CANCELLATION OF FRENCH TOUR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 28 March 1922, Page 5

CANCELLATION OF FRENCH TOUR.

MR MeLEOD EXPLAINS.

The cable message stating that the tour of the French Eugby team had been cancelled was referred to Mr J. McLeod, president of the N.Z.R.U. He explained that the question of the date had delayed the negotiations for some time. The length of the Frenchmen's tour was limited by what leave they could get from the army, and, according to the information received by the New Zealand Union, the team had to be back in France by October. It appeared that they would therefore have to leave New Zealand by the middle of August.

Trouble had cropped. ,-\j?p over this point by resaon of the - iafot that there was no suitable sailing date, the nearest departure of a steamer being about three weeks too early. This meant that the visitors would not be able to carry out anything like the programme of matches set down, wb.icii would aif eet .the finances of the tour. The visit of the Springboks cost £18,000, and the proposed tour would naturally involve a bigger amount, consequently the NewZealand Union could not afford to see, say, eight of nine matches cut out.

"I am sorry it has. happened," said Mr MeLeod (who indicated that the cable was the first he had heard of the cancellation), "but it would be ridiculous to take it on facing a financial loss." Mr MeLeod added that the New Zealand Union had x previously made counter-proposals regarding dates, but evidently these had been rejected.—News.