North Auckland seeks releases for challenge

Press, 5 August 1983, Page 32

North Auckland seeks releases for challenge

North Auckland has applied to have its New Zealand Maoris rugby representatives, lan Dunn and Kawhena Woodman, released for the Ranfurly Shield challenge against Canterbury next Wednesday.

Dunn and Woodman are training with the Maoris in Rotorua for the first match against Tonga tomorrow. If retained for the return game on August 13, they will be required to assemble in Auckland a few hours before the start of North Auckland’s shield challenge.

The North Auckland officials are hopeful that a

New Zealand Rugby Union meeting' in Rotorua today will give dispensation for Dunn and Woodman to fly to Auckland on the evening of the challenge. But there is no great optimism in Whangarei that the request will be met. Two additional players have been placed on stand-by. The union’s order of precedence places fixtures against visiting international teams second on the list after the All Blacks. Ranfurly Shield matches hold only fifth priority.

The sixth priority, however, is open to interpretation. It applies to “matches

played by New Zealand Maoris against provincial senior teams or teams of equivalent or higher status.” Victor Simpson, who had been named as a reserve for the Maoris, was able to take his place at centre for Canterbury against Mid-Canter-bury last Wednesday when permission was given for him to withdraw for personal reasons.

The other Canterbury representative is Dale Atkins. No application had been made for Atkins to be available to oppose North Auckland, said the Canterbury union’s secretary, Mr Dawson Cunningham, yesterday.