NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 July 1923, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY UNION.

I (BY TELEGRAi'H-'-rriESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, July, 11. At the New Zealand Rugby Union meeting the New South Waies Council 1 asked for permission to bring 28 players , and a masseur. Permission was re- J 1 fused, it being decided to adhere to .; the agreement for 27 players, but a ! masseur was agreed to. The council ' regretted its inability to extend' the j tour by two matches as asked, owing to ,' the difficulty of players getting leave ' and the unsuitability of the steamer i arrangements. It also asked if a match i against the Maoris could be substituticd tfor Jbhjyt "against Wairarapa and j Bush Districts. This was refused. 1 Mr. V. R. Meredith, the Auckland ' selector, advised his inability to attend ; the meeting of the selection committee 'at Wellington. It was decided to ask | Auckland to make another nomination. t The Horowhenua Union advised the ■ issue of a. challenge' to Hawke's Bay ; for the Ranfurly Shield. " ; ' A motion congratulating the Maori j footballers on the way in which they ! upheld Rugby traditions, and thanking i them for their fine work in the Main ! Trunk disaster, was carried. "These unions, although they demur about our charges, are not backward ! in claiming their 25 per cent.," said j Mr. S. S. Dean (chairman) when the j Otago and Canterbury Unions protested ! at the decision to increase the admiis- ! sion charge to matches of the New 'South Wales team. Mr. Deans stated j that the tour would cost £5000 at least. ; There were 27 men whose expenses I were £2 per day for ten weeks, £500 jon boat fares, and the cost of as- | sembling the New Zealand team, which j was considerable. As a matter of fact i ; the tour would not cost a great deal i less than that of the Springboks. The I only difference would be the distance j between South Africa and Australia ' and Australia and New Zealand. In I the case of the South Africans also ; they had had £400 profit from the Aus- . tralian visit in hand when the team ar- ' rived here ; also three unions—Wauga. ! nui, Southland, and South Canterbury : —'had asked the New Zealand Union Ito increase its charges for the Maori matches. - j Mr. Wylie: After all, you can't get in the picture show nowadays in a ( recent seat for less than half-a-crown. j The union decided to pass the mat- , ter on to the finance committee for it to Bring; down a report to the next ■-. meeting. .