INTERPRO RUGBY

Southland Times, Issue 18934, 22 September 1920, Page 5

INTERPRO RUGBY

LAST MATCH OF SEASON TO-DAY. The last representative fixture to be played in Southland for the 1020 .-eason lakes place to-day, when Southland will meet the visilin<i representatives of Smith I 'ant'Timrv. Tie- visitors arrived in town jmi Monday, and are leaving no stone im- ; turned to be fit and well for to-day’s game, when they hope to lower the colours of the ] Ranfurly Shield holder.-. It would only be | in keening with the surprises effected in the j football world this season if they did so, j The main match i- set down to he played at I Rugby Park at 2.30 p.m., so as to give country visitors an opportunity of witnessing the game and returning home on (he same night. As a curtain-raiser to (he rep. match the winners of the schools senior j tournament, Marist Bros., will meet at 1.30 I f'tn. the winners of the Eastern Di-triet. j Mataura School, and an attractive and i spretacular garni', such as the boys, can give, should eventuate. 1 OTAGO v. SOUTHLAND. NO SPECIAL TRAIN AVAILABLE. The Southland Rugby Union had decided to arrange for a special train to Dunedin on Saturday and a deputation waited on the District Traffic Manager with that object in view, but the Department cannot see its way tfi comply with the request, as the following letter from -Mr A. W. Morgan, traffic manager, shows; —The question of providing a special train from Invercargill to Dunedin on Saturday next, in connection with the football match Southland v. Otago, has been considered. At the present, time it is important that special train running he- confined to trains for traffic which cannot be handled by the ordinary service or for which the ordinary service is quite unsuitable. Your request has been submitted to the District Traffic Manager, Dunedin, who has replied declining to run the train desired as he considers the ordinary service reasonably meets requirements. In regard to the tilTrnntive proposal that the down express should be delayed at Dunedin for half an hour, this also cannot be agreed to as the alteration would disorganise the local services and it is considered - that the position can be mot by starting the match early enough to allow patrons to catch the express. The secretary’ of the Southland Rugby Union states that they have arranged with the Otago Union to commence the match at 2.30, so visitors from the south will have ample time after if concludes to join the train which leaves Dunedin at 5.10 p.m. Mr R. McKenzie, of Dunedin, has been requested to act as referee in the match South Canterbury' v. Southland on Wednesday, but up till yesterday afternoon no reply had been received as to whether he could make it convenient to undertake the duties.