U.S. Basketball Team To Play In Chch.

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31006, 11 March 1966, Page 12

U.S. Basketball Team To Play In Chch.

Christchurch had been chosen as the venue for the match between the touring San Jose State College team from California and the New Zealand Universities representative team, the secretary’ of the Canterbury Men’s Basketball Association (Mr A. W. Barrett) told a meeting of his association last evening.

Mr Barrett said that the match would be played in Cowles Stadium on Wednesday, July 13. The opportunity of staging a full international fixture between the American team and the New Zealand representative team had had to be turned down because of the exceptionally high return expected by the national body from such a match. The San Jose College team will arrive at Christchurch on July 7 and will travel to Invercargill for a match against the South Island on July 9. This will be followed by a match against a combined Canterbury - OtagoSouthland team at Dunedin on July 11. While it is in New Zealand the team will play three games against a New Zealand invitation side which will in effect be the full New Zealand representative team. The majority of its members are expected to be included in the team to play in the Olympic qualifying rounds for Mexico. All three matches against New Zealand will be played in the space of six days: at Palmerston North (July 18). Rotorua (July 20) and Lower Hutt (July 23).

N.Z. Junior Coach

The former multiple South Island and Canterbury representative, Mr R. S. Thomson, has been nominated for the

new position of assistant New Zealand coach by the Canterbury association. The successful nominees for the position will concentrate on junior teams and will be expected to produce a New Zealand junior training squad at the end of this season with a view to contesting the Australian junior championships in 1967. He will also be expected to attend the 1966 Australian interstate titles this season

and will possibly be sent to America for a training course of two or three months. Mr Thomson was the coachselector of the Canterbury colts team which finished runner-up in the New Zealand championship last season. The New Zealand association has received a letter from the University of California Riverside requesting a tour of the Dominion in 1967 after a visit to Australia. The tours committee has suggested that an invitation be sent to the team, provided it is granted State sponsorship.