IS IT NOT TIME?

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 9 May 1925, Page 8

IS IT NOT TIME?

ABOLITION' OF THE WIN'O FORWARD “Our old friend llu' wing for will'd was. the manner in which Mr H. I‘rost (nrosident of fhp New Zealand Rugoy Union) introduced a subject for the consideration of delegates at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union on Thursday. The speaker intimated that he had no desire to raise again an 'endless discussion about 'he modifications of the old rules adopted l.v various unions,- hut lie felt compelled to sav something about fhti wing-forward. “Has not- the time cutup for us to abolish, him altogether ’ ne asked. ' T am convinced that the wink-forward is the cause of endless trouble._ AVc'al know that whatever it may be in theory.

wing forward play in prnct ice loads to. undesirable incidents and systematic obstruction, while referees Rive the. greatest difficulty in administering the rules of the game so as to keep the wing -forward ‘on-side.’ It is not the individual players, but the system which permits this sort of thing,' that is at fault. And when we come to play outside teams in Australia or England, where the wing- forward as we know him does not exist, naturally our opponents ; fail to understand what we think is at legitimate form of piny, our players j get involved in difficulties with file; referees, our reputation suffers, and an undesirable spirit frequently creeps into the game. “And what do we gain? T maintain that everything reasonable and legitimate in the way of spoiling and intercepting and tackling that is now done! bv the wing-forward illegitimately can tie done fairly and as effectively *by a rover, whether we class him as a forward nr n back, so long as he is remov- 1 cd from the difficult and dangerous posi- ; .tion in the field now allotted Jo the wing-forward, and is allowed to exercise his strength and skill in ways more j consistent with the rules of the game ns • played and interpreted elsewhere. I say j this not because I am in favour of foi- | lowing other players or unions blindly; in their views about Rugby, but because I in my opinion, the wing-forward does : incalculable barm to the game.”