RUGBY FOOTBALL

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 145, 22 June 1938, Page 13

RUGBY FOOTBALL

UNIVERSITIES' TEAM

NEW ZEALAND TOUR

— e INVITATIONS SENT

The possibility of a combined British universities' team visiting New Zealand for a tour in the Centennial year, 1940, was mentioned in "The Post" recently. Since then further steps to this end have been taken, and inquiries made today indicate that it now only remains for acceptance of the proposition in England for the tour to be undertaken.

The New Zealand University Rugby Football Council has been in communication with the New Zealand Rugby Union Council, which took up the proposal enthusiastically and has shown the greatest willingness to cooperate in every way possible. At a recent meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union Council, Mr. S. S. Dean said he regarded the idea of such a tour as a good one for the Centenary year, and it was left to Mr. Dean to confer with the University Rugby authorities on the proposal.

It was reported today that as a result of the conferences which have taken place, and acting in collaboration with the New Zealand Rugby Union, the New Zealand University Rugby Football Council has now sent to the British Rugby Union and the universities invitations to send a British Universities' team to New Zealand in 1940.

Although the intentions are that .the tour is to have a strong university flavour, it is understood that it is to be controlled by the New Zealand Rugby Union. No doubt there will be three to four matches against the New Zealand University colleges, and probably also at least one Test against a New Zealand University side. Other matches will be necessary and these probably will be against the major provinces. The New Zealand Union has taken a very keen interest in the project since it was first mentioned, as was indicated by the reply by Mr. Dean to a question at the recent council meeting that the tour would be sponsored by the union. As far as is known no actual itinerary has yet been worked out, and no doubt this will not be done until the two bodies have received advice from England. It is hoped that the team will be in New Zealand in June and July of 1940. As the tour will coincide with the British universities' summer vacation, it is thought that a fairly powerful team should be available.