AUSTRALIANS RETURN HOME

Grey River Argus, 27 September 1949, Page 6

AUSTRALIANS RETURN HOME

AUCKLAND Sept. 26. The Australians Rugby team, winners of both tests against New Zealand and the B ledisloe Cup, left by Skymaster about 12.45 today .on their to Syd'.oy. The visuo-r 've,e bidden farewell at Whenuapai airport by Mr Don Max, president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, and other friends. The Skymastcr should have left for Sydney at 10.30, but did not take off until 12.45. It was found that the baggage of the 44 intending passengers was too heavy and after some delay in trying to make readjustments'the airport officials decided to off-load eif.hL ordinary passmgors leaving the team intact. The footballers were not perturbed by the delay, which followed the official farewell and the ceremony of loading the Bledisloe Cup. Mr Max thanked the team for the boost given to Rugby in the smaller union districts and warned the Australians to make the most of the or the cup while they had the chance. Mr R. J. Walden, the Australian manager, srnd the cup w0',1.1 aivthe code at cod prestige m tne Commonwealth. He warned that New land would have a job io tiling the cup back from Australia.

Change In The North Island Team P.A. WELLINGTON, Sept 26. II D Harkness (Manawatu) will replace J. W. Kelly (Auckland) as full-back in the North Island Rugby team to play the South Island at Christchurch on Saturday. Kelly was injured in the test match against Australia last Saturday.

B. (’ouch (Waira'apa) who played five eighths in both , tests against the Australians, but who was not chosen in the North Island team, has now been named as an emergency.