16 games on Kiwi tour

Press, 27 January 1978, Page 20

16 games on Kiwi tour

Sixteen matches, including three tests, have been included on the itinerary for the New Zealand rugby league team’s tour to Australia in June and July. The tour will start at Newcastle — which was also the venue for the opening match of the last Kiwi visit in 1967 —on June 31, and end with the third international at Sydney on July 22. No games have been arranged against state sides, although the Kiwis will make two appearances at the major rugby league grounds in Sydney (the first and thrid tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground) and Brisbane (Lang Park has been allocated the second test and a match against Brisbane Colts).

New Zealand’s requests for a three-test series and for several free days to prepare for each of the internationals have been granted. However, the New Zealand rugby league is now seeking to have the games scheduled for the Sundays after the first and second tests held over for 24 hours and played at night. The- proposed itinerary

(some of the venues being subject to change) is.— June 3, v. Newcastle at Newcastle; 4 or 5, v. Riverina at Wagga; 7, v. Northern Divisions at Tamworth; 11, v. Illawarra at Wollongong; 14, v. Western Division at Orange; 17. v. Southern Division at Gosford; 18, v. Monara at Queanbeyan; 24, first test at Sydney; 25 or 26, v. North Coast, venue to be decided; 30, v. Brisbane Colts at Brisbane (floodlit). July 2 v. Toowoomba at Toowoomba; 5, v. Central Queensland at Rockhampton; 9, v. North Queensland at Townsville; 15, second test at Brisbane; 16 or 17, v. Wide Bay at Gympie; 22, third test at Sydney.

Skl-ing.—World Cup point standings after the women’s special slalom race.—Hanni Wenzel (Liech.) 149, Lise-Maria Morerodn (Switz.) 125, Annemarie Moser-Proell (Aust.) 109, Maria Epple (W. Ger.) 78, Monika Kaserer (Austria) 76.

Boxing.—The Natal Boxing Board of Control has withdrawn permission for next month’s World Boxing Association light middle-weight title fight between the champion, Eddie Gazo, of Nicaragua, and South Africa’s Gert Steyn. The fight will not go ahead in Durban because the promoter, Mr Doug Dolan, had failed to lodge the prize money by the deadline.