Inter-Island League Matches Wanted

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31762, 20 August 1968, Page 14

Inter-Island League Matches Wanted

The restoration of the inter-island Rugby league match as an annual fixture was one of five remits the Canterbury board of control will send to the national conference of leagues next month. The board’s remit does not seek to abandon the interzone series—which replaced the inter-island fixtures in 1966 when Wellington was placed in the southern zone —but suggests that the interzone series be continued as an additional annual fixture

Three clubs, Eastern Suburbs, Linwood and Marist-Weslern Suburbs, suggested the return to inter-island matches and the board decided to follow the Marist-Western Suburbs suggestion that the inter-zone fix ture also remain.

The Linwood secretary (Mr G. N. Nuttall), in supporting his club’s remit, said that matches played between the zones had no public significance and that the standard of play had been higher before the change to zone fixtures.

Mr E. Butts said the remit to replace the zone matches with inter-island games would be defeated by the North Island leagues. He said the board would have a better chance of regaining the inter-island matches if inter-zone games were continued.

The inter-zone fixture was used to decide which zone team would tour Queensland, said Mr L. R. Huston, who said he could not understand how the clubs considered a team from the South Island could beat the North.

“It has in the past,” said Mr A. J. Atkinson, who played in the winning South Island teams in 1950 and 1953. He agreed that the inter-island matches

had greater appeal to public and players.

Three other recommendations from the Marist-Western Suburbs club will be forwarded ; a ® rernits - They suggest the addition of the bi-yearly Marist, Easter tournament to the I’ist of fixtures released by the New Zealand council, the recognition of the New Zealand Marist v. New Zealand Maoris match as a first-class fixture and the clarification of the transfer system for players moving from one province to another.

The board's delegate (Mr D. C. Wilson) was instructed to discuss the streamlining of scrum rules and greater emphasis on publicity—other Marist-Western Suburbs suggestions—during general business. The ma*’ r, Fs were considered not s 'c enough to be forwarder' emits.