LEAVES OF A SPORTSMAN’S NOTE-BOOK

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 229, 16 December 1927, Page 10

LEAVES OF A SPORTSMAN’S NOTE-BOOK

Rugby football has so many laws that it. is curious to find responsible administrators of the game in Great Britain agreeing that there is none to provide for such a case as that in which J. Ford, New South Wales forward, is concerned. Ford was ordered off in the Cardiff match last Saturday, “apparently,” we are told, “for disputing the referee’s ruling.” B*ut, because it is held that there is no machinery to deal with the order-ing-off of a member of an overseas team in Great Britain, and because the Welsh Rugby Union thinks that in the circumstances ’the publicity is sufficient punishment, no further action is to be taken. The Cyril Brownlie case, in which the orde.ved-off player was reported by the English Rugby Union after an inquiry, to the New Zealand Rugby Union, has been mentioned, but not as a precedent.

It must be assumed, from the cablegrams, that the Welsh Rugby Union did not hold an inquiry into the Ford

case. Now, that is not fair to anyone concerned. It is true that the referee’s statement is accepted as proved fact, and evidence is heard only fo.r the determination of punishment. But in fairness to Ford the details of the incident should have been inquired into, and made known, so that the extent of his culpability could have been assessed. It is difficult to follow the contention that there is no machinery for dealing with such a case as this. Under the laws of the game the referee niList report the offending player to the English Rugby Union, or to any union, directly concerned, to which that body has delegated its powers. It is common sense that the Welsh Rugby Union should have power to deal with misconduct on grounds within its territory. If, through some legal quibbling, a player in an overseas team who offends against the laws cannot be dealt with except by his own union, that anomaly should be removed as soon as possible. The offender should be dealt with as soon as possible, and treated with exact justice. A Cricket Grace “For good fare, for good fellowship, for good team-work, and for all that the game has done to teach the world to play the game, giv© thanks to God.” That was the grace said by Canon W. P. Besley, chaplain to the Lord Mayor of London, at a banquet given recently in honour of cricket. It would be difficult to imagine anything more simple or more appropriate. Tin-Hare Racing Here is the “reply courteous” in London “Sporting Life” to an Eng- | lish churchman’s criticism of tinhare racing:—“A dignitary of the Church has been unbosoming himself on the subject of greyhound-racing. He has indulged in some cheap sneers because thousands of people find pleasure in watching dogs chase ‘a metal hare.’ He evidently thinks it poor sport. Those who patronise dog-racing think differently, and it may surprise the Right Reverend Bishop to be told that they are entitled to their own opinion. From time to time there are outbursts against the so-called cruelty of coursing live hares, and of hunting the deer and the fox, and now that a substitute has been provided we have high-brow sneers because, it is alleged it is not real sport. Really, there is no satisfying some people, and we are' with those who think it is useless to attempt the impossible.” All the same, I cannot imagine that any of the hard-riding sporting parsons of the early part of last century would have found pleasure in watching the coLirsing of tin-hares. The Riot Act French Soccer players are no gentlemen, evidently! There has been so much rough play in recent games that the Paris Association Football League’s referees have been ordered to read the Riot Act, so to speak. Here are some extracts from the “Act” ordered to be read on two consecutive match days to players, by the referees. "Football is a game, not a riot.” “Be polite. Good manners are the essence of sport.” "It is good to win, but victory must not mean the negation of loyalty.” “Any player who causes an accident which entails a player leaving the field will himself have to leave the field for the same period.” So the player who breaks another’s neck is also “dead” so far as sport is concerned. He who gets tired and would like to go off hits another hard and retires with him, walking off alongside the stretcher! Heedless Cricketers If there is one thing that annoys a groundsman more than anything else, it is to see cricketers, in running between the wickets, gallivanting all over the pitch, instead of running at the side. This practice is too prevalent in cricket, even in the first grade, and one can, by observation, pick where a cricketer has received his training, from the way in which he runs. Some of the players run in the middle of the wicket the wliole time, and by doing so make a rod

for their own backs. Spikes in boots tear up a wicket quickly, and give the spin bowlers plenty of help. It is a simple thing to run out to the off when goin" between th£ wickets. So. how about a lessening of the groundsman’s woe? Gilding Their Palms There are more ways of gilding the palm of a champion in sport than inducing the champion to turn to straight-out professionalism. Not long ago there was an outpouring of noble sentiments over the fact that Betty Nuthall, famous English lawn tennis player, had rejected an offer of a. lot of money if she would abandon her amateur status. But I have not yet seen any criticism of her action in deciding to gather shekels by signing a contract to appear in a British film with a “ “typical sporting story.” There cannot be any objection to Betty Nuthall making money while she can. What is objectionable is her posing as.an amateur while she indirectly, but none the less surely, gathers cash for her tennis talent. It is quite reasonable, I think, to assume that it is her standing as a tennis player that has brought her into the films. There is a great deal too much “guff” about some of the world’s leading tennis players. Mr. X.

New Zealand Powerless in Question of Maoris and South African Tour Dealing with the fact tsiat Maori players are not eligible for the South African Rugby tour. “London Sporting Life” in an editorial comment gives an interesting view of the position: “New Zealand is not to blame in the matter,” says the English journal. “They are powerless, so severe is the colour line drawn in South Africa, and even the South African authorities do not countenance the presence of a George Nepia in the side. “The Maoris are, of course, and always have been, welcome over here. They constitute a part of the Empire of which we are proud, but. unlike South Africa, there is no native population in these isles that might easily constitute a menace if at all encouraged.”

A Tio for Auckland? Back from a trip to Brisbane with the New South Wales representative cricketers, W. A. Oldfield, the famous Australian 'XI. wicket-keeper, records the following - interesting impressions of Queensland cricket. “It is remarkable, when one considers how enervating is the climate, that such enthusiasm exists. It is responsible for most of their success, and it would be a great thing for Queensland cricket if more enterprise and style were introduced into their batting by the more experienced men. The batting is sound, but inclined to be too orthodox, and, had they gone for our bowling when our bowlers were tired, they would certainly have increased their total by another 100 runs. I have never seen so many half-volleys wasted, nor have I ever been called upon to take eo many loose balls behind the wickets as I did in this innings. “It is far better to score a brilliant 50, than to Hold on in an uninteresting fashion merely to score a century.