All Blacks’ Italian game still on—details arrive

Press, 8 October 1977, Page 56

All Blacks’ Italian game still on—details arrive

p\ Wellington The New Zealand Rugby Union had not “gone sour” on the All Blacks’ match in Italy on October 22 and was delighted that difficulties concerning it had been overcome, the secretary of the N.Z.R.F.U., Mr Jack Jeffs, said yesterday.

Mr Jeffs had stated on Thursday that unless the union got prompt notification of firm arrangements for travel and accommodation in Italy, the match might have to be reconsidered. Italian rugby administrators said in response that all arrangements had been made, one adding that the New Zealand union appeared to have “gone sour” on the proposed match. However, Mr Jeffs said this was not so and that the jmion had only been concerned at a complete lack of v-informatioo concerning \ travel to and from Italy and accommodation while the All Blacks were there. But yesterday morning Mr

Jeffs got a cable from Milan stating the name, location and telephone number of the hotel at which the team would be staying in Italy. It also named the team’s liaison officer for the trip. Mr Jeffs said the previous information the union had from Italy was a cable on September 10 which confirmed the match would be played in Padua and that an official letter would follow. “No such letter has ever been received, hence our concern,” he said. The N.Z.R.FIL had itself tried to make’ flight bookings to and from Italy, in view of the lack of liaison. “Nevertheless, we are pleased that the problem

would now appear to have been overcome,” he said. Mr Jeffs also denied an Italian statement that the Italian Rugby Federation had asked the New Zealand union to switch the match date to avoid a clash with an Italian match against Poland. Mr Jeffs said the union had not refused such a request because it had never been made.

Mr Jeffs’, concern about the organisation of the game in Italy took Italian rugby officials by surprise yesterday, an NZPA staff correspondent reported. “We’re amazed,” a spokesman at the Italian federation’s headquarters in Rome said. “It’s the first

we’ve heard of any complaints. As far as we’re concerned, everything is organised.” One Italian source said the New Zealand union was never keen on the match in Italy anyway, and that Mr Jeffs had seemed to have “gone sour” on the whole project. “The New Zealand union should realise that organising rugby matches in a country like Italy is a bit different to organising one in New Zealand. “The federation is a very small organisation doing its best. The All Blacks’ match means a lot to it.”