Cardiff may play at Lancaster Pk

Press, 15 June 1979, Page 20

Cardiff may play at Lancaster Pk

Canterbury seems almost certain to get a game against the famous Welsh rugby club, Cardiff, if the planned tour of New Zealand by the club next year proceeds. Canterbury expressed interest when the tour was mooted some months ago and the Wellington club has now accepted the role of host club. No dates have been given, but it is presumed that the tour will either be early or late in the New Zealand winter, to give Cardiff side an end

or a start to its season. At its meeting this week, the Canterbury union renewed its interest in a game and the fixtures chairman, Mr C. H. J . Rhodes, was asked to liaise with the Wellington club. Finance will almost certainly determine whether the tour eventuates and with Canterbury able to guarantee a good gate it is hard to imagine its being left off the itinerary. “A game between Canterbury and Cardiff would be a big attraction

and with a fairly light programme next year — the only inward tour is by Fiji- — we would welcome it,” said the president of the Canterbury union, Mr R W. Thomas, yesterday. “It may prove even more popular than our game last wet<k-end against Queensland,” he added. Cardiff will have a new coach next season. He is the much-respected John Ryan, who after steering Newport to two consecutive W.R.U. Cup finals

took a year’s break last season. The best known players in the Cardiff side are the rising Welsh stars, Gareth Davies, who is the new captain, and Terry Holmes. They were the inside backs for both Cardiff and Wales against the All Blacks late last year. Interestingly, Brynmor Williams, who toured NewZealand with the 1977 Lions, has followed Ryan from Newport to Cardiff, where he will almost certainly be the second-string half-back to Holmes.

Allan Martin and Clive Williams, other 1»77 Lions, are also possible newcomers to Cardiff this year. The club will make a seven-match tour to South Africa in August, and because this will extend its 1979-80 season it may want to wait until about the same time next year before coming to New Zealand. This should suit Canterbury, if only to give it more time to prepare than it had for the Queensland match.