ALL BLACKS PRAISED

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29853, 20 June 1962, Page 6

ALL BLACKS PRAISED

Profitable Tour . (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MELBOURNE. June 19. The All Blacks have been gone from Melbourne two days but they are still the talk of the town. Victorian Rugby officials, who are accustomed to main match gates of £3O. had to find £lBOO from last Saturday’s game to cover costs on the All Blacks’ visit They reached this "astronomical” total for Victoria and showed a profit it was resported today, because of the All Blacks' wonderfully co-operative attitude, and because of the thrill-a-minute football they played. New Zealanders in Victoria, who form a hard core of Rugby players and supporters. are overjoyed that the All Blacks have given the game such a tremendous boost.

They are also pleased that the kind of sparkling Rugby the team played has done much to wipe out the sad impression of dour, win-at-all-costs football left by the New Zealand Maori side in 1958. Victorian officials were still singing the All Blacks' praises today for the way in which, even on the last days of the tour, they were prepared to make school and publicity appearances solely to help the game. One senior Victorian official, who has been associated with visiting teams for many years, said: “They did everything we asked of them.”