ARRIVAL AT NELSON

Press, Volume C, Issue 29556, 4 July 1961, Page 16

ARRIVAL AT NELSON

450 Persons At Airport (From Our Own Reporter) NELSON. July 5. About 450 persons waited in bitter cold to greet the French Rugby team when it arrived at Nelson at 7.30 p.m. today. The team occupied one aircraft, anotiter plane carrying officials and representatives of the French press. One French journalist missed the plane at Wellington. The Mayor of Nelson (Mr S. Russell) and representatives of the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Nelson Rugby Union met Mr M. Laurents, the manager, and the team at the airport With the French teem was Mr M Incpen. representing the New Zealand Rugby Union. Aboard the aircraft the team readily signed autograph* for the French-speak-ing New Zealand stewardess. In an interview, Mr Laurent! said: "We are very tired and perhaps not in good shape, but we are putting into the field a very strong team." 4 When asked why Nelson was chosen for the first game he said that they bad been told they would get a good game there, and that it was very beautiful. The team to play Nelson would not be announced until midday on Friday. Mr Laurents said he thought bis firm meal in New Zealand was very good, but added: "You people do not cook the French way—-we like our meat red.” Search For Winner The winner of a £lOO.OOO first prize in a lottery drawn on June 5, collected his money nearly three weeks later after an intensive search had been made to find out who he was. The £lOO.OOO went to a ticket in the name of P O Ying. GP O . Sydney The director of State Lotteries. Mr C. T Tailentire, in announcing that the prize had been paid, would give no further information.—Sydney, July 2.