Wyllie likely to play again

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 28

Wyllie likely to play again

The Canterbury rugby! team will almost certainly! be under the firm leadership! of Alex Wyllie again this year. On his play last winter, and with Mr S. F. Hill continuing as forward selector, only retirement could seemingly prevent the 32-year-old

'jWyliie from extending hisi J record of 165 games for the! province. ' Wyllie did entertain thoughts of retirement at the end of last season, but he said yesterday that he would definitely be playing for his Gienmark club and if he thought he was playing ; well enough he would be’<

;>available for representative > matches. At the moment he was . very keen and looking forward to the season. Possibly one reason for his enthusiasm is an 11-day trip to Australia next month that he has played a large part in organising for the 'Gienmark club.

Taking a leaf out of town clubs’ books, Gienmark has, through community work, raised nearly $lB,OOO for the trip, which will include three, possibly four, games in Brisbane, Surfers’ Paradise and Sydney. The party, which leaves on March 19 and plays its first match in Brisbane later that day, will comprise 23 players and about 17 supporters. It is the first time that Gienmark has undertaken this type of venture. However, although it is a small country club, Gienmark is unlikely to be embarrassed by the town club sides or country district teams that it will play in Australia. In addition to Wyllie, the club can boast five other players of aboveaverage ability and all are going on the tour. They are John Munro, who played four games at half-back for Canterbury last winter and was later named the season’s most promising player; his brother, Andrew, who served the Country team well as a five-eighths; the lock, Graham Higginson, who had two games for Canterbury late last season and for whom big things are predicted; and last winter’s Canterbury Colts . captain, Ross Loffhagen, who was also the “colt of the year.” Glenmark’s sixth player of note is a newcomer to the club and the district. He is the former Lincoln College centre, Andy Jefferd, whose representative credits so far include Canterbury, New Zealand Universities and New Zealand Juniors. He has also been a final All Black trialist.

Glenmark may be only a small country club, but with players like these it would be the equal of most town senior teams at present. However, there are invariably special problems for country teams and a late harvest this summer has so far prevented the touring players from practising as a team.