Sand, tees and Berne's hole

Kicking aids in rugby history

Shane Berne of the Waratahs did an old-fashioned thing on Saturday against the Highlanders. He was to kick at goal. He made a tiny hole with his heel, placed the ball upright and kicked it over the bar. He did it twice without missing - no sand, no tee, just a hole in the ground. The history of sand and tee may just be of interest.

In 1961, South Africa applied for and was granted a dispensation to "use sand or sawdust for placing the ball on hard playing fields when taking a place kick at goal". In granting the dispensation the IRB noted "that the Law does not allow such a practice", but agreed to it "in exceptional local conditions", and allowed the SA Rugby Board to give permission.

There are great climatic variations in South Africa and the Board agreed to grant permission to the whole country, lest there be an unfair advantage or disadvantage to some.

For years there was a note to the law which said: The law does not allow the use of sand or sawdust for placing the ball on hard playing fields when taking a kick act goal, but in exceptional local conditions such a variation from normal practice might be permitted.

This became an issue in 1976 during the All Black tour to South Africa. There was talk of a protest from the New Zealanders till the All Blacks were awarded the first penalty kick at goal in the first Test and Bryan Williams called for sand.

This changed in 1990 when for the first time the note read: The use of sand and sawdust is permitted for placing the ball.

The IRB does not rush law changes!

In 1992 the scope of the permission was increased when the tee was sanctioned: The use of sand, sawdust or an approved kicking tee is permitted for placing the ball.

Since the rewrite the law has abandoned notes and says directly in the body of the law: The kicker may place the ball on sand, sawdust or a kicking tee approved by the Union.

So where did the tees come from?

It was the idea of a Canadian Don Burgess.

His story: "While I was attending Western Washington University in the early 1950's. I was a kicker for the football team and I wondered why we did not allow the use of kicking tees in rugby.

"I attempted to get them into our games in British Columbia during that time, but without success.

"Many years later, in 1987, when I saw that the World Cup was going to allow the use of sand I knew it would only be a matter of time before a kicking tee would be given the OK.

"I developed my first model of the kicking tee in 1988 and I asked the International Rugby Board (IRB) for permission to experiment the use here in Canada, to which they said, 'go ahead'.

"The experiment was a success and, as you no doubt are aware they are used fairly extensively. I have marketed them in 17 different countries and Gilberts Rugby Balls company have been one of my most successful clients in distributing them in the, UK, South Africa, France, New Zealand and in Japan.

"The Summit Rugby Ball Company are my major distributor in Australia. I currently have 20 outlets here in North America. Michael Lynagh was the first International player to use the tee and it was not until New Zealand officially approved them that Grant Fox came on board. Matt Burke is currently the number one exponent of my tees and he is under contract to Summit Rugby Balls and autographs all of the kicking tees.

"In the 14 years we have been in business we have sold just over 300 000. So, it has been a fairly successful invention. I have nine different patents and they have deterred others from copying my design, but there are a few others that have had some success. To my knowledge, my kicking tees are the only tees that have been officially approved by the IRB, not that it makes them any better, but it is a mark of distinction that they have official approval from the highest governing body!"