STRONG PROTEST

Evening Star, Issue 21786, 31 July 1934, Page 13

STRONG PROTEST

PROPOSED GAME WITH ALL BLACKS AT WELLINGTON MAKING A FARCE OF NORTH-SOUTH ISLAND MATCH Protests ■ that the. match between the New Zealand team now in Australia on its return to the dominion with a second New Zealand team would ruin all interest in the North Island-South Island mateh to be played in Dunodm at "'the end of September were made at the meeting of the Management Committee of the Otago Rugby Union last night. The matter was brought before the meeting by Mr _ Douglas Spedding, who Said he had noticed in a Press message from Wellington that the. Committee of Management of tbe New Zealand Union had decided to play' the All touring team on its return ffom Australia against a second New Zealand team. It seemed to him that by so. doing it was going to kill the interest iii the NorthSouth match. It was understood that the interisland game was expected to have a big bearing on the selection ol they team to tour Great Britain next year. Some of their players had already had to take part m two trial matches, and they would. be asked to go to Wellington for the match referred to. That would naturally affect the game between the North and the South Islands. . . It might place the selectors in an invidious position, said Mr Spedding, if the team which played in Australia was “ cleaned up ” by the second New Zealand team. It seemed to him a very inadvisable thing to play the proposed gahie in Wellington. Wellington was again goshg to have the privilege ot seeing the match, and they saw practically every New Zealand team m action. - Mr S. G. Styehe expressed agreement with' Mr Spedding’s remarks. Mr V. G. Cavanagh said a NorthSouth match had not been seen in Dunedin for thirty years, and now the New Zealand Union was going to break faith with them. Players would be drawn from all oyer New Zealand for the match in Wellington, and that would affect the players available for the match here. The New Zealand Union was doing evei'.vthing to make tile South v. North Island match a farce. If they were going to play the match in Wellington as suggested, they should cut out the South v. North match. Mr Spedding moved—“ That, m view of the fact that the South v. North Island match is to be played in Dunedin in September, this union enters a strong 'protest against players being assembled in Wellington to meet the All Black side on its return from Aus- * Mr H. Harris pointed out that the travelling of players for the match in. Wellington was going, to affect players \vho might be available for the South v. North match. They might not be able to spare the time to make atiother journey. ... . . The motion was carried unanimously.