SEVEN NAMED, BUT... NO SHIELD GAME FOR CANTERBURY

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33478, 8 March 1974, Page 22

SEVEN NAMED, BUT... NO SHIELD GAME FOR CANTERBURY

The Marlborough Rugby Union yesterday announced its Ranfurly Shield list—and excluded Canterbury. But the president of the Canterbury union (Mr J. Storey) received the news philosophically.

“I am disappointed about not receiving' a i challenge, but I did not ! really expect that we would get one," he said.

‘'Marlborough had .an exceptionally hard task in sorting out seven challengers from 19 applicants, and it cannot be said that they have dodged anyone.” (’.oast first

I The seven teams to challenge for the prized trophy are West Coast, on a date to! be arranged, South Canteribury (August 17), Poverty. Bay (August 24), Southland; (August 31). Hawke’s Bay! ; (September 7), Otago (Sept-1 lember 21) and Wellington! ’(September 28). All the games are pn Saturdays. i Three of the unions—West, ICoast, Poverty Bay and 'Otago—played challenge matches in 1972. Mr Storey said Marlborough had mapped its projgramme wisely, with the aim 'of building up for the two Itoughest matches, against ■Otago and Wellington. j Defeat recalled I “They will start with apparently easy games — but you can never tell,” he said. .“We thought Marlborough (would be easy; that is why I we gave them the first challenge last season.”

Mr Storey said Canterbury’s chances of gaining a

shield game rested chiefly on an Otago victory at Blenheim, and a subsequent Can-terbury-Otago game in Dunedin in late September. The inter-provincial fixture list will be drawn up at the annual meeting of the New Zealand union next month. Canterbury has a North Island tour this year, late in

August, and a challenge against Poverty Bay in Gisborne is a faint possibility. But on its performances last season, Marlborough will probably have the measure

of the first five challengers, at least. Marlborough’s holding of the Seddon Shield, as well as the Ranfurly Shield, is a complication, and this is why the West Coast date has yet to be fixed. Mr Storey has definite views on this situation. “1 don’t think a team

should play for the .Seddon Shield while it holds the Ranfurlv Shield — unless the Seddon Shield games are completed before August,” he said.