DATE ADVANCED

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 104, 30 October 1933, Page 11

DATE ADVANCED

TOUR OF BRITISH ISLES

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY TEAM

UNION'S DECISION

New Zealand's next Rugby tour of the British Isles is to take place a year sooner than was intended. This change of- plans has been brought about to meet the desire of the Rugby Unions in the Home countries, of which the International Rugby Football Board gave an indication in its decision, published recently in "The Post," to offer New Zealand the originally suggested fixtures for the 1935-36 season instead of for the 1936-37 season. The Kew Zealand Rugby Union had been planning to make the tour in the latter season, and was arranging tentatively for 1 a visit to Australia next year and for a return visit in 1935. The latest request from England has been considered by the New Zealand Rugby Union's management committee, and the outcome is that the New Zealand team will proceed to England in 1935. "- CABLED REQUESTS. From tap Rugby Football Union (England) the following cablegram was received recently by the New Zealand Rugby Union: —"Four Home unions would prefer tour here in 1935-36 as you originally suggested, instead of in 1936-37. Hope you can accept." This was followed up by a cablegram from the New South Wales Rugby Union, particularly urging New Zealand to carry out its proposed tour of Australia next year. Evidently it was felt in Australia that acceptance of the proposal from England might affect the arrangements in regard to Now Zealand's visit to •Australia, In view of the importance of the matter tho New Zealand Rugby Union's management • committee took tho earliest opportunity of considering the advancing of the date of the tour of the Home countries. "The cable which was received from the English Rugby Union," said Mr. S. S. Dean, New Zealand Rugby Union chairman, in announcing the change of plans, "was considered at a special meeting of the management committee, and in deference to the request of the four Home unions it was decided to accept the tour for the 1035-36 season. It was also decided that' the Now Zealand team would make a fmort tour of Australia during the latter part of the 1934 season." Mr. Dean added that Australia had offered to send a team to New Zealand in 1935, but consideration of this had been deferred in the meantime. SELECTING THE TEAM. Mr. Dean stated that the team for England would leave somewhere about July, 1935. With regard to the selection of the players for tho big tour it was proposed that two inter-island matches be played next year, and that a series of trials be hold early in 1930, as was done in the selection of the 1924 teamv Tho inter-island match in 1935, no doubt, would be played early, and ■would bo regarded as one of the final ■trials. There.was no likelihood of the team being chosen before the 1935 season.

There arc in view various schemes for tho staging of trials, and these and other natters arc ta receive the full consideration of the management committee in the off season. Arrangements in connection with the tour to Australia in the latter part of next season,will also be gone into at an eary date.' In reply 'to a question, Mr. Dean stated that no word had been received from the South African Eugby Football Board as to when the Springboks would be Visiting New Zealand.

.EFFECT OF CHANGE,

Now Zealand's next Eugby tour of the Home countries has been under consideration for some time. In the first place it was-suggested that the visit should be made in the 1935-36 season, but from New Zealand's standpoint the following season was regarded as tho more convenient one in w.hieh to make the tour. In making its plans for the future, there being other tours to be taken into the reckoning, the Now Zealand Eugby Union had assumed that its representatives would not bo going to England until 1936. The visit lo Australia next season will not be effected to any great extent, although it will, as indicated, be a short tour. ■The return visit, in 1035, however, now presents a, difficulty, as.New Zealand's .leading players will bo leaving in July •of that season.

As it was expected that the. New Zealand tour .of* the Home countries would take place in 1936-37, a visit from South Africa in 103G was regarded'as being out of tho question, ?>ut, as was reported in "The Post" recently, the Springboks arc now. likely 1o"come here in 1937, a tour of Australia and New Zealand in that- year Staving been recommended by a Eugby conference to the South African Board.