League Game In The Dark’

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31662, 24 April 1968, Page 19

League Game In The Dark’

(By Our Ruobv League Reporter) The board of control of the Canterbury Rugby league can hardly be blamed if the match between New South Wales Country and Southern Zone at the Show Grounds on May 1 is a financial failure. The board’s chairman (Mr D. C. Wilson) said at this week’s meeting: “All we know is that the game is scheduled for next Wednesday. at 3 p-m.” Other members had little more' information. It was disclosed that the country team was not expected to be named until the week-end and that the first indication board members would have would be seeing the team printed in “The Press” on Monday morning. Similarly, the Southern Zone team will not be known until after the in-ter-zone match at Huntly on Sunday. The match is regarded as an official trial to select the New Zealand world championship series team and will be Canter-

hury’s only international draw-card this season. In just two days the board will be charged with producing a programme, arranging hotel accommodation—this cannot be completed until it is known how many Canterbury representatives will be playing and the size of the touring party—and publicising the game. On the two previous country tours, Canterbury has met the Australians in week-end fixtures; on this occasion Auckland, having already been granted both world series fixtures, will stage the Northern Zone and New Zealand Maoris matches against New South Wales Country on the following Saturday and Sunday, giving it a full week to prepare. Having received no indication of probable admission charges, the Canterbury board went ahead and fixed these. As the secretary (Mr D. G. Gaynor) said: “They may accuse us of making bad decisions but bad decisions would be better than no decisions at all.”