RANFURLY SHIELD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20364, 19 September 1929, Page 14

RANFURLY SHIELD.

PLEA TO FULFIL CHALLENGE.

APPLICATION FROM WANGANU!

[nr TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

WELLINGTON, Wednesday.

At a meeting of tho Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union this evening a letter was received from the Wanganui Union asking for permission to fulfil its challenge for tho Ranfurly Shield this season. The letter stated that Wanganui's challenge was of long standing, and the union's committee was of opinion that the fact that tho shield had changed hands should not prevent existing challenges from being fulfilled.

Tho letter was received, the chairman remarking .that tho New Zealand Union should lay down a rule that no challenge should be issued until a union actually held the shield.

Tho South Canterbury Union wrote agreoing to fall in with tho suggestion that its challenge to Southland for the Ranfurly Shield should bo deferred until next season, on tho understanding that it should 'receive prior consideration next year. Tho chairman announced that no replacements would be allowed in either tho North Island v. South Island or the New Zealand v. Maoris matches, as both games would bo played under international board rules.

Mr. K. Tahiwi, on behalf of tho Maori Advisory Board, asked the union to define what constituted a Maori, in view of the solection of the Maori team to play tho Now Zealand team at Wellington on Wednesday wdek.

It was decided that tho definition of a Maori should be in accordance with the definition laid down by the Maori Land Act, 1909, which limits Maoris to not less than half castes. '