THE ALL BLACKS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 241, 11 October 1934, Page 24

THE ALL BLACKS.

WEIGHT LIMIT FOR BRITAIN? MR. DEAN SAYS "ROT AND ABSURD." (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. According to an announcement in an English newspaper the International Rugby Board lias written to the New Zealand Rugby Union stating that the average weight of the New Zealand pack on the British tour in 1935-36 must not exceed 14.7. The article continued:—"The board lias also expressed the hope that in the case of injury to any United Kingdom players, whether in the scrum, tight or loose, or line-outs, the New Zealanders will go cannily. It will be recalled that at the end of their last tour one New Zealand player was ordered off at Twickenham. The board apparently lias in mind the fact that the tourists' teams, especially the forwards, are composed entirely of fullydeveloped men, whereas their .opponents are often mere boys, who have just left school and are still at 'varsity." The secretary of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr. A. E. Neilson, stated to-day that no such advice had been received, to his knowledge. He did not think the International Board would make any suggestion of the kind. "It is absolute rot and absurd," was how the chairman of the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Mr. S.- S. Dean, described the article. Ho was quite sure no such request would come from the International Board. Mr. Dean remarked that tho average weight of the Now Zealand pack which toured Britain in 1924 was 13.6%. Tho heaviest man was Maurice Brownlic, who weighed 15.0. and next to him was J. Richardson, 14.5.