Rugby Insurance To Be Studied

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31139, 16 August 1966, Page 17

Rugby Insurance To Be Studied

The possibility of setting up an insurance scheme on a national scale to cover players against death or permanent injury will be investigated by the New Zealand Rugby Football Union.

The executive of theunion last night decided to look further into the matter after a letter from the South Canterbury union had been received, urging that such a scheme should be set up.

The letter suggested that payments should be in a lump sum, for too often, payments were merely “pocket money” when a player was off for a long time. Mr E. L. Todd, a member of the executive who is also on the Wellington union, explained a system which the Wellington union had instituted on its own initiative. Each team pays an annual levy into a fund set aside for the purpose. As the fund grows so do the benefits. In a recent case where a player died on a Rugby field in Wellington, the union paid £750 to the widow 7 out of the fund

When Insurance companies were approached about this system, Mr Todd said, none would touch it. Either that, or their premiums were too high. Inquiries will be made. A letter sent surface mail from Brisbane early in July finally arrived at Wellington last week. The letter, from the Queensland Rugby Union, confirmed that it did not wish to tour New Zealand in 1967. Financial commitments forced the withdrawal of the tour, the letter said, as the union hoped to build £lOO,OOO facilities at Brisbane. It will tour in 1970. The chairman of the New Zealand union Mr T. C. Morrison) said that this just confirmed action taken by the council at its last meeting. Referee’s appointments made at the meeting were: Lions v. Poverty Bay-East Coast, Mr D. W. McKay (Hawke’s Bay): Lions v. Hawke’s Bay, Mr P. A. McDavitt (Wellington); N.Z- Juniors v. Marlborough, Mr I. Wilson (Marlborough).