BULLER’S PLANS

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32885, 7 April 1972, Page 22

BULLER’S PLANS

First 1972 challenger (From Our Own Reporter f BULLER. The acceptance of Buller by North Auckland as first challenger this season for the Ranfurlv Shield has come as a surprise. The Buller union had planned to make a southern tour, with matches against North Otago, South and Mid-Can-terbury. and Canterbury subunions. and its clubs had even accepted much of the responsibility of raising funds for that venture. Now the union will discuss at its meeting on Monday whether or not to go on tour, with a Ranfurly Shield challenge set for July 1. The Buller treasurer, and a member of the New Zealand union’s council, Mr W. A. Craddock, made a special challenge last season on behalf of his organisation. However. hopes of it being accepted were not high until recently. Buller has had more chailenge matches than any of the other Seddon Shield unions—seven in all. Its best performance was a draw with Otago in 1949 when many top Otago players were in South Africa with the All Blacks. In 1964, Taranaki repulsed a Buller challenge by 11-0. Buller’s record has not been so impressive in recent years and the date for this challenge may come a little early in a team-building process.