RUGBY EVENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17526, 1 May 1925, Page 7

RUGBY EVENTS.

WHAT NEW ZEALAND NEEDS. SUGGESTIONS TO N.Z. DELEGATES. A suggestion ‘ that the 1924-25 All Blacks Lie sent on a tour through New Zealand this season was made by Mr Harry Frost, president of the Nfew Zcaland Rugby Union, at the annual meeting of delegates yesterday. In this connection he remarked:—“Should proposals be adopted to tour the New Zealand team through New Zealand, it is obvious the programme of important fixtures will- be particularly heavy, and unions deprived of the services of some of their leading players for some time. Under such circumstances it would probably be wise to drop tliis fixture for this season, and thus reduce the inconvenience to unions to a coitsiderablc extent. “This remark -applies especially to the proposed visit to South Africa. I am aware that a certain body of Jlugby opinion is in favour of such a trip, and probably our South African friends would welcome if too. The honour of playing for the world's championship is, of course, a very high ono indeed, but it seems to me that the burden of such a tour on our best players, iollowing so soon on the English tour, would be asking too much of them. Apart from that, what we specially want in New Zealand is to see an international side on our own playing fields, and if this can be arranged anti the tour extended to New South Wales a much greater benefit will accrue to the game in Australasia. AUSTRALIAN TOUR. “These remarks do- not apply to the interchange of visits with Australia, which occupy but the short period of ‘a lew weeks, for which such arrangements arc now well under way. It is understood that none of the All Blacks who have just returned will be members cf the. team going to Australia. Besides, this short tour will not mean any serious waste of money or time ty. those concerned, and it will have the xery desirable effect of lending a helping hand to our nearest Rugby neighbours in New South Wales. “As all Rugbyites hero are glad to know, there has been a great revival of public interest in Rugby in Sydney, and we should do everything in oi-.r power to assist the New South "Wales Rugby Union and its affiliated clubs to regain tlieir old-time Position. Our friends from New South Wales can be sure of the heartiest of welcomes when they come across tire Tasman to play us this season.”