Growing demand for rugby tickets

Press, 3 June 1981, Page 6

Growing demand for rugby tickets

Interest is quickening in Saturday's big rugby match between Canterbury and Scotland at Lancaster Park. The C.R.F.U.’s tickets chairman. Mr R. W. Thomas, reported to a meeting of the union last evening that its Manchester Street office had had a very busy time yesterday selling tickets for the game and that the staff had been “almost run off their feet” meeting the lunch-time demand. Mr Thomas said that it would not be until some time today that the exact position would be known, but there were, he said, still plenty of open stand seats available. “Things are coming along nicely and with the park in the order it is everything points to a very good game of rugby on Saturday." said Mr Thomas. He added that many people seemed to be just waking up to the fact that the Scottish team had arrived in New Zealand. To prove his point, he related how he had received a telephone call from Tiinaru yesterday requesting a large number of seats. The chairman. Mr B. J. Drake, said that it had been advertised' admission to the ground, and this included the embankment, would be by ticket only, but patrons could still wait until the day. "There will be ticket-selling booths in a number of the streets around the park and they should be able to cater for all those who would prefer to wait until Saturday." said Mr Drake. Meanwhile, the Canterbury team's preparation has been adversely affected by the failure of some of the lights under which the side trains at Rugby Park. Last night just one light was working and this severely restricted the area in which the side could train. Mr C. R. Sullivan told the

unions management committee that he was most upset at the lights not being fully operational as the M.E.D. had been aware of the problem for some, weeks, - The secretary. Mr D. J. Cunningham. said he understood that the M.E.D. was going to make an effort to find the fault, which it suspected was a broken cable, this morning. However, he could not say when the lights might be all going again. It was decided that unless a guarantee could be obtained from the M.E.D. today that the lights would be fixed by tomorrow then the Canterbury side should train at Denton Park tomorrow night. ' This is a very important matter." said Mr R’ W. Thomas. "Here we have our team preparing for its biggest game of tin year and being denied a vital facility.” The’union s judicial committe< heard four orderings-off. thre> from last Saturday and one froti the senior night game las. Wednesday. The latter concerned a Hornby player, Willie Pirini and he w’as suspended until aftci June 13 for striking an opponeir in a manner akin to a stiff-anr tackle. The union was especially con cerned with the case of a Belfas under-20 player. M. Roberts, wh> was .charged with kicking at opponent on the ground. Hi. penalty was suspension for fou> weeks, until after June 27. The other two were boti 1 second grade players. J. Bulfe (Marist) and R. 'Davison (New Brighton). Butler was given tw< weeks for punching and Daviso> received the same sentence-fo standing on an opponent. In the case of Davison fth' judicial committee said that: th attitude of the New Brighton captain apparently left a lot to be desired.