RUGBY GOVT.

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 305, 19 August 1932, Page 5

RUGBY GOVT.

(Press Assn

COUNCIL MEETING

MOTION FOR REPLACEMENT OF INJURED PLAYERS CARRIED MANY IMPORTANT MATTERS

. — By Telegraph — Cnpyrlght)

Wellington, Thursday. A special meeting of the Ne%v Zealand Rugby Council was held to-day to consider matters regarded as being of vital importance to tho game, among them the replacing of injured players, leaving the field at half-time, and, at the request of the New South Wales Union, the kick into touch rule. Mr. Pownall, president of the New Zealand Union, addressing the meeting, said he had heard the expression, "If we agree with a rule once it is passed it is our duty to stand behind that rule and be men .of our word." The meeting, he said, was largely the outcome of reports that had got abroad because of the fault of several unions and their relations with the press. He said that advisedly, feeling that some of the unions should take the press into their eonfidence, as did the New Zealand Union. They should leS: the press know when they were discussing matters that they did not wish to go into print.'A large aumber of false impressions had got abroad, and were liable to do a great amount of harm, especialsy in st'rring up troubies in the home country. He wanted it to he understood that he was not go'ng to be any party to any cmcstion of any scveranee from tho home country. New Zealami's. allegiance to the English P.ugby Union was one of those invis'ble bonds

of Empire, if not cften expressed, none-the-less sincere. After a good deal of correspondence from England had been taken incommittee the following telegram from Lord Bledisloe was read: — "I wish all success to your deliberations, and that any differences between yourselves and the British authorities may be settled amicably and satisfactorily by continued friendly negotiations." Loyalty to Laws of Game The following resolution, submitted by Wanganui, was carried unanimously: — That a letter be forwarded to the English Union that it be assured of the New Zealand Union's conformity v/ith and loyalty to the laws of the game as laid down in the liandbook, but that the New Zealand Union oppose any alteration in the wording of Law 12 which would interfere with the New Zealand Union's customary interpretation, which permitted of replacements." The reasons for the resolution were set out and offered in discussion, and all are to be considered by a special sub-committee set up to draft a letter of appeal to the English Union, which sub-committee met during the luncheon interval. A motion was carried that it be a recommeiidatiori to the English auihorities that injured players be replaced at any stage of the game by agreement between the captains. The delegates rejected by 37 votes to 32 a motion recommending the team to be allowed to leave the field at half time. While the votes were being counted, the delegates raised a point of order that in view of the undertaking given at the last annual meeting, the rules be followed in their entirety. The motion was ruled out.