DAYS WAITING IN QUEUE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1930, Page 11

DAYS WAITING IN QUEUE

SEATS FOR NEXT RUOBY TEST

AMAZING DEMAND IN AUCKLAND.

SOME THREE NIGHTS IN OPEN.

I By Wire. —Special to News). Auckland, Last Night.

Owing to the fact that the demand for grandstand seats for the Rugby test match at Eden Park on Saturday week has been far greater than the supply it appears that;, a brisk trade will be done in selling scats privately during the next week. One man who was not early enough on the scene on Sunday to obtain a chit enabling him to book seats in. the main stand to-day advertised for six grandstand scats. He made no offer but a number of telephone calls in response to his advertisement soon convinced him that he would have to buy on a rising market. Several people offered to let him have scats at £4 apiece, but so far he has not definitely closed with any of the offers. The demand for seats is evidence of the remarkable interest that is being taken in tho match. The plan for the auxiliary stand will open to-morrow morning and all day to-day the queue steadily became longer. Several returned soldiers have been in the queue since Sunday afternoon. They arrived w wait for the opening of the plan for the main stand on Monday morning hut when thev were informed that this was booked by tie issue of chits they decided to cltiiu seats in the tiiAiiiary stand." Some of them spent th-.-i- rhird might in the open to-night. There was a pronounced increase in the number of people in the queue after « this evening and there were several women in the waiting crowd. Deck chairs were in evidence and heavy overcoats and rugs had been brought as protection from the cold of the winter’s night. The seats which will be booked tomorrow’ will cost ten shillings, but many now in the queue have already arranged to sell their tickets for 15s. Those who cannot book seats are discussing Jiow they are going to get seats, or at least room to stand, and it is expected the queue at the grounds will form during the night before the match, while Saturday morning will see vast crowds pour into the ground- hours before the match starts.

SEATS FOR WELLINGTON TEST.

ALLOCATIONS BY THE UNION. By Telegraph.—Brew Awoclatlon. Wellington, Last Night. When the booking for the fourth Rugby Test at Wellington on August 9 is thrown open to. the public at nine o’clock on Friday morning at Athletic Park only 140-0 seats will be available. This information was made available by the chairman of the management committee of the Wellington Rugby Union (Mr. J. Premlcville) at to-night’s meet 1

mg. Mr. Prendeville explained that the allocating of the seats had caused the committee much hard thinking. No fewer than 2500 applications had been received with cash and upwards of 300-0 accompanied with the request “please reserve me five seats.” “We had,” proceeded the chairman, “to proceed on lines that were fair both to country unions and our own patrons, but whatever we do we will receive unfair criticism. Taranaki has been most reasonable in its demands for (seats, having applied for only 25, but other totals are very heavy. Wanganui has applied for 300 and Manawhenua applications are over that number.” For the £1 seats, Mr. Prendeville continued, 900 applications had. been received, and theae had been cut down to 400 for the country and 200 for the town, which had mopped up. all ihe available £1 seats. "As far as the South .Island is concerned,” continued Mr. Prendeville, "we took up .the attitude that .the. centres at which the Test matches .had already been playec] mus'U-be cut . down in their applications/,.and. accordingly applications’ from both Otago a,nd Canterbury had been reduced by 30 per cent. Three hundred and seventy-nine 10s lid seats had been set apart for officials after cutting down the applications, and thio left 464 still available. Of seats available 114-5 have gone, to unions outside Wellington.” Mr. Prendeville explained that ihe secretary was returning all those applications with cash which had been declined. Two thousand seats were available for Wellington patrons, but out of these has io come 189 for referees and 160 for clubs, eo that roughly 1409 had been left.”