FRENCH RUGBY TEAM

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 13, 17 January 1922, Page 8

FRENCH RUGBY TEAM

THE NEW ZEALAND TOUR.

The French Rugby Union has accepted the New Zealand Rugby Union's terms, arid the team will tour New Zealand this year. It will consist of twenty-nine men, who will leave Southampton by the Ruahine in the middle'of April, arriving at the beginning of June. They will be under the charge of'Mr. Cyril Rutherford, an Englishman who is secretary of the French Union. The tour will be under the sole direction of the New Zealand Union. . . ■ . .

For some time the Management Committee of the N.Z.R.U. his been negotiating with the Federation Franchise de Rugby, Paris, regarding the conditions of the tour, and it is understood that the arrangement agreed upon is of a very satisfactory nature. The original offer to the French Rugby body provided that the team should consist of 25 players and a manager, and that 20 matches would be played in New Zealand and Australia, three of which would be Tests against New Zealand. Since then the provision regarding the number of players to make the trip has been amended, as indicated above. , Cabled advice of the acceptance was received by the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union (Mr. G. W. Slade) "intone letter to the N.Z.R.U. Mr. Rutherford stated: "My committee wishes me to state that they hope this tour will be a great success for you, and do good in the interests of Rugby in both countries.'