THE ALL BLACKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22877, 4 November 1937, Page 10

THE ALL BLACKS

VISIT TO AUSTRALIA I DELAY OPPOSED RECONSIDERATION URGED 1989 NOT SUITABLE By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. (Received November 7.J 5 p.m.) SYDNEY, Nov. 3 The New South Wales Rugby Union has cabled to the New Zealand Union requesting it to reconsider its attitude against sending a team to Australia next year and reminding the New Zealand Union of its agreement to do so. Tho message emphasised that the visit would coincide with the anniversary celebrations and would greatly benefit the Australians on the eve of their English tour. It was pointed out further that it would be inopportune to receive a New Zealand visit in 1939. SUB-UNION'S PROTEST SOUTH AUCKLAND VIEW "ONLY ANOTHER TRAGEDY" BAD MISTAKE IN POLICY [ FROM OIK OWN < OK H KSI'ONDKNT J PUK EKOHE. Wednesday The decision of the New Zealand Rugby Union to postpone sending a team to play in Australia until 19.39 was received with disapproval at a meeting of the South Auckland Rugby I'nion last evening. Rev. H. H. .Jeffreys said the New Zealand Union was making a bad mistake in policy and was only following the tragedy of defeat by the Springboks with a further tragedy. The meeting unanimously decided to write to the Auckland Rugby Union, to which South Auckland is affiliated, urging the Auckland committee to do its utmost to persuade the New Zealand Union to alter it.s decision. REASON FOR DECISION CLUB FOOTBALL DESIRED The New Zealand Rugby Football Council decided at a meeting last week to inform the Australian Rugby authorities that the New Zealand Union would favourably consider an imitation for a New Zealand team to visit Australia in 1939. Subsequently Mr. S. S. Dean, chairman of the management committee of the New Zealand Union, said that the council felt that a solid season of club and representative football would be more beneficial to the game in New Zealand than the sending of a team to Australia.

In the meantime prominent critics of the game and former All Blacks Aavc protested against the attitude of the council, especially as its action follows after the loss of two tests against the Springboks in the season just concluded, and in view of the fact that an Australian team is to visit Britain in 1939. It wa.s only to be expected that the Australian authorities would enter a protest against the postponement of the New Zealand team's tour, originally set down for next year.