Canterbury Union to arrange Games match

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32703, 4 September 1971, Page 42

Canterbury Union to arrange Games match

It now appears almost certain that the festival Rugby match planned for Lancaster Park on Sunday, October 3, to raise money for the 1974 Commonwealth Games fund will take place.

The match, which was devised and until yesterday was being organised by two Christchurch men, Messrs D. Bradley and G. Hughes, has been taken over by the Canterbury Rugby Union.

This followed a meeting yesterday between Messrs Bradley and Hughes, representatives of the Canter-

bury Union and the chairman of the executive of *he New Zealand Rugby Union (Mr J. L. Sullivan), who made a special trip from Wellington to discuss the matter. Later, a statement was issued by the Canterbury union saying that approval for the game had been given by the New Zealand union, and Canterbury had assumed control primarily in the interest of players from outside Canterbury. ■ This was because of the need for players from other areas to obtain the permission .of their own union to play, and this could only be given if the invitation came from the Canterbury union. The Canterbury union will form a sub-committee to arrange the match, and Messrs Bradley and Hughes have been invited to be members of it. Negotiations on the teams are fairly well advanced, and it is expected that they will be announced soon. The following players have been invited to take part, and the majority have indicated their willihgnes to do so:— Backs.—W. F. McCormick (Canterbury), L. W. Mains (Otago), M. Kidd (Taranaki), M. P. Duncan (Hawke’s Bay), B. A. Hunter (Otago), M. P. Collins (Otago), G. Sims (Otago), E. Stokes (Bay of Plenty), P. C. Gard (North

Otago), A. M. Watkins \Auckland), J. E. Morgan (North Auckland), W. D. Cottrell (Canterbury), L. J. Davis (Canterbury), G. L. Colling (Otago). Forwards. —G. W. McGee (Otago), I. H. Penrose (Canterbury), T. N. Lister (South Canterbury), W. A. Nathan (Auckland), I. A. Kirkpatrick (Poverty Bay), A. J. Wyllie (Canterbury), S. C. Strahan (Manawatu), C. E. Meads (King Country), H. H. McDonald (Canterbury), J. F. Burns (Canterbury), P. J. Whiting (Auckland), J. B. McKenzie (Southland), A. E. Hopkinson (Canterbury), B. L. Muller (Taranaki), R. A. Guy (North Auckland), R. W. Norton (Canterbury), F. J. Colthurst (North Auckland). The curtain-raiser will be between the Sydneham senior side, and one from the Manly club (Sydney) which has a party of 30 visiting Christchurch that week-end. Footnote.— The president of the Canterbury Rugby Union (Mr J. Storey) said last evening that although the festival match had been taken

over by the Canterbury union this did not affect the decision regarding televising the match live; “The answer is a straight no,” he said.