TOO MANY TOURS BAD FOR SPORT AND BUSINESS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 71, Issue 220, 17 September 1928, Page 7

TOO MANY TOURS BAD FOR SPORT AND BUSINESS

TEAM MANAGER S OUTSPOKEN COMMENT [ Special "Chronicle” Service 1 AUCKLAND, Sept. The contention that sport is unduly transgressing on business has a candid supporter in Mr Harry Divers, a Dunedin business man and one who is prominently identified with boxing, coursing and football in New Zealand. He has arrived in Auckland in charge of the Otago Rugby League team. “When our executive deefded te send this team on tour, I was not present. hut I would have opposed the proposal.” .said Mr Divers, "not because I. <!•• not think our boys worthy of the trip, but because I <*onsider that altogether too much me is devoted to touring teams throughout New Zealand in Rugby League. 1 think it may be said that with the English team hei®. and one way and another, there has been quite enough of interchange. Above all it seems to me the time has arrived when more consideration should be given to the fostering of club competitions, which, after all. are the so .1 of sport. The interest and rivalry of the clubs, tho schools and the public should be paramount until the close of the season. Teams Weakened. Relatively, in all codes, there are few stars, simply because there ar« too many touring interruptions, which, weaken the city or district teams from which the representative teams are chosen. While the visits* of tourists [break local competitions wherever they happen to have fixtures. “Then there is tho heavy cost and risks in connection with touring teams, and I realist; that to employers of labour the constant granting of leave to men is most irritating. ’ seems tho bettor the player the more frequent are the demands upon his employer. This cannot continue. Understand that I am not entirely aga’nst tours, say every three or four years, but the thing is overdone by the annual policy.

“One of the principal reasons for tho success of Rugby League in Australia,” he continued, “is the intensive development of club play. New South Wales and Queensland each havje two inter state matches in the big centres, and otherwise the big attractions ar< the inter-district games, with fine club play as their feeders. Tho players and the business of the country cannot stand these long intcrprovincnl tours, which take much time and money. Take, for instance, the team I am now with. ]t is costing us about £7OO for the trip and while wo are away tho cup competition is lagging because of the absence of the leading players. Our presence hero causes the temporary suspension of your competition. It is unsettling and imperils th*s standard of the game. Touring Mad. “There arc far too many matchoß between provinces, and the sooner w» decide to concentrate on club competitions the sooner we will raise the level of play and discover more talent. “Some of tho b.oys who should ho here with us to-day could not get away because they had been to Auckland and Christchurch, and some also to In vercargill. One member w&e so keen to come on this tour that he win going to resign his position, hut I persuaded him not to do any such thing. This goes on in all sport, and while I am a keen supporter of all good sport, I am dead against this ceaseless seasonal travol’irg. If they only liked to speak up. there are thousands in New Zealand who will agree with me in this matter,” he concluded.