SECOND TEAM

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32301, 20 May 1970, Page 18

SECOND TEAM

I I More Games Sought

The Canterbury B Rugby team will have its programme for this season doubled if recommendations adopted at last evening’s meeting of the Canterbury Rugby Union s management committee find favour in other quarters. The committee agreed to approaches being made to North Otago for a team to play Canterbury B in Christchurch and to Marlborough for Canterbury B to play in Blenheim.

The convener of the competitions' committee (Mr J. Storey) said that the Canterbury subunions had agreed that matching Canterbury B against any o* “

it the sub-unions was not in the best interests of Rugby as the Canterbury team would be too strong.

Canterbury B was at present limited to two games, against West Coast and Buller, and more were needed if the team was to continue its role of preparing players for the senior side.

This season was a special one, Mr Storey said, in that with Canterbury holding the Ranfurly Shield, teams that Canterbury B usually met had games against the A side.

Mr Storey also recommended that a game be arranged between Canterbury Colts and Southland Colts at Invercargill, and that the games against MidCanterbury and Ellesmere be deleted from the colts programme. This would give the colts four games, including the Town-Country fixture.

Mr Storey’s third recommendation, which, like the first two, was adopted, was for Buller to be asked to send a team to play Canterbury under 20 as a curtain-raiser to the Buller Ranfurly Shield challenge on September 2.

Under 16 Event.— ln spite of no financial assistance being provided by the New Zealand Rugby Union, the committee appeared in agreement that it support the holding of a South Island under 16 tournament this year. Mr D. B. Doake said that the majority of unions in the South Island had agreed that even if the New Zealand union withheld support, the tournament be held. Mr Storey said it was the duty of the union to foster under-age football and he had noticed in the N.Z.R.F.U.’s annual report that $4OO had been allocated for a schoolboy tournament in the North Island. It was decided to defer the matter until next week’s' meeting so that representations can be heard from the junior advisory board. Hospital Treatment. —Mr B. J. Drake said he had had discussions with Dr L. McH. Berry, superintendent of the North Canterbury Hospital Board, on the question of a player having to wait two years for treatment for an injured nose. Mr Drake said that when he raised the matter at last week's meeting he did not intend to criticise the Christchurch Public Hospital or its surgical staff. He wholly accepted Dr Berry’s explanation. Town Jerseys.— ln the annual Town-Country match at Queen’s Birthday, the Town XV will wear all-white jersevs. The usual jerseys of red and black were similar to Country’s colours.