Selectors See Rugby Wealth

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31366, 11 May 1967, Page 15

Selectors See Rugby Wealth

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON.

In spite of the overwhelming strength of North Island Rugby and its domination of All Black teams in the last two years, the island selectors do not regard any one position as cut and dried this year.

The convener of the North Island selection panel, Mr I. M. H. Vodanovich, said yesterday the selectors

felt strongly that tremendous football wealth lay at their hands such wealth that every position would be hotly contested.

He said that the aim of the panel—of which Messrs D. L. Christian and J. Paterson are the other members—was to cover every North Island province in a representative fixture by July 29, when the island team would be picked. “Unfortunately, some provinces have not many representative matches before that date, but there are enough games to cover every province at least once—even though in some cases a province may not be seen ’at home’,” he said. “As this season’s North Island selectors also did the job last year, we are able to follow on where we left off and we feel that the continuation should help. “No position in this year’s North Island team is cut and dried, because we are unanimous that there is tremendous football wealth at our hand.

“We want positions in the team to be contested keenly by players who are physically sound and fit, an objective which has been respected by the players in the good North Island teams of the past.”

Council Meeting.— Next year's council meeting of the New Zealand Basketball Association will be held in Whangarei.