Rugby Cleaner Now Than Five Years Ago

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 979, 23 May 1930, Page 9

Rugby Cleaner No w Than Five Years Ago

REFEREE'S OPINION NO PROVINCIAL FEUDS Special to THE SUN WELLINGTON, Thursday. Is there spreading through the different countries a wave of rough Rugby, which will produce its crop of injuries, and also damage the prestige of the game?

Following reports of roughness in I French matches, the mail brings ae- | counts of roughness in England. Under | the heading, “A Growing Casualty i Gist," the “Manchester Guardian” re- ! views the position, and points to the I fact that in recent matches Korthamp- | ton and Bedford have suffered disasj ter, losing most of their leading players through injuries. Whatever the position in other countries, all evidence in New Zealand is that the game is becoming extremely clean. In on interview, Mr. J. Moffitt, president of the Wellington Referees’ Association, who last year controlled seven representative matches, includ l ing the Wairarapa - Hawke’s Bay Ranfurly Shield game, which was freely forecast as a rough one, and the Canterbury - Wairarapa game for the shield, states that there is not the ; slightest doubt that Rugby in New ' Zealand is cleaner tlian it was five years ago. In none of the matches lie eontrolled. says Mr. Moftitt, did he have trouble with one player on the field Thev were too much interested ij n the game. Mr. Moffitt denies that there are any provincial or inter-club feuds today such as ruled years ago, and states that while the game is i probably as hard as ever, it is played iin an excellent siMrit, and no trial 1 to the referee.