Ranfurly Shield

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27641, 23 April 1955, Page 6

Ranfurly Shield

While the expected challenges for the Ranfurly Shield are steadily rolling in, the Canterbury Rugby Union is going blithely about its plans to send the representative team away on an extended tour of the North Island. This tour would reduce the “open season” for shield-hunting (which the Canterbury union arbitrarily and independently decrees should not start before August) to four playing ; Saturdays and perhaps to as many . mid-week games. It is doubtful ■ whether the Canterbury union’s proposals will be popular either

with sister unions, which will think there is some obligation on the shield-holder to make the maximum number of Saturdays available for challenge matches, or with the Canterbury football public, most of whom can attend mid-week matches only at some cost or inconvenience. The union may be.given credit for its anxiety to honour its obligations to certain North Island unions to which it “ owes ” visits, and for its willingness to forgo the substantial profits from Saturday shield matches. But it will be surprising if the position that has now arisen does not prompt a renewed attempt to have all arrangements for Ranfurly Shield programmes taken out of the hands of defending unions and : placed where they properly belong —in the hands of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union. Possession of the Ranfurly Shield should be recognised as imposing definite responsibilities as well as conferring indefinite benefits. While it holds the trophy a union should be relieved of any commitments under its normal programme that hinder proper competition for the shield; arid it should also be relieved of the invidious task of selecting a few from the many challenges it may receive. That should be the task of a special committee of the New Zealand union. As the Ranfurly Shield was meant to he won by the champion team j on the season’s performances, it would be the duty of that committee to see that the strongest teams in the country have the opportunity to play for the shield if they wish to. In a normal season only two or three teams 1 might qualify for such priority. The committee would then allot the remaining ’ five or six dates to other unions, according to its judicial assessment of the challengers’ claims, not only on the ground of ■ playing strength, but also of ' previous opportunities to play for ■ the shield. Much of the friction i that now arises when the shield ■ changes hands in mid-season would ' surely be avoided if the committee I were given authority to rearrange • representative programmes when • that appears to be necessary in the ■ interests of the shield competition.

! Drainage Election.—The Citi- , zens’ Association candidate for the ■ Snreydon ward in the Drainage Board 1 election is Mr W. B. Gray, a sitting s member of the board. The Labour . Party candidate for Waimairi is Mr, J. A Gregor. |