NEWS:ALL BLACK great Wayne Shelford has slammed as "social engineering" a new rule which prevents blowouts in children's rugby in New Zealand by capping the maximum score at 35-0.

Under the rule, introduced by the New Zealand Rugby Union, coaches of teams with players aged 13 and under are encouraged to discuss how to create a more even match if one side is leading by more than 35 points.

"It's social engineering, people not to be hurt by scorelines, not to be hurt by losing," former All Blacks skipper Shelford told yesterday's New Zealand Herald.

“You go out there and try and play as hard as you can. It is all about winning, obviously, but at the same time winning makes you humble and so does losing. I don’t think you are going to lose many players by being thrashed like that. I guess they would get a bit despondent, but at the same time what are they there for?”

Rather than prevent players in weaker teams from giving up the game, as the rule intended, Shelford felt it might discourage better players if they were rested to prevent scorelines from getting more one-sided.

The All Blacks have handed out their fair share of hammerings over the years and former back Marc Ellis, who scored six tries as New Zealand beat Japan 145-17 at the 1995 World Cup, said it was all part of sport.

“That’s the kind of weak-wristed thinking that’s the bane of New Zealand society . . . it’s protecting people from themselves – it’s protecting them from realities they need to find out,” he told the paper, adding the rule would never be tolerated in Australia.

“You see it in cricket, where they’re win at all costs . . . That’s part of the cut throat sporting world. I’m in favour of competition. It gives you the reality of where you sit.”