PROTEST AT AUCKLAND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19900, 30 March 1939, Page 10

PROTEST AT AUCKLAND

INTER-ISLAND RUGBY I CLAIM TO MATCH URGED NONE FOR 17 YEARS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The decision of the council of the New Zealand Rugby Union to play this year’s inter-island match at Wellington caused a long discussion at a meeting of the Auckland Rugby Union management committee last night. The chairman, Mr. A. .Baker, said the Canterbury union, quite Tightly in his opinion, had protested against the allocation Of the inter-island match to Wellington. He though! the Auckland union .should do so too. Canterbury had complained that it was three years since a game had been played in the South Island, bm it was 17 years since an official North v. South game had been held at Auckland. “Followers of the Rugby game m Auckland,” said Mr. Baker, “are entitled to see these games more often than once in 17 years.” , Mr. J. Herrick said that the trial matches for the selection of the team to tour South Africa complicated the position this year as it was desirable to save the players from unnecessary travelling. , Mr. R. Farrell: The question of transport is not as difficult as it was. Mr. G. Orrell: It appears to me that something is wrong in Wellington. We have let the thing slip too long. Apparently there arp people there whose vision does not extend beyond Athletic Park. After further discussion a resolution was passed to the effect that the Auckland union identified itself with Canterbury’s contention that the match should be played in the four main centres in rotation, and diawine the attention of the New Zealand union to the lapse of time since an official inter-island match was last held at Auckland.