No Change In Rugby Selection System

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 15

No Change In Rugby Selection System

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. The system of appointing national selectors will be unchanged despite a bid at yesterday’s meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union council to increase the term of service to two years.

Mr J. L. Griffiths j said that the trials for j the AU Black side to tour South Africa in ' 1970 were early in the | year and it was im- ! portant that there be continuity in selector's. He was supported by Mr F.i’ D. Kilby but the majority off councillors argued that if the! selectors chosen next year; proved unsatisfactory, there f was no provision to remedy I 1 the situation before the 1970 tour. Nominations of selectors,; will close on February 15 and'

ithe appointments will be I (made at a council meeting (later the same month. i AH Black Trials.—National trials will be held in Wellington on Saturday. May 17, to ! select the New Zealand team (to play Wales. Wellington | will also stage the junior (trials on Thursday, August ;21, and the inter-island match .on Saturday, September 13. The touring Queensland I team will play Canterbury, Golden Bay-Motueka, Marlborough, West Coast, Wairarapa and Horowhenua. Lancaster Park.—Financial : aid for extensive improvements to Lancaster Park was

(sought by the president of the Canterbury Rugby Union (Mr C. McPhail). Explaining that the proposed improvements were based on priorities, Mr McPhail said: “The immediate scheme would be to do away with No. 4 stand (seating capacity 1086) and replace it with a new stand seating 3800 people and costing 8171,000.” The second priority was to extend the No. 1 stand towards the bank and allow, as a result, covered seating for 3300 people. The proposals were later discussed in committee by the council.

Japan Visit.—Because of the 1970 tour of South Africa taking precedence, the council decided that a junior team would not be sent to Japan in February of that year. Instead, it was recommended that a New Zealand Universities’ team make the! tour.

Life Member.—The nomination of Mr T. C. Morrison to life membership was approved unanimously by the council. Messrs J. Harrison and C. D. Beazly were appointed delegates to the International Rugby Board meeting in London next March.

Amalgamation.—Mr Morrison reported that the Golden Bay, Motueka and Nelson (unions would amalgamate for (a trial year and, if everything worked out, would become a permanent union in (1970. French Tour.—An invitation from the French Rugby Federation for an All Black team to tour France late next season was refused. It was stated that with the proposed tour of South Africa scheduled in 1970, the time for the French tour was inappropriate.