RUGBY FOOTBALL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 141, 22 March 1909, Page 5

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Amendments (o Rules. Delegates to the Council of the New Zealand Rugby Union met at Wellington on Thursday, for the purpose of considering the proposed amendments to the rules with the object of making the game more attractive. The Chairman, Mr G. F. C. Campbell, said the proposals, if carried, would have a great effect on the conduct of Rugby Football in New Zealand, and would mean a possible breakaway from the International Board. Alterations were carried to the following:—

Law 1. That the game be played in four spells of 20 minutes each, with an interval after the second spell. Notes referring to the tackle are altered to provide that if the player carrying the ball be brought to the ground, he may nevertheless get up with it and continue his run or pass it, provided it is done immediately. In every case where the referee orders a scrummage be shall put the ball into the scrummage, The off-side rule relating to the scrummage is amended to read: "A player is placed offside if he crosses an imaginary line drawn down through the back of the scrummage on his own side, while the ball is in the scrummage." Law 10, relating to free kicks, is altered to read: "In all cases of free kicks, or kick at goal, the opposite side shall not charge such kick."

Barrier Labour Award

The Amalgamated Miners' Association has endorsed the action of the combined unions over the Junction North settlement. A stubborn minority fought hard in favour of adopting extreme measures, but were outvoted. Mr Justice Higgins, in settling the details of the Broken Hill arbitration award gave the claimant miner* all costs and expenses involved in the inquiry as between party and party.

War Against Rats In the House of Commons, Mr C. McLaren, calculating that there are forty million rats in Birtain, and that annually they do damage to the extent of fifteen millko pounds a year, introduced a bill to provide for their extirptttiofte