Ron Don battling to survive

Press, 9 April 1981, Page 34

Ron Don battling to survive

PA Wellington All eyes will be on the Auckland Rugby Union chairman, Mr Ron Don, during the voting for the North Island New Zealand Rugby Union council positions at the N.Z.R.F.U.’s annual general meeting today. He is one of five candidates standing for four North Island council positions and is under pressure to maintain his seat. Mr Don is battling to survive because of the squabble between the Counties and Auckland Rugby Unions over the allocation of South Africa’s match against Aucklar.J at Eden Park on September 5. The fixture was originally allocated to Counties but the decision was changed by the council last month and the match given to Auckland after strong submissions by the A.R.U. Since then the A.R.U. and Mr Don have been the subject of criticism from some unions throughout the country. This has been accompanied by mounting speculation that Mr Don would once again lose his seat on the council, but it is interesting to note that Counties have not appealed against the reallocation decision. The position has been complicated somewhat by the fact that Taranaki’s Mr. Noel Stanley is not seeking re-election as a North Island councillor. The Wellington grapevine suggests that Bay of Plenty’s Dick Littlejohn will poll successfully leaving Mr Don and the former All Black coach, Mr John Stewart, to fight out the fourth position.