Shelford suspended

Press, 4 March 1988, Page 21

Shelford suspended

From JOHN COFFEY ; Yet another rugby league wrangle over transfer fetes has caused the suspens on ;of the New. Zealand and f >rmer Canterbury forward, ..drum Shelford. The New Zealand 7ugby League directors, at their meeting in Auckland, have withdrawn their appro'al for Shelford to play in iritain until his Wigan club pt ys the final $lO,OOO of his fet. I Michael; Knowles, the N.Z.R.L. executive di -ectbr, said; the money was o red ,to Shelford's former Wei ington clubi Upper Hutt, to buy out his contract. The path taken by S;ielford from Hornby to Upper Hutt and i Wigan has been strewn with transfer contro'ersies. Before he could ma te his .debut for Wigan that club had to win a British High Court battle against St Helens, which also claimed tp have signed the New Zealand test prop forward. I It was because of the delays caused by the leial proceedings that he gavel verbal permission for Sheltord to play, said Mr Knowles. But he had reachec agreement with the England Rugby league secretary- ’eneral. David Oxley, last Dicember

on the understanding all transfer documents and payments would be processed at speed. Among the papers Mr Knowles requires is that releasing Shelford. aged 23. for New Zealand's test commitments. New Zealand Rugby league officials have reaffirmed their old policy of not releasing any players until all financial details have been completed.