THE ALL BLACKS

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 130, 26 February 1925, Page 10

THE ALL BLACKS

DUE BACK ON MARCH 1C ARRANGEMENTS FOR FITTING WELCOME SERIES OF FUNCTIONS i i The All Blacks are due to return from their record-breaking Rugby tour, of Great Britain, France, and Canada, on March 16. Arrangements for a fitting welcome home to the team were made by the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union last night. Mr. A. C, Kitto presided, and there were al§o present Messrs. B. McKenzie, \V. Hornig, B. Wylie, <,and 11. B. Combs (secretary). Messrs. J. Prendeville (chairman), G. F. Jackson, and J. N Millard, members of the Management Committee of the Wellington Rugby Union, were present by invitation to assist the New Zealand Union in making arrangements for the welcome. Mr. Kitto explained that the Government had placed the Janie Seddon at the disposal of the union for the occasion to convey officials and next-of-kin out to the steamer in the stream after the health officer Ipid cleared the vessel. The Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright) had agreed to accord the All Blacks a civic welcome at the Town Hall at noon, and the Government would give a dinner to the team at Bellamy’s at 1.15 on the day of their arrival. The day’s festivities would be rounded oil with a citizens’ jazz ball at the Town Hall the same evening. It was proposed to charge ss. for admission to the ball, and to issue no more than 2000 tickets. Both the Town Hall and the Contort Chamber would be utilised fot the occasion. It had been decided that the seats in front of the organ would be reserved for officials and next-of-kin of the members of the team. , Mi. Prendevillfc asked if it were intended to invite the members of the New Zealand teams which visited Great Britain in 1888 and 1905 to the civic welcome, The chairman said this would be donffi After discussion, it Was 'decided to issue invitations to the heads of the various amateur sports bodies to join in the welcome. Mr. Kitto: It has been suggested that we should use the Basin Reserve for the occasion.

Mr. Prendeville: Why not A thletic Park ?

It was explained that the All Blacks would land at the saiiie wharf from which they had departed. The speaker’s at the reception at the Town Hall would include the Mayor, a representative of the Government, the Opposi-’ tion, the Labour Party, and Mr. G. Frost (president of the New Zealand Rugby Union), The American Motors wrote stating., that they would supply ten 5-seatet cars and a driver for each for the return of the All Blacks free of costMr. Prendeville’s name was added to the sub-committee, Messrs. Kitto, Wylie, and Hornig, which have the arrangements in hand for the welcome home. The Wellington Union delegates intimated that their committee would willingly assist the New Zealand Rugby Union in every possible way in making the welcome as hearty and successful as possible. Letter From the Manager. "We are not sorry that the touris over,” writes Mr. S. S. Dean, the manager of the All Blapk team, from Berners Hotel, London, under date January 23, “It has been rather a strenuous time, but we have had a very fine time taking it all through. Yesterday’s functions at the Piccadilly and Victoria Hotels were attended, by sportsmen of England and of our own people, and were very fine functions, and the medals and cups which were presented to us were simply wonderful. The cups I am having sent out through the High Commissioner’s office to the Government. 1 would like to have the cups on hand when we arrive,” Mr. Dean advised that Messrs. L. Simpson and G, Payne, members of the official party, were returning via Suez. The Loving Cup. - "Here I am, right in the midst of things,” wrote Mr., Cecil J. Wray, the b/ew Zealand representative on the English Rugby Union, under date January 11. The presentation of the loving cup to the New Zealand Rugby Union from New Zealanders in London is going like wildfire, and we shall have a magnificent cup to present to you. /I got 1500 circulars addressed and sent out in about eight hours on Saturday, and all my other printing goes to the printers to-night (Sunday). I shall need a trip out to New Zealand when this is all over We want the cup to be the property of the New Zealand Rugby Union, but we would like it to circulate and be used at big functions, One idea I have is that it might be used at the celebration held by whoever wins the Ranfijrly Shield each year. Then it could be filled and handed round, as the big loving cups are passed round at big city banquets here. I hope it will be filled and drunk from when the team has its official reception from the New Zealand Rugby Union on its return to New Zealand. Then Mr. Massey and everyone must have a pull. We are giving each member a replica of the cup. "The Brownlie incident still refuses to go to sleep, and the ‘Observer’ has a good deal to sav about it to-day. It seems to be generally accepted now that the blame was not all on one side, and I think I was auite justified in cabling vou that poor old Cyril was the victim of circumstances. •* What people here do pot seem to realise is the great merit of our win with fourteen men. The logs of Brownlie completely upset the organisation of our team, for it meant to us either six against eight in the scrum or a man short behind the sc.um. We lost oar usual advantage behind, and I think we ’ did marvellously well to pull the game off/ The article I wrote in ‘English Life’ has been noticed by people latelv, and one or two New Zealanders have actually said it is the best thev have seen on the New Zealand side.”

* Message from New South Wales. The following cablegram was received from the New Scuth Wales Rugbv Union“ Union accepts your offer of team and conditions Date of departure acceptable, but unable to fix exact dates this e.id yet. Greatly apnrecinte snirit,” This v>as in reply to the New Zealand Union’s offer to send a team over by the first available boat after June 3.