RUGBY KNOWLEDGE

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 452, 21 June 1937, Page 5

RUGBY KNOWLEDGE

OUTSIZE IN “25’s” Unusual Incident How mi-.ny enthusiastic followers of Rugby—not including the hundreds who attend the matches as a pastime—could tell offhand the dimensions of the playing area? Surely, everybody knows there are fifteen players on each side, that goal posts are erected st each end, and that an oval ball is used to be kicked’ and played with. But the fact that a ground of maximum size is 110 yards long by 75 yards wide, and (that the goal posts are 18 feet 6 inches, ajfe-rt, and the crossbar is 10 feet from the ground, is known probably to few among the thousands who enjoy the Rugby code. Still, the lack of such knowledge does not affect the spectator’s enjoyment. Nor did an unusulal incident in the Stratford-Tu-kapa match on Saturday matter a jet in that respect, though it infringed the regulations in regard to the playing arJ.i. At half-time the spestators were intrigued at the activity of the referee,, who was seen to be “stepping” the distance between the flag denoting the 25 line and the corner flag at the western end of the grandettind side. Later, one learned that instead of the distance being 25 yards, it was really 35 yards, and was 10 yards too long. As can be imagined, .there 1 was much ttlk and discustion among the spectators. Supporters of Tukapa claimed that no change should be made in the position as Stratford htd already received the benefit of the larger 25 in the first spell, and their side should be allowed the same privilege in the second spell. Short of re-playing the spell, which rime did not permit, there was nothing else to da, but allow the marking to remain till the end of the match. So the whistle sounded—“On the Evil”—and the Red anid Blacks strove valiantly and scored the winning try, despite the advantage, of which Tukapa made the best use, during the time tWat play was in their outsize 25, and they were strictly on the defence.