N.I. Selectors Attacked

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 19

N.I. Selectors Attacked

[From Our Rugby Reporter] INVERCARGILL. The North Island provincial selectors who failed to attend a meeting of the All Black selection panel at Palmerston North last month may have done so because of complacency.

They will not be so complacent now after the Lions’ performances in Australia, said the chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union Council (Mr T. C. Morrison) yesterday.

Mr Morrison said that it was an “extremely poor show” that only nine of the 17 North Island provincial selectors attended the meeting. “A poor show. It was rudeness,” said Mr C. G. Gibbons, a vice-president. Mr F. R. Allen, convenor of the AU Black selection panel, presented a report on his meeting with South Island provincial selectors. “It was well worthwhile and all the selectors present considered that this type of meeting should be continued by the New Zealand Union,” said Mr Allen.

He had no report to make on the North Island meeting. 75th Anniversary

To celebrate the seventyfifth anniversary of the New Zealand Union there will be a test match against Australia at Wellington on August 19, 1967. Mr Morrison suggested that the curtain-raisers should consist of a Prince of Wales Cup match as a recognition of Maori Rugby and a game between selected South and North Island schools. A sub-committee consisting of three members of the executive and members of the council from the South Island (Mr C. K. Saxton) and the North Island (Mr R. L. Burke), should begin preparations for the function. Part-Time Writers

Letters from the Otago and Canterbury Unions asking for more details of the banning of part-time Rugby journalists or radio broadcasters from being coaches or administra-

tors if they accepted some reward for their work provoked a full discussion.

The letter from Otago asked why unions had not been allowed to discuss the matter before the New Zealand delegates voted on it at the meeting of the International Rugby Board in March. Mr Morrison said that the council had approved and discussed the remits which were to be presented at the 1.R.8. meeting and had been unanimous about the rulings for part-time journalists. Also, the annual meeting of the New Zealand Union had accepted the decision of the 1.R.8. “An Amateur Sport” “I must make it clear,” he said, “if someone wants to broadcast or write on Rugby without reward, then he is in the clear. “If some of these people who do this writing or broadcasting want to be paid, then they cannot coach or administrate.

“There are thousands of persons who work for Rugby—an amateur sport—without getting or expecting payment. Why should others use their name and get paid?”