NO SIGN OF MURDOCH

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33093, 7 December 1972, Page 1

NO SIGN OF MURDOCH

(New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, December 6. The family of homeward bound All Black, Keith Murdoch, have been told by the New Zealand Rugby Union of his travel arrangements, but they are not revealing them.

His brother, Mr Bruce Murdoch, of Mosgiel, said tonight that the junior vice-president of the New Zealand union’s council, Mr C. K. Saxton, had been speaking to them, and they knew more about Murdoch’s travel arrangements. “But we don’t want to say anything,” he said. “We are just letting it go now.” After reports that the family had been upset by the Rugby Union failing to tell them anything, Mr Saxton said he had kept in touch with Mrs Murdoch on everything that had happened. However, the secretary of the Rugby Union (Mr R. E. Morgan) said in Wellington tonight that the union did not know when Murdoch would arrive home. Mr Morgan told the N.Z.P.A. that the union had been told by its travel agents that Murdoch had left his flight in Singapore. The union did not know when Murdoch would leave Singapore. The N.Z.P.A. staff corres-

pondent in Singapore reports that Murdoch has gone to ground in Singapore after leaving the plane which was flying him home from London. Murdoch made a lastminute decision to remain in Singapore when the Qantas jumbo jet arrived for a twohour stop last night. He left the airport after telling Qantas officials that he did not want to talk to anybody but wanted to break his journey and stay in Singapore. A Qantas official said Murdoch did not say where he was going to stay in Singapore or how long he would remain here. “I am not aware that he has made any onward booking.” Meanwhile, J. K. Brooks, the N.Z.P.A. staff correspondent with the All Blacks has reported that the team manager, Mr E. L. Todd, has denied that Murdoch had tried to hit him during a struggle in the Angel Hotel, Cardiff, in the early hours of Sunday morning. A Gwent security guard, Mr Peter Grant, made this allegation when interviewed on a 8.8. C. television programme. “At no stage did he throw a punch at me,” Mr Todd said today. “There is no truth in that statement, and in fact it was another player, Lin Colling, who got me to come downstairs.”