RUGBY FOOTBALL RANFURLY SHIELD

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27639, 21 April 1955, Page 16

RUGBY FOOTBALL RANFURLY SHIELD

MID-WEEK MATCHES PROBABLE EIGHT UNIONS LODGE CHALLENGES Considerable difficulty is likely to be met by the Canterbury Rugby Union in fitting in the eight challenges so far lodged for .Ranfurly Shield matches this season. The difficulty has arisen through the Canterbury team having to tour in the North Island this year, leaving only four playing Saturdays for shield matches. In the past challenge matches have been played on Wednesdays, and it seems likely that games will have to be played during the week this year. Mr R. W. Blazey, chairman of the union’s competitions committee, said yesterday that a final decision would not be made until the annual meeting of the New Zealand union early next month. At the present time, however, it appeared likely that Wednesday challenge matches would be played against teams on tour of the South Island, but it was unlikely that with only nine playing days (including five Wednesdays) available, special challenges for mid-week fixtures would be fitted in. The South Canterbury imion at its meeting on Tuesday evening decideq to lodge a challenge for the shield, brings the total challenges to eight, the others being Thames valley Auckland, West Coast, Mid-Canter* bury, Poverty Bay, Buller and Waikato. Under the Ranfurly Shielc rules notice of challenge must bt lodged by the end of August each season.