State of union

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 11

State of union

rpHE financial losses suf- * fered by the Canterbury Rugby Union in the last two seasons have produced a fairly stringent economy campaign in at least one direction—travelling for the representative team.

Iffie Canterbury side which played Otago at Carlsbrook last Saturday had its travelling plans changed from a flight on the Friday to a bus trip, and a bus trip home at 6 p.m., after the match. Two players who were unable to make the required arrangements to catch the bus which left at 9 a.m., from Christchurch on Friday, flew down later in the day, and met the additional expense themselves.

While it has tn face Increasing costs, the Canterbury Rugby Union can take some solace from the success of the first test against France at Lancaster Park.

The large attendance of 56,000 meant that after repayments of loan moneys to the New Zealand Union the local union should receive about 4000 dollars as its share of the gate. There is another plum from the test match. There were about 24,000 programmes sold. At 20c each this should produce, with the revenue from advertising, about $5OOO for the Canterbury Union.

With a good home representative programme and also the North-South game, the union's finances should be bolstered this year. Canterbury may even revert to flying its teams to Dunedin next year. • • ♦

Measures adopted In test matches are not necessarily favoured in club games as K. F. Gray, the All Black prop, found when he was booed by spectators at Athletic Park last Saturday in the match between Petone and University which decided the Wellington senior championship. Gray received ' prolonged booing during the game and afterwards when he was presented with the Jubilee Cup—for his part in an incident in which the young University lock, J. Tovey, was knocked unconscious and had to be taken from the field. Gray’s comment after the match deserves to be placed in the archives of the New Zealand Rugby Union. "It was just one of those things and happened on the spur of the moment

“I . was a bit upset with the way the crowd got at me—but I was happy with the victory.”

Gray was warned by the referee for his action.