Island league games ‘should be restored’

Press, 10 June 1978, Page 56

Island league games ‘should be restored’

Reinstatement of the inter-island match to the New Zealand Rugby League’s annual fixture list would restore to South Island players the equal opportunity they previously had to earn Kiwi selection. That is the opinion of a former test wing, Mr Bill McKenzie, of Christchurch, who believes that the code’s national council would be receptive to a combined approach from southern leagues. “A lot has been said and written since the 1978 Kiwis — including 18 Aucklanders and six from other provinces —- were chosen for the Australian tour,” Mr McKenzie said. “All opinions seemed to decry the present stronghold Auckland has on the administration of the game and the New Zealand selection panel, with two members from Auckland. No-one has put forward any valid suggestions to overcome the apparent injustice,” he said. “Take your minds back t®

By

JOHN COFFEY

the days when the North v. South yearly fixture was used as the final trial. South was then regularly able to provide more than one-third of the touring side and it was not unusual to have a complete pack drawn from Canterbury and West Coast for tests.

“That was possible because of the astute coaching of Jim Amos, who was a master of preparing teams to counter an opponent’s weaknesses. A good result in the inter-island match provided great bargaining power around the selectorial table,” Mr McKenzie said. Mr McKenzie said that it was “farcical” that this year three traditionally strong provinces. Wellington, West Coast and Canterbury, could produce only one new international between them. "Auckland always produces more than its share of failures on tour. As the former Kiwi captain, Roy Christian, said on television, players from the south always rise above their pre-J

vious standards

“So let us get back to the North-South game again. If it is any consolation to South Island administrators, the president of the New Zealand Rugby League, Ron McGregor, wonders why South officials do not fight for its restoration,” Mr McKenzie said. The last inter-island fixture was at Greymouth in 1965, when North had a 126 victory in the final trial for the Kiwi team to tour Britain and France. South won two of the last four matches. Mr McKenzie, an international between 1947 and 1952, had five appearances in inter-island games. He was the first player to represent both islands — North in 1948 and 1950, South in 1947, 1949 and 1952. In recent seasons there have been irregular inter-zone matches (with Wellington included in the Southern Zone), but they have attracted little enthusiasm from spectators and players.