Rugby Tour May Include Seven Games

Southland Times, Issue 23793, 15 April 1939, Page 15

Rugby Tour May Include Seven Games

By

ONLOOKER

The Southland Rugby team may play seven matches on the northern tour this season. A six-game tour is the usual programme for Southland teams on the biennial tour, and several times within the past 15 years the programme has been confined to five games. This season! the programme will probably consist of games against Otago,' South Canterbury, Canterbury, Wellington, Wanganui, Taranaki and Auckland. With the exception of the Wanganui game the programme is the same as that of the 1935 tour.

A seven-game tour is a big undertaking for any provincial team, but unless a decision is made to play the return Otago game (at Dunedin) before or after the toUr the Southland Union is practically committed to seven matches. In addition to the games mentioned matches are being sought by the North Auckland (Whangarei), Ashburton and Bay of Plenty Unions. It is unlikely that Southland will arrange ahy of those matches to be played while the team is on tour. It is possible, however, that Ashburton will make a special challenge for the Ranfurly Shield and play against Southland at ' Invercargill. The only seven-match tour undertaken by a Southland team was in 1929, the year Southland won the Ranfurly Shield from Wairarapa. Matches on that tour were played against Otago, South Canterbury, Canterbury, Wellington, Wairarapa, Manawatu and Hawke’s Bay. The tour occupied 25 days. At present it would appear that the only Ranfurly Shield matches Southland will be called upon to play will be those against Otago, Manawatu, and possibly Ashburton and Canterbury. The shield, if retained by Southland, will not be taken on tour.

Southland’s tentative programme for the season may be set down as follows:—

V. Otago, at Invercargill. V. Otago, at Dunedin. V. South Canterbury, at Timaru. V. Canterbury, at Christchurch. V. Wellington, at Wellington. V. Wanganui, at Wanganui. V. Taranaki, at New Plymouth. V. Auckland, at Auckland. V. Manawatu, at Invercargill. V. Ashburton, at Invercargill. V. Canterbury, at Invercargill. Sub-Unions’ match, Otago v. Southland, at Invercargill.