Universities hopeful about Soviet rugby tour

Press, 27 April 1989, Page 38

Universities hopeful about Soviet rugby tour

PA Wellington New Zealand Universities rugby officials say they are optimistic of being able to carry off plans for a Soviet students’ tour of New Zealand in 1991. “I’m reasonably optimistic,” the New Zealand Universities Rugby Council secretary, David Collins, said yesterday. “With the thawing of relations between the Soviet Union and the West, we feel it is the appropriate time for such a tour.” Mr Collins admitted that

some other bodies had had problems in getting Soviets teams to tour. The Australian Rugby Union, for example, had hoped a Soviet side would visit there for lead-up matches to the 1987 World Cup, but those plans fell through. “But countries such as Argentina, France, Spain, Italy and Scotland have had rugby contact with the Soviet Union, and there is no reason why we couldn’t.” Mr Collins said the council and Soviet rugby authorities

were still in the process "of communicating and advising.” “The Soviets have expressed an interest in coming, and our present plans are for a tour in April and May 1991,” he said. “There will be eight or nine matches, including a two or three-test series against New Zealand Universities. “The other matches will be against suitable provincial teams.” Mr Collins said the idea for a tour arose after the Soviet Universities side — "which is

identical to their national team” — inflicted New Zealand Universities’ only loss during the world students’ tournament in France last September. The Soviets won, 9-3, although New Zealand went on to take out the world title, beating Argentina in the final. “The Soviet students impressed us with the quality of their rugby," Mr Collins said. “They have since gone on to beat the United States in Moscow by a sizeable margin.”