Country Team May Move From Rangiora

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31660, 22 April 1968, Page 14

Country Team May Move From Rangiora

The Canterbury Rugby Subunions Association may transfer its headquarters for home fixtures for the Country representative team from the Rangiora Showgrounds. This has been announced by the association because of an apparent deadlock in negotiations with the Rangiora Rugby Club, which has the use of the ground during the Rugby season. In recent seasons, the association has used the ground for its major home fixtures on a charge basis of 20 per cent of the gate takings, with 10 per cent going to the club and 10 per cent to the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association, the owner of the ground. The club and the show association jointly own the grandstand, which includes the dressing and showering facilities. This year, the club has asked for the sub-unions association to pay an extra $lO to the club in addition to the gate percentage. Four fixtures have been allocated to Rangiora this year by the sub-unions association. These are:— May 18, Inter-sub-uniona tournament; May 22, Canterbury Maoris; May 29, Mid-Canterbury; and July 27, North Otago.

The statement says however, that the Rangiora Club would benefit in future years by the revenue it would gain by an increasing number of major fixtures that may eventuate and by increasing attendances. Most of these games would be played mid-week and so cause a minimum of inconvenience to the Rangiora club. Several North IsUnd unions and Marlborough have already indicated that they are keen to include fixtures against Country when touring south. While the sub-unions association is reluctant to transfer from Rangiora, it feels that it has no alternative unless the Rangiora club is prepared to adopt a more realistic attitude on the question of charges, says the statement. It suggests that it would cost very little more for the association to use Lancaster Park when available. The sub-unions association has already had the offer of an alternative ground at Leeston, which the Ellesmere sub-union has indicated will be available at the usual domain board charge without any additional levy by the Leeston club or the Ellesmere says the statement