ALL BLACK TOUR OF BRITAIN

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26868, 22 October 1952, Page 7

ALL BLACK TOUR OF BRITAIN

RUGBY FOOTBALL

ITINERARY DECIDED MATCHES FROM OCTOBER 31 TO FEBRUARY 20 (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 21. The New Zealand Rugby Union announced today the itinerary for the 195354 All Blacks’ tour of the British Isles. The itinerary includes tests Against Wales, Ireland, England, and Scotland, in that order, and a farewell match against the Barbarians at Cardiff. The team of 30 players and two managers will leave New Zealand early in October next year, and will be the first overseas Rugby team to travel to Britain by air. The decision to send the team by air has meant that the tour will open in England la,ter than usual, and that the selection trials can be held late in the New Zealand season. The dates of the trial matches, probably in August, will be considered at the next meeting of the council of the New Zealand Rugby Union, on November 21. The 1949 All Blacks for South Africa were selected-the previous season, and the last team to visit Britain in 1935 was chosen from trials in May and June of that year. No decision .has yet been made, on whether next year’s All Blacks will visit France and Canada after the tour of the British Isles. They will spend two days in London on their arrival in October, and a settling-in period of 10 days at Eastbourne. The places for" several of the matches against combined teams have not yet been decided. In their third match of the tour the All Blacks will play London Counties, the only team to beat the 1951 Springboks. They will make four visits to wales, the first after they have played five matches in England, and the last for their final match, against the Barbarians. The itinerary is:— October 31: Southern Counties (Sussex, Dorset, and Wiltshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire), venue undecided. November 4: Cambridge University, at Cambridge. November 7: London Counties (Middlesex, Surrey, Kent, Hampshire, Eastern Counties), venue undecided. November 11: Oxford University, at Oxford. November 14: Western Counties (Gloucestershire and Somersetshire), venue undecided. November 17: Llanelly, at Llanelly. November : Cardiff, at Cardiff. November 25: Glasgow and Edinburgh, at Glasgow. November 28: South of Scotland, at Melrose. December 2: North of Scotland, at Aberdeen. December 5: Midland Counties (Leicestershire and East Midlands), at Leicester. December 9: South-western Counties (Devon and Cornwall), venue undecided. December 12: Swansea, at Swansea. December 19: Wales, at Cardiff.. December 23: Abertillery and Ebbw Vale, at Abertillery. December 26: Combined Services, at Twickenham. December 30: Midland Counties (Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, and North Midlands), venue undecided. January 2: Ulster, at Ulster. January 9: Ireland, at Dublin. January 13: Munster, at Cork. January 16: Pontypool and Cross Keys, at Pontypool. January 20 or 21: Newport, at Newport. _January 23: Neath and Aberavon, at January 30: England, at Twickenham. February 3: London Counties, at Ipswich. February 6: North-eastern Counties (Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland), venue undecided. February 13: Scotland, at Murrayfield. February 17: North-western Counties (Lancashire, Cheshire, and Cumberland), venue undecided. February 20: Barbarians, at Cardiff.