Tasman Rugby league entry suggested

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32663, 20 July 1971, Page 14

Tasman Rugby league entry suggested

The possibility of a Canterbury or South Island team entering the proposed trans-Tasman championship was introduced at the Canterbury Rugby League’s board of control meeting last evening.

Mr W. L. Prendergast told the meeting that negotiations were underway for a championship involving teams from New South Wales, Queensland, and Auckland.

He said that Canterbury should investigate the idea of representation from the southern zone of New Zealand. “I’d hate to see Auckland entering this competition because they thought they couldn’t get strong enough gamds within New Zealand,” he said.

“Canterbury proved it can match them but we just aren’t getting enough big football.”

The chairman (Mr M. R. Clinton) said that while Canterbury might be able to raise its share of the finance

needed for such am undertaking, it was very doubtful if the West would be able to. He added that the money could be better spent in other areas of the game.

“While in Auckland, we did discuss the possibility of a combined West Coast-Canter-bury team or a South Island team playing Auckland in Christchurch,” Mr Clinton said. “I understand that St George (Sydney) is going to Auckland for a game,” Mr Prendergast said. “Perhaps Canterbury could negotiate with Auckland for a game against them.”

However, it was pointed out to the meeting that St George would only be in Auckland for one day as it was there on a South Pacific tourist cruise.

Additional matches with Wellington and the West Const were also suggested by speakers, but it was suggested that several leading provincial players would undoubtedly be touring Great Britain and France with the Kiwis later in the season. No decision was made.

Mr Clinton said that the board’s policy of flying the Canterbury team to Auckland on the morning of the match last weekend was a great success. He said that the team was able to give 80 minutes of concentrated effort, instead of only part thereof, as had sometimes happened when the team had travelled on the day preceding the game. The secretary-manager (Mr D. G. Gaynon) said he felt that Canterbury appeared the fittest of the two teams by the end of the game.

PREMIER GRADE A junior club team In the senior second grade will be invited to play in the bottom six section of the premier grade this season, provided it finished first or second in the minor championship of its present grade. The premier and senior second grades will be divided into “top four” and “bottom six” divisions after the minor championships are completed.

The “top four” competition will be conducted on a cham-nion-of-champions basis and the “bottom six” on a knock-out basis.

The senior third grade will ba divided into “top four” and •'bottom four” divisions.