FOOTBALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1927, Page 1

FOOTBALL.

Excelsiors .seniors and juniors are notified that they must attend at the Shed this evening at 7 o’clock sharp.

The Kanieri seniors to play Magpies on Saturday tire as follows:—Thomas, Whiter, Stopfortb, Rfahlert. Tainui, Webster, McC’leary, Hagar, A. Stopfort h, Moynihan, Bannister, McKenzie, Dougherty, Mclntosh, Fleming. Emergencies: Backs, Griffiths; forwards, C. I’lahlerl.

Excelsior Junior A. team to play at Boss on Saturday:—Preston, Palmer, Hughes, B. Gugich. Gay, McDonald, Gillooly. Montagu, Butland. Davidson. Breeze, Staines, A. Muir, Dale and Stevenson. Etnerg. Garydyne, T. Muir, and Glover. Cars leave Toohey’s Garage at 1.30 sharp.

NEW RULES. ENGLISH UNION’S INTERPRETATIONS. WELLINGTON. June 7. In the recent alterations to the rules of Rugby, as made by the English Rugby Union, following upon a subcommittee's work in putting the rules into simpler form, there are references to players on the ground. These have accounted for a good deal of discussion in Rugby circles,-and as opinion has been divided on certain points, the New Zealand Rugby Union put the following rpiestions to the English authorities :

tl) A player who is lying on the ground reaches and gets possession of the hall. Does Law 20 prevent him immediately passing or kicking the hall without getting up?

(2) A player on both knees is in possession of the hall. Can lie go forward whilst in that position with the ball still in his possession The answer received to the first question is “ No,” and that to the second question “ Yes,” having due regal'd to Laws K! and 20.. “ Personally, I think the decision of the Laws Committee of the English Rugby Union is a very sound one, as I have always thought that in New Zealand we read far too much into the old rule of ‘ being on the ground, and does not immediately get up,’ ” remarked Mr T. A. Fletcher, president ol the Wellington Referees’ Association, and a member of the New Zealand Rugby Union and the New Zealand Referees’ Association, when asked for his opinion of the change. “ I cannot see that because a piayer happens to he on one knee, or even both knees, he is committing an offence by taking the hull and throwing it out to a companion. The idea of the rule seems to me to he that a player shall not he allowed to ‘ hatch ' the ball, to use a common term. The hall should be kept in play, and the player on the ground should not be allowed to lie on it, and so hold up the play until his own players have time to conic up The less we use the whistle in any game, the better it is for the game itself, for the more a game controls itself the sounder are the principles governing it.”

“ Willi the new rule, if properly interpreted, there should he very little difference noticeable iu the play,” remarked Air A. E. Neil.sun. secretary of the New Zealand Rugby Union, and a former prominent referee. " Under the old rules a player was permitted to pass of the ground, and must- do so immediately. If lie does not do so immediately, he comes under Law 20:

■ A player lying on the ground with tlie hall in his possession must immediately get up or roll away from the ball.’ It means, in effect, that a player may not be in possession of the hall on the ground. The only marked difference will he in the ease of a player lying on the ground when the hall comes to him. He can pick it up and play it with hand or loot, provided lie does so immediately. The rule should have been introduced twenty years ago. It is now a first-class interpretation of the law of the game. Before, it was not the rule it is now. a clear and common-sense one. Previously, if has lie (mi made difficult by the New Zealand interpretation. It will make for safer play, as a player on the ground will now be entitled to get the hall away from him, and thereby remove the danger.” These views are supported by other referees and officials, hut in some eases the opinion is held that the rule will result in what is known in New Zealand as “ rabbiting.”

N.Z. RUGBY UNION. WELLINGTON. June 8. It was decided at to-night’s meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union that 22 players, members of Inst season s Maori team, which toured France and England, will tour New Zealand, commencing about July IGth. playing ten matches. As New Zealand selectors, the following were elected:—

North Island.—Messrs E. McKenzie (WairarapaN, N. McKenzie (Hawke’s Bay). A. Guy (Taranaki). South Island.—Alessrs A. A. Adams (ATest Const), A. J. Gcddes (Southland',. and T. Alilliken (Canterbury). Air E. McKenzie was appointed Chairman of the Committee and convenor of the North Island selectors, and Air Alilliken was appointed convenor of the South Island’s selectors.