FOOTBALL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 235, 2 April 1912, Page 7

FOOTBALL

THE NORTHERN UNION GAME. To the Editor. Sir, —'Kindly allow me space to reply to the most unsportsmanlike- statement made by Mr. Malone, one of the officials of the Taranaki Rugby Union, against the officials of the Rugby League. Now, Sir, the Northern Union people do not j make any tempting offers to players as regards money, but is certainly offering them a vastly improved Rugby game, \ played under rules that considerably lessen the players' chances of being injured. I challenge M.r. Malone to prove) his statement as to the players living on the game, t will leave it to the papers of the different towns of New Zealand in which the game is played to decide as to - the conduct of the players both on and off the field. The improved Rugby game was played in Nelson. Hawke's Ray, Wanganui, Taranaki and Auckland last season, and if Mr. Malone is the good sport lie makes himself out to be, he will surely seek the necessary information from the papers in these centres and either prove his very mean and unsportsmanlike statement or withdraw it and apologise to the officials of the New Zealand Rugby League. For myself I will stand by their verdict, and if they know of players living on the game, I will drop it for ever. The Northern Union game is controlled by the New Zealand Rugby League, with its headquarters at Auckland. I quote the following rules froac the by-laws of the controlling body: Rule 26: ''The council of management shall have power and authority to suspend or disqualify any club, league or player for breaches of any of its bye-laws or for rough or unsportsmanlike play, or for doing anything whic-Yi in the opinion of the council of management may bring discredit on other players of the game, directly or indirectly 'under the control of the League." Rule 2!): "No club shall compensate any player for playing football except for loss of time. No player shall directly or indirectly receive or take from any club, league or person any sum of money or thing of reward for playing football, unless such receipt is authorised by the controlling body." ] want to make it clear that the Northern League does not pay any player for home or club matches, but pays each man his wages, viz., 10s per day,'for loss of time whilst on tour. A good deal has been said about the men receiving this 10s per day, and it is this that has caused them to be called professionals. The New Zealand Rugby representatives receive :U per day whilst on tour, yet we hear nothing of professionalism' about them. Whilst we admit this is a starvation price compared to the wages earned by the different members of the team, it must also be admitted that Hie principle of receiving it is exactly tlie same. So it will be seen that the only difference on the monetary side is 7s per day. The benefits in the rules of the new game have already been admitted by the management committee of the'Wanganui Rugby Union. In the Northern Union game the line-out has been abolished. The ball must not be kicked direct into touch except from a free kick. This rule has done away with all the waste time of line-kicking and scrummaging after knock-ons from line-outs. A player who accidentally knocks the ball on sliall not be penalised if he obtains possession before it falls on the ground. This rule has done away with a lot of stoppages in the game. The finest, rule we have that differs from Rugby is: "When a player is tackled with tlie' ball, both lie and the tackier must immediately get up, the tackled player must retain possession of 'the ball, and immediately put it down in front of him; until he has done this lie can in no way be interfered with." This rule has done away with the old style of pulling the man along the ground' with the ball, packing over him, kicking and kneeling upon him. You need only listen to the remarks to see the benefits of this rule. What a contrast to hear 'hemVhout. ''Let him up! Let him up!" compared to the Rugby shout of "Pull him off! Put the boot in!" In conclusion, I might state, that Rugby has been a good old game, but it must now give way to the improved and vastly superior rules "of the new game.—l am, etc. , W. J. PERRETT. Eltham. 30/3/12.