MINOR RUGBY UNIONS ARRANGE TOURS

Evening Star, Issue 26087, 29 April 1947, Page 6

MINOR RUGBY UNIONS ARRANGE TOURS

(P.A.) - O AMARU, April 29. With the sanction and financial support of the New Zealand Rugby Union, a new series'-of representative fixtures will ! be introduced this season whereby one of the five Seddon Shield Unions will send a representative team to tour the southern end_ of the South Island each year, and, similarly, one of the five unions in the south will tour the Seddon Shield area. Inaugurating the series, the Ashburton representatives in August will go on tour, playing matches against West Coast, .Buffer, Golden ißay-Motueka, and Marlborough, and the following month a Marlborough team will make a southern tour, playing Ashburton, possibly South Canterbury, North Otago, Otago Sub-unions, and Southland Sub-unions. A decision has yet to be made by South Canterbury as to whether it will participate, and, if it decides negatively, Canterbury sub-unions will be invited to come into the scheme. The proposal, which emanated from the North Otago Union, was discussed in Wellington last week by representatives of the participating unions and eventually submitted to the Council of the New Zealand Union, which approved it and offered financial support oil a generous scale. With the exception of South Canterbury, the unions concerned were unanimous in their support, and the South- Canterbury delegate (Air T. C. Morrison) intimated that lie would recommend his union to participate. At the weekly meeting of the Management Committee of the North Otago Union last evening, Air J."MacMillan, who was the union's delegate to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union, said the opinion had been expressed by members of the council that interchange of visits along the lines proposed would be a big boost for Rugby football outside .the metropolitan” centres, and practical expression had been given to this view in form of a substantial grant. Air AlacAlillan added that advice had already been received from Marlborough that its team would play its southern matches .on September 6, 10, 13, 17, and 20. It was decided to write to the South Canterbury Union supporting the representations made by its delegate in Wellington. _______