IN NEW ZEALAND

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

IN NEW ZEALAND

UNIVERSITY PROPOSAL A touring: scheme formulated by the New Zealand University Rugby Football Council was placed before the New Zealand Rugby Union's management committee last night. The desire was to arrange a brief North Island tour in the coming season and a similar tour in the South Island in a later season. The management committee, however, was not prepared to give its sanction, regarding the matter as one for the consideration of delegates, at the; annual meeting of the. New Zealand. "-Rugby Union on April; 10. • ' ■'■"- ■■: ; ■;- ■-. ./ .''.>:■ - ~...'' Writing in regard'to the proposal, Mr. T. G. Hislop, hon.. secretary of the New Zealand University Rugby Football Council, stated that for seme time past the University Rugby Football Council had been considering the possibility of sending a New Zealand University team on tour in Now Zealand, and sought approval of a tour this season. It was thought at first that a team cbuld go on tour for a three-to-four-week period and play some eight matches —four in the North Island and four in the South Island. The objection to this proposal, the letter stated, would be that all four University colleges would be considerably weakened for club matches over too long a period arid then possibly detract frohi the interest in the various, local union grade matches.. The council felt that this would be to the detriment of Rugby in general. "SHOULD PROVE POPULAR." The proposal, for which. approval was sought, was that the team play three matches in the North Island in one year and three matches in the South Island two years later. By playing two Wednesday games and one Saturday game, ,the players need only be absent for one1, or at the most, two Saturdays. It was further suggested that in 1934 the '■ team be assembled in 'Auckland and play that province on a Wednesday, Taranaki at New Plymouth on the-foliowing Saturday, and Wellington*at Wellington on the next Wednesday, the tour to take place about the middle of May. The estimated cost of £300, it was considered, would be met out of the three gates, and each union would be assured of quite an appreciable profit. The University Council did not wish to make any money whatever, from the tour, but asked only that expenses be. covered. The council was quite confident with the material available a team could., be fielded worthy of the merit of meeting the major unions mentioned, and it believed that a representative fixture early in the season that would not interfere.,-with club matches should prove very popular with the public. The South Island tour would ba worked the same way, say, two years later, and possibly matches arranged with Canterbury, West Coast', and Otago. COMMITTEE'S VIEWS. "There is only orie thing to do and that is to bring it up in general business at the animal meeting," remarked the chairman (Mr. S. S; Dean) when the letter had been 'read last .night.-.'.' With this members agreed. ' The secretary, (Mr. A. E.-Neilson): Does that mean they will not ,be able to tour this season?., The chairman: No; if the annual meeting approves of it, it is. quite likely that arrangements could be made. Mr. W. J. Wallace: It will act as a form of trial. " The chairman: There is a.lot to be said for it; but we cannot deal with it as a committee because we do not know how the different unions view the proposition. Mr. A. C. Kitto urged that the matter was one requiring very careful treatment. "You do not know what organisations may be wanting to send teams around," he added.. There was also the fact. to be considered that unions had complained of there being too many matches, taking players away from club matches. . , The-chairman-thought that there was

mei-it in "it, except probably for. taking players away from .club games. , My. J. G. Roache said that if the unions agreed, it would be all right. The Tjniversity people no doubt took in account the fact that the tour would take place during the recess, so far as the universities were concerned. It was agreed to have the matter placed beiore delegates;