Full Maori ticket from Canty

Press, 5 December 1986, Page 40

Full Maori ticket from Canty

By

JOHN BROOKS

At first glance it appears as if the Canterbury Rugby Union is striving for a trifecta by nominating three men for the three postions on the New Zealand Maori selection panel in today’s ballot in Wellington.

But, as the president of the C.R.U., Mr Les Russell, explained yesterday, the management committee was not in the business of denying competent people the opportunity of running for office. The three nominees from Canterbury are Messrs Ruk Wainohu, one off the incumbents, Bill Bush, the former All Black prop who now coaches Canterbury Maoris, and Geoff Milne, acting chairman of the Canterbury Maori Committee.

Mr Milne could be creating a little piece of rugby history if he is successful. He is a pakeha. The intriguing aspect to the election is that Mr Wairiohu was not among the recommendations made by the local Maori committee to the C.R.U. The names forwarded were those of Messrs Bush,. Milne and Watene Mcßoberts.

But the union’s management committee resolved to support Mr Wainohu, who could become convenor of the panel if Mattie Blackburn is promoted to All Black selec-

tor. “We have made more than one nomination for the New Zealand panel before, and we wouldn’t deny nomination to people who were knowledgeable and capable of doing the job,” Mr Russell said. “The Maori committee sent us three names, but we decided to support Ruk Wainohu, as the incumbent, and two of the other three.” Ten men will contest the three positions in today’s election, and they

include the present selectors, Messrs Blackburn, Wainohu, and John Porima. However, chief interest undoubtedly will lie in the battle for places on the All Black selection panel. The field for this contest is not so large: only seven names will go into the first ballot. Stan Hill has retired,' and the dogs were barking in Lambton Quay yes-

terday that Colin Meads could feel the cold blast of indifference from national councillors. The Cavaliers’ South African venture has cast a long, dark shadow over the leg-

endary lock. Under normal circumstances in New Zealand rugby, Brian Lochore could expect the chop, too, after a year in which the national sides he coached achieved only a 50 per cent win record.

But his personal qualities and the need for some continuity on the panel with World Cup selections needing to be made frighteningly early next year should carry him through.

The country’s leading provincial coaches of recent times, John Hart (Auckland) and Alex Wyllie (Canterbury), have bright prospects of joining Mr Lochore on the panel. In addition to the skills they would bring to the group, they could conveniently cover the northern and southern regions of the country, respectively, leaving the central district for Mr Lochore.

The others who have tossed their hats into the ring are Messrs Blackburn (Wellington), Graham Hamer (Manawatu), and Neville Goodwin (MidCanterbury).