REFEREES’ INTERPRETATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 3

REFEREES’ INTERPRETATIONS

NEED FDR UNIFORMITY DIFFICULTIES OF TOURING TEAMS

[By Hooker.]

Having regard to the fact that the New- Zealand Rugby Referees’ Association meet in conference once a year, it is hard to understand why there should be such a difference in the interpretations of the laws of the gam© in the various parts of the Dominion. This is a difficulty which touring teams are always faced with, and in several of the games played by the Otago team in the north the players found it hard to follow some of the rulings given by the referees. No doubt a similar state of affairs exists when northern teams tour south, but it will be admitted that referees in the southern part of the Dominion rule much more strictly than is the case in the north, more particularly in regard to scrum infringements. It was noticeable in quite a few games in the north that the referees did not insist on the ball being put in the serum properly, and there can be no question that in some instances the opposition gained the ball by subterfuge, so say the least. Forwards, too, were allowed far too much latitude in coming round the scrum. The best exhibition of refereeing on the tour, in the opinion of the Otago players, was that given by Mr E. D. Hill, of Auckland, and after the game the Otago captain, N. A. Mitchell, stated that it had been one of the most enjoyable matches he had ever played in, a state of affairs brought about by the fact that the referee ruled completely in the spirit of the game, and did not forget that _ there were 30 others on the field besides himself.

Generally speaking, however, the experience of this tour further indicated that there is a complete lack of uniformity among referees throughout the Dominion. One cannot fault individual referees, but the system is wrong ■when such differing interpretations are given as were noticed on this tour. In the interests of the game, more uniformity is required, and this is a matter _in which the New Zealand Rugby Union should interest itself just as much as the New Zealand Referees’ Association, for while there is such a divergence in the interpretation of the rules of the game must suffer.