DRIFT FROM TRUE RUGBY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 12, 7 October 1937, Page 13

DRIFT FROM TRUE RUGBY

Teaching of Young Players the Principles of the Game AN URGENT REQUIREMENT (By "Magpie.") It seems that a catastrophe is necessary to expose our weaknesses. One such arrived on February 3, 1931, a tenible visitation in a way, but from it the residents of the afflicted area learned much. Just recently the Dominion suffered a sporting catastrophe by the visit of a band of Rugby footballers from South Africa who, among other things, showed the inhabitants of this Dominion that in their play and ideas of Rugby they had drifted far from the ideals of the game. This policy of drift has not been a matter of months ; it has, in f act, heen evident for years and it will take years to get back again.

Since the third Test debacle there has been a tendency on the part of critics to blame the amcnded rtiles that aro in force for the poor performances registered by the pfovinces and New Zealand in tlie games with the Soutn Africaus. This contention at bottom is a faliacy, for in the games thllt South Africa played they demonstrated ekilfuliy the ari of keeping the ball in play,. Take the third Test for instance in which it was that the New Zealand players kickod for the touchline and from the resulting play South Africa gained possession of the ball and kept it in play as long as possible. For the real cause of our decline it is necessary to look deeper. la the iirst place there has been a gradual tendency to forgot the principles of the game. "To kick a football is one thing, but to kick it accurately an.d with method is another. Footballs are supplied to the primary scliools and the scholars proceed to kick them about just for the sako of kicking them. It is nobody's business to ixnpress on the juvenile mind the 'need for acquiring accuracy in kicking the ball, or of the vaiue of learning to kick the ball equally well with either foot. Again, the value of correctly collaring an oppouent is left to the imagination of the boya and in their game of Rugby is seen a variety of styles in attempting to etop an opponent and In this variety the true Rugby tackle vs a rarity. The primary school boys know nothing of the game as a team game; they play it as individuals, and the term "backing up" is foreign to them. Learning to dribble is too much fag, and so aro lost all the fundamentals ot the game and at a time when it should be most impressive, It is not intended to blame the sports masters at the primary echools for this Btate of affairs; they have much to accomplish in the school hours, but they would no doubt further ftny scheme for improvement that the New Zealand Rugby Union cared - to lay down. It is the parent bpdy that should take the lead and the provineial unions and sub-unions, being in closor touch, should make sure that the ideals of the game are cloeely preserved and the principles impressed on the juvenile mind at the commencement of each season. Once upon a time the New Zealand Rugby Union had a booklet on Rugby printed and circulated to ths schools, both primary and secondary. It was an excellent publication in its way and profusely illustrated, but,

- altogether too deep for the juvenile mind. The history of the game from its liK'.cptioii is an interesting one, and it could be woven into a booklet in story form that would capture the youthfui mind and in the etory could be stressed the fundamentals of the game. Early this winter a Jttawke 's Bay onthusiast was refereeing a match botweeu two primary fifteens and he was shocked at what JLe saw. This match was one of a series of six played every Saturday morning. Rugby methods, parti-cularly in stopping an opponent, were almost entirely absent, but wrestling holds were popular. Calling both fifteens together after tho game the referee delivered tho boye a short lecture on the game, in the course of which he offered three prizes — one for the boy who could ki.ck best with either foot, one for the best Rugby taclde and one for the best essay on Rugby. This competition was open to the 180 boys that took part in this Saturday morning football. Two or three weeks back the competition was decided, about 20 boys turning up. Only fpur showed that they had tried to become proficient at kicking a ball with both feet; the tackling attempts showed a complete lack of praetice ahd the essay brought one entrant. To say that tho enthusiast was sho-cked at the response to his scheme is but putting it mildly. It may be that this experience is pec.uli.ar to one town in this province, but from observation I think it is fairly general, Perhaps there are too many diversions to-day, but in any eaae a policy of drift has set in and as oue of the necessary steps back to recover the beauty of the game the juvenile mind must bo put on tho Tight' track. Many fathere and niothers would be proud to see their sons wearing the provineial representative jersey and later on the fernleaf, and thoso that are can assist by impressing on their off spring the principles of the gamo and the need to become proficient at kicking a football. To my mind the easiest road to the All Blacks is to be able to kick a football equally well with either foot, and this ability is not coufined to those who occupy positi.one in the backs. It is clearly evident that giving a football to each school and promoting an annual tournament among a group of schools is not enough; certainly !thelps, but for the future it appears necessary that Rugby administrative bodies will need to take a more personal interest in the juveniles. Thero is a wonderful field to exploit.