RUGBY FOOTBALL REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26264, 8 November 1950, Page 9

RUGBY FOOTBALL REPRESENTATIVE TEAMS

MANNER OF SELECTION CRITICISED

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

MEETS Dissatisfaction with the manner in which the Canterbury B and the Canterbury colts' representative teams were selected were contained in a letter from the North Canterbury Rugby Football Sub-Union, received at the final meeting for the 1950 season of the management committee of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union last evening. The subunion considered that there was a complete absence of opportunity for country players to be considered for selection in these two teams. / "I think they might have something there, as far as the Canterbury B team is concerned,” said Mr M. T. Gunderson. Mr V. L. Jensen said it was a fact that all country players were eligible for selection in the Canterbury B team, but he did not think the same applied to the colts. Though they were called the "Canterbury" colts, the main idea when this team was first selected, was that it would be composed of young Christchurch players who would tour the sub-unions. He considered the letter should be forwarded to the selectors of the Canterbury B team. It was -mentioned that the cause for nonselection of country players might have been the time the selectors had at their disposal to select a team. Mr A. E. McPhail said he thought this was the case this year. It was decided to write to the North Canterbury Sub-Union, informing them there was nothing to exclude country Slayers from selection in the Canterbury team. A letter was received from the New Zealand Union saying that the union had been presented with a cup from the Middlesex County Rugby Union, with the suggestion that it be competed for at some kind of seven-a-side tournament. The council of the union was not sure that such' a tournament could be successfully organised and asked for the views of the Canterbury Union as to the kind of competition to which it could be allocated. After a full discussion it was decided to leave the matter to the New Zealand Council. A request from the North Otago Rugby Union for a senior representative match between Canterbury and North Otago, to be played at Oamaru next year, was held over for consideration until next year.