Strenuous season for rugby league players

Press, 2 December 1981, Page 30

Strenuous season for rugby league players

By

JOHN COFFEY

Leading rugby . league players in Canterbury might be required to appear in as many as 50 matches of varying importance during an intensive seven-month period next year. The Canterbury Rugby League board of control mapped out its 1982 programme this week after much consideration and shuffling of dates to cater for the busiest season in the code’s 70-year history.

Clubs will be in action from the start of the QantasRadio Avon knock-out competition on March 14, and conceivably, two of them could continue through to the final of the, national Wrangler Cup tournament on October 16.

The first representative fixture between Canterbury and West Coast has been allocated to Greymouth on March 28. That game, and a regional coaching school at Christchurch during Easter week-end — which also includes matches between South and Wellington and a return Canterbury-Coast encounter — will assist in preparing South Island for its Tooth Cup participation in Australia.

Canterbury has home and away games with West Coast and Wellington in the southern first division series, with the Rugby League Cup at stake when the Show Grounds is the venue.

In mid-May, South Island will defend its national districts title against Auckland, Northern and Central over an eight-day period at Auckland and Huntly. A New Zealand squad will then be named to remain in Auckland for a few days before the announcement of the Kiwi squad to tour Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, the QantasRadio Avon contest ends on April 3, and, leaving Easter free for the island school, the first of the two full N.Z.I.G. premiership rounds will begin on April 17. The premier grade will again comprise nine clubs, and it has been decided that the winner and runner-up in the premiership will be Canterbury's representatives in the Wrangler Cup tournament.

It was not possible to., delay selection until the> championship grand finalists, had been found because nominations close with the New Zealand Rugby League on. August 23. But, by playing two premiership rounds over Queen’s Birthday week-end and given a clear run from, postponements, it is possible to avoid a major clash between championship and cup. commitments.

One Canterbury club is required to travel to meet the top Dunedin side before August 29, and that may be accommodated by using" the bye or the week-end of the preliminary final. If circumstances permit, the grand final could be played on September 5, allowing for clubs to concentrate fully on the first round proper of the Wrangler Cup a week later. Already, a determined ■ group of prominent players can be seen running over Murray Aynsley Hill several, times each week in the early,' stages of their pre-season preparations. They, and their team-mates and rivals, will need all of their reserves of, stamina to achieve success in the long season ahead of them.