“Touting” By Rugby Clubs Condemned

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31332, 31 March 1967, Page 13

“Touting” By Rugby Clubs Condemned

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND. Some Rugby clubs are using overseas tours to “tout” for players, the Auckland Rugby Union’s management committee was told. Mr R. D. Johnstone, the North Shore representative on the committee; said one player in the North Shore club bad been lured to a Waikato club with the promise of a trip to Australia.

Some clubs were using overseas tours to “tout” for players, said Mr Johnstone. The chairman, Mr R. M. Don, said he believed some limitation should be placed on members of touring club sides to eliminate such practices. He suggested there should be a qualification period set down by the New Zealand

Rugby Union before a player could travel overseas with a club side. Mr Don will head a small committee that will investigate the problem and report back to the next meeting. The Auckland Union will recommend to the annual meeting of the N.Z.R.F.U. that the dates for dub travelling overseas be extended to allow travel from September 15 to March 31. Now dubs are only allowed to go overseas from October 1 to March 31. Mr H. L. White (Northcote) said the idea of the limitation on overseas travel was to stop dubs from undertaking the tours. But the number of teams going overseas continued to increase.