Canty may have Sth Africa option

Press, 9 December 1983, Page 34

Canty may have Sth Africa option

By

KEVIN McMENAMIN

The Canterbury Rugby Union might be put in the position of having to accept or decline an invitation for the Canterbury senior team to play in South Africa early next year. Sources in Wellington suggest that at its meeting today, ..the council of the New Zealand union will hear of an invitation for Canterbury to play three matches in the republic, beginning on March 24. The games are believed to be against the Currie Cup holders, Western Province, Boland, and Northern Transvaal. Such a tour was first mooted two months ago when the Canterbury selec-tor-coach, Alex Wyllie, said he be happy to take a

side to South Africa and that he thought a match between Canterbury and the Currie Cup holder would be a good idea. The secretary of the Canterbury union, Mr D. J. Cunningham, said last evening that no invitation had been received by his union, and nor was he aware of any approach on the matter.

“However, if ah invitation was being made it would first go to the N.Z.R.F.U., which would then pass it on to the union concerned,” said Mr Cunningham.

If there is an invitation, then that will probably happen today, although the New Zealand union must approve all overseas tours by its affiliate unions.

If the tour proceeds, it would be the first time that

a New Zealand provincial side has gone to South Africa.

The Canterbury team, mainly through its own fund-raising and a $20,000 grant from the C.R.F.U., has planned a tour to Singapore and Hong Kong in late March and early April.

So*if an invitation should be tabled at today’s meeting, it will most likely be passed on to the Canterbury union, which could accept or decline it, possibly after consultation with the team. If the decision should be to replace the Singapore and Hong Kong trip with a South African visit and financially the latter is sure to be more attractive, then the last say would rest with the N.Z.R.F.U. and its attitude towards a permission to travel application.