Concern At Early Provincial Games

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31169, 20 September 1966, Page 16

Concern At Early Provincial Games

Concern at the number of representative matches that may have to be held early in the 1967 season was expressed by Mr L, R. Huston at last evening’s meeting of the Canterbury Rugby League board of control. The secretary of the New Zealand council (Mr C. R. Mountford), who attended the meeting, agreed with a suggestion made by Mr Huston that trial matches may be more suitable. The position had become complicated by the council’s notification that the New Zealand team to tour Australia may be selected on May 13 or 14 and assemble at Auckland on May 23. Queensland would make a short tour in mid-May. Mr Huston said that to select the Southern XIII team to play Queensland the selectors would have to see Canterbury, Otago, West Coast and Wellington play. Mr Mountford suggested that a quadrangular tournament would give players from all four provinces the opportunity to play before the selectors, although he agreed with Mr Huston that it may be worth holding trials over a week-end. Early representative matches disrupted club football, said Mr D. C. Wilson. Annual Conference The chairman (Mr Wilson) will represent Canterbury at the national conference at Auckland on October 28 and 21. It was hoped that a meeting of delegates from Otago, West Coast, and Wellington could be held in Christchurch on October 8 to discuss representative fixtures and other matters. Nominations The board decided to Instruct its delegate on the New Zea-

land council (Mr T. J. Wellsmore) to vote for Messrs D. L. Blanchard (Canterbury), W. L. O’Callaghan (Waikato) and M. W. Church (Wellington) as New Zealand selectors next season. Match Drawn Mr Wilson advised that Canterbury had drawn, 10-10, with Waikato in the final of the New Zealand under-17 tournament at Huntly. It had been agreed before the game that extra time would not be played.