot understand why a law that improves a game cannot be adopted right away, but all those wlio liavo had years of experience in administration, and really know lllie history of Rugby football in this country, will, I I am sure, realise the grave peril, Rugby football is in at the present time. If we .drift away from the' EiigM constitution wo will have ; to be content with play amongst ourselves, which, to me, would be humiliating—when one considers the giants we have put in tho field in the past in England nnd Australia—men that have given the stiimina of New Zealanders a wider reputation than anything else until the war came along. These are days of change, nnd as one who can, see virtuo in the new rules, I do 'hopo that no section of our plavers ,-from tho North Cape to the Bluff will do anything unconstitutional that will 'divide a house _ against itself,' and at tho same time imperil tho position of New Zea- [ land in the eyes of tho football world. "Just fancy how ludicrous it would bo for us to alter the laws of c.ricket, and make them different from those played' to in any other part of the world! Ono cannot conceive onr Cricket Association deliberately altering the laws of our great national, summer game. Why, then, 'monkey' with the laws of the great national winter game?''