RUGBY UNION COMMENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23162, 12 April 1937, Page 9

RUGBY UNION COMMENT

PLANS TO MEET INVASION ■■.;;. ; 'FITNESS' OF PLAYERS. Several references are made in the annual report of the New Zealand Rugby Union to the tour of Australia and New Zealand! this year by a South African Rugby team. It is pointed out that the arrangements for the tout have been made with the 'minimum of travelling for the visitors, and, at the same time, covering fairly fully the whole of the Dominion. The Springboks are to leave Capetown on May 14, and will play eight matches in Australia before coming to New Zealand. They are due to arrive at Auckland from Australia on July 20, and in New Zealand they will play 17 matches. It has not been possible, according to the report, to fit in all the games desired in the time permitted by the tour, but it is felt, with the tour as mapped out, that all followers of Rugby will have the opportunity of seeing the Springboks in action within reasonable reach of their homes. SPECIAL TRIALS The selection of the New Zealand team last year entailed a tremendous amount of travelling for the selectors, and the hope is expressed in the report that they will not find it necessary, with the proposed trial matches, to have to devote so much time and so much travelling to their duties during the coming season. During the year the Management Committee went fully into the question "of system of selection. It was felt that the method adopted in the past was open to improvement. After much consideration a new scheme was evolved, and unions were circulated setting out the proposals and asking for opinions and comments thereon. Replies from most unions endorsed the scheme in its entirety. It is the opinion of the committee that the assembling of 60 or 70 players in a centre and holdir.g a series of trials will give greater satisfaction, and De the me .ns of enabling the selectors to get together the best team possible for the coming tests against the Springboks. EXCELLENT GAMES LIKELY

Through the visit by the Springboks the coming season will be one of the most eventful in the history of Rugby in the Dominion. The report states: "A cordial welcome awaits our worthy opponents The committee is confident some excellent games will dp witnessed, and that the visitors will make many friends and carry back to South Africa only the hapoiest and most pleasant memories of their stay in the Dominion.

" It behoves all players to see that they are in perfect physical condition that they may acquit themselves v/orthily against our doughty opponents "A tremendous amount of work will devolve upon the executives of the various unions, and the New Zealand Rugby Union Executive knows that it may rely upon their wholehearted support in makin£ the tour of the Springboks a memorable one. The greatest problem to be faced by those unions which have, games allotted will be to accommodate all the people who are desirous of seeing the Springboks in action, as record' crowds are assured ;or all the games."