Lowe to stay on as Kiwi coach

Press, 2 June 1986, Page 24

Lowe to stay on as Kiwi coach

JOHN COFFEY

By

Graham Lowe will almost certainly be confirmed as the Kiwi test coach until after the 1988 season when the New Zealand Rugby League Board of directors meets in Auckland on Wednesday night.

A continuation of his Kiwi coaching term will dovetail with Mr Lowe’s contract with a top British first division club — believed to be Wigan — for which he has signed a three-year contract.

MT Lowe said in Christchurch yesterday that the last few days had been among the most traumatic in his coaching career, but the arrangements made with the British club and the N.Z.R.L. ef-

fectively gave him the best of two contrasting coaching commitments.

“In Britain I will have the week-to-week coaching duties that I have missed since leaving Norths in Brisbane in 1982, and the N.Z.R.L. has come up with a package which takes the Kiwis through to the end of the World Cup series in 1988,” said Mr Lowe.

“I wasn’t going to reconsider my resignation at all,” he said, “but some N.Z.R.L. officials talked to me on Friday evening. We reached agreement, and it should all be ratified at the board meeting.” Although his main priority is beating the Australians in the tests at Auckland, Sydney and

Brisbane next month, Mr Lowe will also be doing some talent spotting for his British club.

"The club has only one import spot available, and I plan to have talks with one Australian and one New Zealander (who is playing in Australia),” he said.

Mr Lowe leaves for Britain soon after the Kiwis complete their tour of Papua New Guinea n August, but he is also looking ahead to new challenges. In 1987 the Kiwis have only a home series against France on their schedule — and Mr Lowe will lobby for Australia and New Zealand to meet in home-and-away tests to extend the international programme.