RUGBY TOURS

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 16

RUGBY TOURS

Complaint by Fiji (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. The chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (Mr J. L. Sullivan) said last night that the union was often accused wrongly of being difficult and awkward over club tours overseas. He said this at an executive meeting after a letter was received from the Fiji union complaining that the Auckland club, Pakuranga United, played in Fiji recently without the permission of the Fiji union.

This had occurred through an oversight on the part of the N.Z.R.F.U., Mr Sullivan said. The union took full responsibility and would apologise to Fiji, he said. Fiji’s complaint pin-pointed problems of club tours overseas, Mr Sullivan said. The N.Z.R.F.U. had to work in with the wishes of other unions. Before going overseas clubs should be careful they had approval not only from the N.Z.R.F.U. but also from the union of the country it was visiting.

The executive decided to refer a request from the Swansea schools Rugby body to tour New Zealand in August, 1976,, to the Welsh Rugby Union. Mr Sullivan said that the Swansea union had been wrongly advised that it first needed the approval of the N.Z.R.F.U.