RUGBY TOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 75, 29 March 1934, Page 15

RUGBY TOURS

I —, m , AUSTRALIA AND ENGLAND NEW ZEALAND'S TEAM. NUMEROUS BEQUESTS

Further progress in connection with the completing of 'arrangements for next year's big Rugby football tour was made by the New Zealand Rugby-Union's management committee last night, when consideration"/was- given, to various matters set out iii corhmunications. from England. The proposed itinerary, which has been published/in "The -Post," was presented, along with r other details, which were dealt with in committee. /,' - - i It was stated in "open meeting that there was.no prospect of,the New Zealand team visiting. Australia next season before proceeding to England; A New' Zealand team, however, would be visiting .Australia, this season. . ' The lion., .secretary of the Victorian Rugby Union wrote'stating that when Mr. Dean was in Melbourne recently, the Victorian committee discussed, with him the. possibility •of the New Zealand team play-" ing matches in Melbourne.' Adelaide, and Perth en,-route to England. The cOmmitteee ' earnestly requested that the I matches be arranged if at all possible. "If I your union, can support this suggestion," the letter' added, "it will be doing a great service /to ' the Rtigby code int. Victoria, South Australial; and Western Australia, in providing'a stimulus to the game which these ainions- for financial reasons have been unable to secure." It Was explained by Mr. Dean that the possibility of playing certain matches in Australia, mainly for propaganda purposes, had been mentioned. That was in the event of. the team proceeding via Australia. There was no hope, however, of I the team going to Australia next year. It looked very much as though the voyage to. England would be made via Panama, and he suggested that the Victorian Union be advised to that effect. CANADA AND AMERICA. A Canadian visitor to New Zealand sought information by letter as to the New Zealand Rugby. Union's intentions regarding matches with Canada, either here or in Canada..;; In the course of a reply which had been forwarded to the visitor, who is returning to Canada shortly , the' secretary. (Mr. A. E. Neilson) stated: "We are sending a team to Australia this year and the following year we are undertaking a big tour to Great Britain. The request for tours by the Canadian Union arid the American universities have been held'over/in the meantime; the intention, is to bring our team home from Great Britain via Canada, and probably -play some matches' there. We may also play a' match, or/ two on the Californian coast, and /while our, team is in Canada the question of future matches with the Canadian/Rugby Union will be discussed." ' ' - ■ : , VICTORIA'S POSITION. Pointing out" that it had endorsed the itinerary submitted/by the New South Wales Rugby Union,omitting a match in Victoria against the, "All Blacks," the Victorian Rugby Union wrote expressing regret that it was,unable to entertain the offer o£ a match. ; Since its inception the V.tLU. had had ari uphill fight and losses on certain : matches with; overseas and State teams had by 1930.1 ed/Jo a deficit of / £60. - Since then the. union's council had concerned'itself principally with the | development; of the game in, Victoria by sthe strengthening ■of . existing clubs, the formation of new clubs, and the encouragement of junior and school football. That the policy adopted was a wise one was borne out by the increasing strength of the V.R.U., both from.a financial and a numerical point of view. At tho be-gitmihg-.of this season the accumulated fund stood at its highest since the inception of the union, aud the number of players was treble that of 1930. Expenses in staging a match with the New Zetland team;, would he approximately £500, and thg^jinaximum gate would be about the sante'/'figure. Should the day be wet tkere'would be a loss sufficient to wipe out the reserve fund which liad been carefully built up. The brighter side of the picture was that the V.R.U. would receive from the N.S.W.R.U., in lieu of the match, 15 per cent, of the profits of "the N.S.W. portion of the tour.