Rugby Council Recommends School Games On TV

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31343, 13 April 1967, Page 15

Rugby Council Recommends School Games On TV

(From Our Rugby Reporter) WELLINGTON. The first chink in the New Zealand Rugby Union’s armour against live telecasts of Rugby matches appeared at the meeting of the Rugby Union council yesterday when members voted, 8-6, to allow live telecasts of school matches play in mid-week. A letter from the director of television (Mr N. R. Palmer) had asked the council to review its policy of refusing to allow any Rugby on direct telecast If that was not possible, Mr Palmer sought the televising of school games where there was no conflict with representative fixtures. The council unanimously decided to continue its policy of refusing to allow live television of senior Rugby but there was a long debate on the advisability of having school matches telecast Four years ago, the council had voted against allowing the Christchurch Boys* High School-Christ’s College game to be telecast, but ob-

viously there has been a change of opinion since then. The chairman (Mr T. C. Morrison) said that he was in favour of school games being telecast where the match was not in conflict with a representative match in the same area. Mr J. L. Griffiths opposed IL “At this stage, schoolboys should not be exposed to so much publicity,” he said. Mr J ,N. Millard said that it would be left to the head-

masters of the schools concerned to decide whether too much publicity would arise. “I am opposed to live television but I have had many people approach me to ask what harm there is in seeing school Rugby played on a Wednesday on television,” he added. Mr C. C. Gibbons (Wellington) said that if school matches were shown on television it could be the thin edge of the wedge: “Let them

get a toehold and anything can happen.’’ After further discussion, the council voted to recommend to today’s meeting that school matches could be telecast. Mr C. A. Blazey was asked to draft the final resolution which said that these midweek games could be telecast live as long as the headmasters agreed, and that the union or unions to which the schools were affiliated agreed.