SPRINGBOK TOUR IN 1956

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27427, 13 August 1954, Page 7

SPRINGBOK TOUR IN 1956

N.Z. INVITATION ACCEPTED (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 12. Any doubts as to the year of the next Springbok Rugby tour of New Zealand were removed today, when the New Zealand Rugby Football Union received a letter from the South African Rugby Board copfirming 1956 as the year for the tour. The letter said: "Your kind invitation that we send a South African team to tour your country during the 1956 season we are gratified .to receive and accept. A similar invitation received from Australia we have also been pleased to accept. We shall. look forward to your sending in due course details of the itinerary.” “This advice is very gratifying,” said the chairman of the executive commyi.ee of the New Zealand Union (Mr C. S. Hogg). “It settles the question of the date and thereby sets a definite target both for the national selectors and for the affiliated unions. It must be borne in mind that we now have only one full season in which to prepare for our famous visitors. “The results of the matches against the Springboks will naturally be highly important, and all will hope that this time New Zealand will be able to win the test rubber. All the same, I hope that the friendly nature of our rivalry will be preserved and that the Springboks will be able to leave feeling that they have received at least some return for the outstanding hospitality with which they treated our team in 1949.” SOUTH ISLAND TEAM FOR RAILWAYS MATCH The following will represent the South Island in the annual railways Rugby match against the North Island, which will be held at Rugby Park, Christchurch, on August 21:— L. Homan, G. Wilson, Hunt (Otago); J. Ackland, Lisle, R. Waterland (captain), Collins, Adlam, W. Munford, Hambleton (Canterbury); Moffat, Hughes, Rothsay, Atkinson (Southland), and Lucas (West Coast). Emergencies: Sterling and Inkster (West Coast), Loffhagen (Canterbury), and Hayes (Southland). RUGBY LEAGUE N.Z. TEAM CHOSEN FOR THIRD TEST (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 12. The young North Shore winger, J. Austin, will play his first international game on Saturday, when he will represent New Zealand in the third Rugby

League test against England. The New Zealand selectors this afternoon chose him ahead of L. McNicol (West Coast) for the left wing position. Otherwise the team is that which won the second test. J. Bond (Canterbury) has been omitted from the seven forwards provisionally chosen. The team is:— D. White (Auckland); J. Edwards (Auckland), R. Ackland (Auckland), J. Austin (Auckland); T. Baxter (Auckland), W. Sorensen (Auckland): J. Haig (Otago); A. Atkinson (Canterbury); F. Mulcare (West Coast), L. Butterfield (Canterbury); C. Johnson (Auckland). L. Blanchard (Canterbury), W. McLennan (West Coast). The English team will be chosen from: L. Jones, W. Boston. T. O’Grady, E. Ashcroft, P. Jackson, D. Greenall, R. Price, G. Helmfe, A. Burnell, K. Traill, D. Valentine, G. Guriney. J. Bowden, C. Pawsey, A. Prescott, T. McKinney, and J. Wilkin- .