ALL BLACKS FOR S. AFRICA

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25737, 24 February 1949, Page 3

ALL BLACKS FOR S. AFRICA

CHANGE IN SAILING ARRANGEMENTS

TAMAROA TO LEAVE FROM AUCKLAND (P.A.) AUCKLAND. February 23. The 1949 All Black Rugby team will leave for South Africa from Auckland instead of Wellington, because of a change in the timetable of the Shaw, Savill and Albion liner Tamaroa. The Tamaroa is now expected to complete loading for the United Kingdom al Auckland, and to leave for Cape Town on April 13, two days before CTood Friday. It was originally expected that the Tamaroa would make Wellington her final port. This information was given by the traffic manager of the shipping line, Mr J. S. Swan, of Wellington, when a telephone inquiry was made by the “New Zealand Herald” to-night. Expected at Wellington on March 8 from London and Southampton, via Panama, the Tamaroa would sail for Auckland on March 14, Mr Swan said. Passengers would definitely embark at Auckland. “We are completely in the dark,” said the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union (Mr A. St. C. Belcher, of Wellington) in a subsequent telephone interview. The union had not yet been notified by the company of the change. It would confirm the change to-morrow, and would have to hold a meeting to arrange for the team to embark at Auckland. There were more than six weeks to make arrangements, and the alteration had not upset anything, said Mr Belcher. Southern members of the team would travel by rail to Auckland.