RUGBY LEAGUE Australian Party Arrives Today : Tomorrow’s Game

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1949, Page 7

RUGBY LEAGUE Australian Party Arrives Today : Tomorrow’s Game

The first Australian Rugby League team ever to visit the West Coast will arrive by this afternoon’s express from Christchurch, to play West Coast at Victoria Park, Greymeuth, tomorrow afternoon. The party comprises 33 members, including players, the manager (Mr L. Thompson), the chairman off the Australian Board cf Control, (Mr H. Flegg) and four Australian journalists. . . Two of the visiting journalists, incidentally, will be paying their second visit to Greymouth within a fortnight, Messrs P. Tressider and L. Ryan having been with the' Australian Rugby team when it played West Coast-Buller at Greymouth. The other two are Messrs W. Corbett and J. Mather. The party will stay at the Albion Hotel and at five o’clock this afternoon the visitors will be extended a civic welcome in the lounge of the hotel. A large attendance is expected at tomorrow’s gome, for a mid-week fixture, as special arrangements have been made throughout the district to enable workers to see the first international Rugby League game in the province since the British team played at Greymouth in 1946. Indications are that the business community generally will respond to the request of the Mayor (Mr F. F. Boustridge) and the Greymouth Chamber of Commerce to close ‘ between 2 and 4.30 tomorrow afternoon and business will be at a standstill in the town during that period. The match itself is timed to start at 2.30 p.m. , The Grey Valley miners have made arrangements to work only a sixhour day tomorrow, instead of the normal seven, which will enable them to come into Greymouth in time for the match. No special arrangement had been made in the Runanga area up to this afternoon. The wharf will work as usual, but it stated that the men who desire to attend the football will be given permission to sign off. Similar arrangements are being made in other industries. After the civic reception this evening, the Australians will be free of official engagements until the match tomorrow. After the game they will be the guests at a complimentary dinner and tomorrow night they will be the guests of the Westland Musicians’ Club at a dance. They will leave by Thursday morning’s express for Christchurch. Although replacements are not generally permitted in such games, the Australians have agreed to replacements, if necessary, up to the interval in tomorrow’s match.