RUGBY CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 305, 20 September 1919, Page 9

RUGBY CONTROL

LAWS AND RULES OF THE GAME NEW ZEALAND DELEGATES CONFER The Council of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union held a special general meeting in the Chamber of "Commerce last evening. The principal business of the meeting v;es to consider the reply of the English E.F.U. to suggested alterations in the laws of ilTe game and the rule as to professbaaiism, and to discuss the Auckland Union s proposals for alterations to the rules of the New Zealand Union nnd to the laws of tho game. There was an attendance of over thirty delegates. Cobuel G. F. C. Campbell presided. The secretary read the correspondence (already published) that passed between the New Zealand Union and the English Union during the last few months. He also read letters from Australia proposing a conference between tho Now Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, and South African unions. The com.inunications contained references to the proposed establishment of an international board of control for the game. Mr. Frost (Auckland) moved an amendment to Rule 2. Rub 2 reads: "The N.Z.R.F.U. shall affiliate with the English R.F.U.. and shall adopt the laws of football and the rules as to professionalism as from time to time fixed by that body." The amendment proposed was that in lieu of the words "as from time to timo fixed by that body" there should toe inserted the words "but may make /meh modifications as may fbo deemed desirable in tho interests of the game." Mr. Frost said that the suggested amendment had -been before the council before and had been lost. The position in Auckland was so serious, however, that the Auckland Union had felt bound to ask the council to consider the amendment afresh. He thought New Zealand hnd reached the 6tago of controlling its own affairs. . . '* Mr.'G. W. Slade (Taranaki) seconded the motion. Mr. J. M'Leod (Taranaki) suggested that the laws of the game only should bo referred to, and after the .word "modification" the words "in the laws of the game" should be inserted. Mr. W. Perry (Wellington) opposed the motion. Ho pointed out that the adoption of it would mean tecessioii from the English Union. Mr. Ongley (Manawwu) could not see why New Zealand foothill should be controlled "body and s<>ul" by the English Union. It should bo controlled by an international union. A conference of the unions in the various countries would be the big 6tep to establish the internationality of "the game. Mr. li).' AVylio (Poverty Bay) 6aid that what ho had just her.nl nropnsed was that New Zealand shovdd first "tear np the sera)) of paper" and then go to the English Union with a request for an international union. .Mr. 11. Harris (Dunedin) asked whether, if a conferencu with the unions named abovo was arranged, the Auckland delegates would withdraw their motion. Tho conference, he urged, would bo the best body to discuss changes in the laws of tho game'. Dr. M'Evedy, (Wellington) reminded tho meeting that to carry the motion was to secede. The English Union had mario that clear. Therefore, if the motion was carried, it might be useless to ask bodies which remained affiliated "to the English Union to confer with the New Zealand Union.

Tho chairman invited tho meeting to say whether it favoured tho discussion of the conference proposal heforo nnything more was done. Tho meeting then voted for-'immediate discussion of that question. Mr. C. Pownall (Wanganui) movea thnt delegates from Hid New Zealand Union meet in conference delegates from tho Now South Wains, Queensland, and (if possible) South African Unions. lie Baid ho would have liked tu see Franco represented at the conference. Mr. Wylio suggested that the proposed conference might in turn call a conforenco with the English Union. Jfr. Geddis (Southland) was sure that a. conference would result in tho oversea unions having moro power than ever heforo to control their own foothnlt. Mr. O'Sullivan (Marlborough) said that anything decided by the meeting with regard to changes in the rules should go before tho proposed conferonco as mere recommendations. , The resolution favouiing a conference was carried unanimously. Jfr. Frost wished to know exactly what position tho Auckland Union was in. If the meeting said the Auckland Union had to go back and play the old rules next season, the Rugby pune in Auckland would bo killed. ITo Hoped that some form of "exemption in ■vcgarcl to amendments" would be granted to Auckland to enable tho union there to combat the League. Mr. M'Leod moved:—"That it bo a recommendation to the conference that tho New Zealand Union he empowered to ainond rule 2, altering it to the following form-'The N.Z.U.F.U. shall affiliate with the English Rugby Football Union, and shall adopt laws of football and rules as lo professionalism, but may make sue-h modifications in the laws of football as may bo deemed desirable in tho interests of tho game.'" Mr. Pe/ry suggested the following form for tho motion:—"That it bo a recommendation to tho conference to recommend such modifications as may bo in the interests of the game." Mr. At'Leod preferred to have his motion put in its original form. The motion "was lost on n division by 31 votes to 16. Tho chairman: Now we are back in the same 1 position again. ill". Frost said ho would liko to move thnt the Auckland Rugby Union bo empowered to play, in club fixtures, the amendments that it had been playing during tho past four years, owing to the extraordinary conditions which prevailed in Auckland. "I would like to emphasise," said Mr. Frost, "the nosition wo aro in. I can assure you that but for the amendments thai, have been played we should not bo in exisVeneo today." The chairman .ruled that the motion ■was not in order. Until tho rules of the New Zealand' Union were altered, no such permission as thnt asked for \t Auckland could be granted. Mr. Frost withdrew the Auckland proposals to niter rules 2. .32. 3". <". .nvl .i« fll-r. N. R. Jones (Auckland) moved that Rule 13 be altered as to require that notico of the appointment of n delegate should be in the hands of the secretary of the New Zealand Union at least 2-t hours prior to the meeting at which he was to act. The motion was lost by 34 votes to 16. Mr. Jones also moved i;he following addition to Rule 15:—"Provided that more than one delegate is present representing a union, no one delegate shall exerciso tho full- voting power unless such delegate hands in a written authority from bio union at least 24 hours prior to the meeting." The motion was lost. Remits to Conference. It was decided, on th-3 motion of the Auckland delegates, that tho following proposals should bs remits to the conference :-~ Abolition of the "wing" forward: Free kicks by way of penalties shall be awarded (a) if any player not in a scrummage advances beyond a lino drawn through tho back of his own scrummage parallel with tho goal line beforo the ball comes out of such scrummage, and (b) if nny player in a scrummago breaks away before tho ball comes out of such seninir mage. Referee to put the ball into tho scrummage: The refweo is to mit tho ball into the serum on all occasions. Modification of the law governing kicking into touch, otherwise than from a "kick-off" or "drop-out" already provided for. If the bal! drops directly into touch from a kick, exctnt in the case of a penalty kick, and except ha 'bo within big own "twenty-five," it shall be brought baok and a "line-out" formed from touch at ft point opposite the plnce where the player was at tho time he kicked the ball. Advantage rule to npnly to "line-out" play: This in effect will mean: (1) Tf a player throws the baK' cmt so as not to ai'.ight at right angles to the touch line, (2) if tho ball is "knocked-on" and tho opposing side gain the advantage, in either case, from immediate succeeding play, tho game goes on.