RUGBY FOOTBALL Elvidge May Not Be Available For Final Test

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 July 1950, Page 8

RUGBY FOOTBALL Elvidge May Not Be Available For Final Test

DUNEDIN, This Day (P.A.).— Dr R. R. Elvidge, who led New Zealand to the test rubber victory against the British Rugby side at Wellington on Saturday and also captained the AH Blacks in the first two tests, said today that he did not think he would be.available for the fourth test at Auckland on July 29. On Saturday Elvidge suffered a recurrence of: the chest injury he received in South Africa last year and the effects of this, are still troubling him. He also had- to have f. stitches in the. wound above his right •eye,- but he said today that the cut was healing well.. „ “Judging by the way I feel now, said Elvidge, “it is almost certain,that I will not be fit for the final test match.” If this is correct, Elvidge has probably made his last appearance for New Zealand, as it is understood he has made arrangements to leave about the middle of next year for England to further his medical experiende.

British Isles Team’s Injured Players WANGANUI, July 3 (P.A.)—There is a possibility that K. Jones, Olympic athlete and Welsh wing three-quarter, will not play for the British Isles team against Wanganui tomorrow. He is in the selected side, but, in a training run at Spriggens Park today, he was nursing his injured ankle. D. W. C. Smith, Scottish threequarter, who has not yet played in New Zealand, was training today. He has recovered from his injury, and will most likely play at Palmerston North on July 12. The only players on the injured list at the moment are the Irish full-back, G. W. Norton, and the Irish wing three-quarter M. F. Lane. Norton, whose arm is in plaster, will not play again on the tour. In spite of his injury, he was out on the practice field today. Lane is suffering from a shoulder injury. Definition Of “Colt” To Be Sought WELLINGTON, July 3 (P.A.).— The New Zealand Rugby Union will, at its annual meeting next year, seek a definition of the term “colt” when applied to senior footballers. This decision was reached today by the executive committee of the union after it had discussed a request from Manawatu.

Mr J. D. King said that the Wellington union had decided that 23 years should be the limit for the intended colts’ match against Auckland. Mr A. St. C. Belcher said that a few senior club players were under 20 years. It was often against club policy. It was agreed that the matter for this season was one for unions, but that the executive committee felt that 23 should be a reasonable age limit and that a definition should be sought from the next annual meeting. J. G. Simpson Retires AUCKLAND, July 3 (P.A.).-J. G. Simpson, of Auckland, who has been vice-captain of the New Zealand Rugby team in the three tests against the British Isles this season, today announced his retirement from football. Simpson was carried off the field with a severe leg injury in the first spell of the third test i'n Wellington on Saturday. The ligaments of his right leg were badly wrenched and the leg was later encased in plaster from the hip to the ankle. “I had intended retiring from big football at the end of this season,” said Simpson. “I’ve had a good innings in football and have now decided to call it a day.” .