League Players Busy

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31908, 8 February 1969, Page 15

League Players Busy

The Canterbury Rugby league team may play as many as 11 matches against other provinces during the 1969 season.

The zone trials on May 17 and the meeting of Australia and South Island at Christchurch on Queen’s Birthday Monday, June 2, has forced alterations in the proposed programme.

Canterbury was to have met West Coast at the Show Grounds on May 17 and Taranaki, also at Christchurch, on June 2. These will now have to be altered, leaving Canterbury’s matches with Otago (May 25, a Sunday, at Christchurch) and West Coast (at Greymouth, June 22) and the southern zone quadrangular tournament (at Christchurch, July 26-27) as the only agreed dates.

Although it is Canterbury’s turn to travel north to play Auckland and Waikato, no firm decision will be made until after the first match or two. Should Canterbury fan-

press in its early fixtures and retain the Northern Union Cup, the board of control may decide to take the trophy on tour.

A match with Wellington is also open to negotiation although no venue has been decided.

If Canterbury wins the zone tournament against Wellington, West Coast and Otago it will be obliged to play the northern zone winner on August 16, the winner of this match to play the holder, Auckland, two weeks later. In the zone tournament,

Canterbury has drawn favourably and will meet Otago in the first round. West Coast and Wellington face a much more tiring first day against each other. Queensland is expected to tour New Zealand later in the season, Christchurch will be host to the southern zone 17-years tournament on July 12 and leading players will be required for trials before the selection of the Kiwi team to take part in the world championship series in Britain and France early next (northern) winter.