FRENCH RUGBY

Dominion, Volume 19, Issue 44, 16 November 1925, Page 10

FRENCH RUGBY

A LETTER FROM PARIS

NEW ZEALAND RULE ADOPTED

Mr. 8. S. Dean, chairman of tlie New Zealand Rugby Union, has received a letter from Mr. C. F. Rutherford, secretary of the French Rugby Federation, stating that France is anticipating a visit from a New South Wales team towards the end of next year. This information is supplied in order to clear the position in regard to the proposed tour to France by a New Zealand Maori team. . Mr. Rutherford states that as his union has practically decided to invite an Australian team for next year, the visit of the Maori team may have to take place at a later date, probably after the French visit to New Zealand in 1927. He is going into all the details, and is taking steps to ascertain if sufficient guarantees can be obtained to cover the tour. He is also eager that the British unions will participate, as the French Federation did when the 1924 New Zealand team was on tour.

In connection with the proposed visit to New Zealand by a French team, Mr. Rutherford states that the decision of. his committee for 1927 is that “in principle” it accepts, which in fact means that it wants to accept, but will not give a definite promise until such time as it is perfectly certain that it can fulfil the engagement. It has been left in Mr. Rutherford’s hands to decide after the present season whether the French Federation can guarantee getting a representative team to go to New Zealand in 1927. The intention is that Mr. Rutherford shall travel with the side. Another item of interest supplied by the French Rugby secretary is that, the New Zealand amended kicking-into-touch rule, which England would not adopt, has been adopted in France, together with the alterations decided upon by the International Board.