PROSPECTS FOR ALL BLACK TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 February 1948, Page 6

PROSPECTS FOR ALL BLACK TOUR OF SOUTH AFRICA

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The fact that South Africa was not entirely disappointed because the All Black Rugby tour was postponed from this year till next was mentioned today by Mr G. A. Maddison, one of New Zealand’s delegates to the Imperial Rugby Conference, who returned by the Wahine. Mr Maddison said the president of the South African Rugby Board, Mr Pienaar, had told him the South Africans were glad the tour had been postponed for a year, as they did not think they wold have been ready for the All Blacks this year. The whole of South Africa, however, was eagerly awaiting the tour next year and the itinerary had already been drafted. Mi- Maddison himself was not too optimistic about the tour. Transport difficulties were still being encountered, he said, and New Zealand might yet find that the problem of securing passages for the team would be insurmountable.

Referring to the Rugby Conference, Mr Maddison said the meeting of Empire delegates achieved a really worthwhile purpose in that each country would now have a better understanding of the problems faced by /the Rugby administrations elsewhere. He thought the next conference would probably be held in Ne\y Zealand.

The Australian delegates were anxious to have a Maori team visit the Commonwealth this year. They would be willing to send an Australian team to New Zealand next year when the New Zealand team was in South Africa.