SPRINGBOK TOUR IN 1956

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27441, 30 August 1954, Page 13

SPRINGBOK TOUR IN 1956

TOTAL OF 23 GAMES PROPOSED

AUSTRALIA MAY TOUR N.Z.. NEXT YEAR (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, August 28. A toßUggeetion. that the South. African RugJ* team, which la to tour New Zeaterto 'ta 1966, should play 23 m»toh«. ineluding four tests, between mid-June and roid-September. is to be made to the Soutji African Rugby Board by the council of the New Zealand Rueby Union. The council yesterday rejected an amendment that an AU Black tour of Australia next year should begip as early as May 14, the date aaked tor by Rugby Union, and resolved that the tour shmild not begin before the last Saturday

accepts the AU Black tour next year, it wIU send an Australian team s?e Ck^ N n eW 5«uScT wiMJfa tours should include five tests, two to Australia and three in New Zealand. The council decided to press for a visit to*New Zealand by Wales in 1957 or ( 1958, and to advise France that a minimum of eight, and preferably 10, games. would have to be a condition of a French visit to the Dominion. The French Rugby Federation said in a letter that it could send a team to New Zealand m 1957, provided the players x were not absent from France for more than 40 days. This would permit, the federation said, a tour

of two International matches and two or three other fixtures, and the cost would amount roughly to £25,000. The council proposed a tour of seven or eight matches within 26 days in New Zealand, the cost to be £16,000 and the gross takings £48,000. This plan is to be communicated to the federation. The proposal for a Welsh teams tour was one of 13 or 14 matches, preferably the larger number, played , within six weeks in New Zealand and embracing three test matches in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. The costs of this were estimated at under £17,000, and, based on attendances at matches during the British fetes team's tour of 1960, profit was estimated at £15,800 on total gat? receipts of just under £33,000.