Rangiora youth for Stockholm

Press, 26 July 1980, Page 6

Rangiora youth for Stockholm

A fund-raising appeal to send Rangiora’s schoolboy wrestler, Shane Jones, to the world championships fell $4OO short on yesterday’s target date.

But Shane, aged 15, has left for Stockholm to represent New Zealand with the rest of the $2600 target guaranteed by a local sponsor.

A three-man trust set up to organise the appeal will try to raise more money to repay the loan. The principal of Rangiora High School and one of the trust organisers, Mr Colin Macintosh; said the $2200 raised was a wonderful response from the district. He was sure there would be more gifts. “We do not want to go back to the people to make up the deficit,” he said. Packing his bags for the

fifth time, Shane said he had not done much extra preparation for the championships. He was recovering from a bout of flu, and had started training, harder only in the last week. He intended getting much more practice during the trip. He was surprised to be selected for the , schoolboy wrestling team and did not expect to win a place, but he was hoping for a place in the championships. Shane left Christchurch Airport at midday yesterday, his return flight to Auckland paid by another anonymous donor. He then joined the other four team members and flew to London via Singapore the same evening.

The team’s itinerary includes Copenhagen, Denver, Los Angeles, and Colorado Springs before returning on August 20.