NEARING DOMINION

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1930, Page 11

NEARING DOMINION

BRITISH RUGBY TEAM. I ■"'■■ ■ ■ ARRIVAL ON MAY 14.' On May 14 the British Rugby team, under the managership of Mr. James Baxter, which is to tour the Dominion and . afterwards play a number of matches in Australia, is due in Wellington by the. Rangitata. For this visit, extensive preparations have been made by the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union, both as regards transport arrangements and the entertainment of the team. On arrival the team will be met by the president of the New Zealand Rugby Union, Dr. G, J. Adams, of Wanganui, the chairman (Mr. S. S. Dean) and members (If the New Zealand Union’s Management Committee, and the members of the Management Committee of the Wellington Rugby Union. Negotiations are being made with the Harbour Board to have an area set aside so that the team may be welcomed in a suitable manner on landing. Arrangements are also being made for a civic reception in the Town Hall, the time of which will depend largely on the arriva? of the Rangitata. At this function it is hoped that the Government will be represented. In all probability the team will have a run at Athletic Park, Wellington,- the following day, Thursday, and on Friday they:' will leave for Wanganui, where the opening match of the tour is to be played against Hie Wanganui representatives on Wednesday, May 21. From Wanganui, the visitors go to New Plymouth to play Taranaki on Saturday, May 24. They then meet Manawhenua at Palmerston on May 28, WairarapaBush districts at Masterton on May 31, and on the King’? Birthday, June 3, they will be seen in action against the Wellington representatives at Athletic Park. After playing at Wellington, the team proceeds to Christchurch, where the first match of the South Island tour is to be played against. Canterbury on June 7".. Four Test matches are to be played, the dates of which are as follow: June 21, first Test, at Dunedin; July 5, second Test, at Christchurch; July 26, third Test, at Auckland; August 0, fourth Test, at Wellington. It has been pointed out that seven of the matches clash with race meetings, but in only one instance is a meeting being held actually in the town at which a match is being played with the British team on the same date, race meetings in all the, -other cases being out of the towns in which the Britishers' are appearing. The fixture vitally concerned is the match against the Maoris at Wellington oh July 9, which will also be the first .day of . the. Wellington Steeplechase meeting at Trcntham. The Rugby Union, in drawing up the list of fixtures for the British tour, had a list of race meetings'before it, and* as far as possible efforts were made to avoid clashing with racing fixtures. So far as the match in Wellington is concerned, it is not anticipated that the attendance at Athletic Park will be affected to any great extent, although there was a suggestion at one time that the Wellington Racing Club possibly might seek permission of the Racing Conference to put forward the opening of its meeting a day, with benefit to' both parties concerned.

On June 3, the day of the match against the Wellington representatives, there is a race meeting at Otaki, a fairly popular fixture with Wellington racegoers, hut. the day is a public holiday, and it does, not appear that the attendance at the Rugby match . will be .affected; materially, although,, as- is also the .case with, the two attractions on July 9, there are bound to be some people whq, would, like to be at both places. Then, on August 9, the fourth Test match at Wellington, may clash with the. Manawatn Racing Club’s fixture, for that date has been set down provisionally as the second day of the club’s steeplechase meeting.

. Other dates on which the British team is to play when there will be race meetings at hand are: June 7, British team plays at Christchurch; trotting meeting at Ashburton. June 14, British team play at AshburtonETAOINNUPJ—NU play Otago at Dunedin; races at Oamaru. June 21, first Test match at Dunedin; races at Timaru. June 28, British team play at Timaru; races at Ashburton. .