NORTH v. SOUTH.

NZ Truth, Issue 274, 1 October 1910, Page 3

NORTH v. SOUTH.

Wftat was the original intention of the N.Z. Rugby Union when the North v. South matches were first instituted? It has always been understood by players that next to gaining the position of feeing a New Zealand representative player, the highest possible reward of Rugby metft was to obtain a North v. South oap. It would now appear that this idea had to be dropped. Instead of being a contest between bhe two best teams m New Zealand — chat is the best from each islandIt would appear to have developed iirto a match held for the convenience arid satisfaction of a few of the smaller unions, and* that was not "ttie intention of the New (Zealand Union. Last year, m the same confeat, when every football follower was expecting to see a great game between .New Zealand's best, we found the selectors experimenting With practically untried men on the Northern side ; m fact, one selector migMy near filled tfoe team from Ms own district, and the consequence was Jfcat the quality shown was not what it should have been. New Zealanders have always been m the habit of holdmg up the North v. South conflict, as being the finest display of the year, arid so it has been m many

cases ; but if all One : - best and recognised players are to be dropped, then we bad better call the game by some other name. In these days, when other gaimes are showing signs of creeping, m, the more good Rugby that can be shown the better. By all means, let us have our . annual North v. South match, but lc* it be what it was originally intended to -be, and let something -else be provided for the smaller and coim<fcry unions. Also let the game take place at Wellington, the centre of the Dominion.