THE ALL BLACKS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 195, 13 May 1924, Page 8

THE ALL BLACKS

SELECTION OF REINSTATED ' PLAYERS UNION’S DEFINITE ATTITUDE The question of the selection of reinstated League players for the AllBlack team to tour Britain and France has been reopened by the inclusion of Ifwerson in the Auckland Combined team on Saturday against the East Coast Combined team, in the first of tlje trial matches. IVhile in Auckland at the weekend, a representative of The Dominion found that the general public were in doubt as to the official attitude of th'e New Zealand Rugby Union on the matter. A perusal of the Press reports of the deliberations of the annual meeting of the council of delegates of the union does not disclose the decision arrived at, although a number of matters pertaining to the personnel of the All Blacks were discussed in committee. The secretary of the New Zealand Rugby Union (Mr. H. E. Combs) states that the annual meeting decided that no reinstated League player would bo considered as a candidate for selection. If this decision has been promulgated to the affiliated unions, it would appear, writes “FiveEighths,” that the action of the Auckland Rugby Union, in permitting the inclusion of the player named, is in conflict with the spirit of tho decision of the governing body, and has the effect of excluding a. candidate against whom there is no ban in regard to selection. In reply to a direct question, the secretary of the union states that the decision of the annual meeting was taken without any special recommendation or direction from the English Rugby Union. A delegate, who recalled the brief discussion that took place, says than there were one or two delegates that susEested tlfrilt reinstated playerg should be considered, but that the decision of the meeting was practically unanimous.

Tho matter has led to some comment in Rugby football circles, but it is generally understood that, in view of the discussions at Home last year on the question, and what transpired in connection with the suspension of Lawton, the Queensland Rhodes Scholar (who was subsequently reinstated). that to include reinstated players would involve serious risk. of their being banned by the English Rugby Union, which has .organised the tour, or by the International Board, whicli controls the international fixtures It is suggested, in this connection, that there is no analogy between tho case of Lawton and that of a New Zealander. Lawton played the League game in a State where there was at tho time no Rugby Union game, and would be regarded as differently situated to players who had played tbo League code in New Zealand, where the Rugby Union game is dominant, as between the two.

SCOTTISH UNION’S DECISION DEPLORED. London, May 11. The “Observer” publishes a lengthy letter from Mr. T. Fletcher, of Wellington, deploring the Scottish Rugby Union’s decision not to arrange matches for the New Zealand team. Mr. Fletcher contends that Rugby in New Zealand is as genuinely amateur as in Scotland. The rules regarding amateurism had not contemplated overseas tours, which were on a different footing to interclub matches in Britain. Most New Zealanders lose all. or at least the greater part of their wages, during a seven months’ tour, and the allowance of 3s. daily was onlv for hospitality purposes.— Sydney “Sun” Cable. ■