Curtain-raisers

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 26

Curtain-raisers

i The need for curtainI raisers to be played on (major grounds before imiportant fixtures was questioned by a turf culture expert. Mr John Bolton, invited to address the meeting as a representative of the New Zealand Turf Culture Institute. said that some grounds in New Zealand had been desecrated to such an extent by following the, principle that rugby was a winter game and should be (played in the mud, that they

would have to be completely resurfaced. On the need for curtainraisers, he said that unions had always adopted the attitude that crowds needed entertaining before big matches. “But they don’t. They make their own entertainment without any help.” he said. “What we want to get across to rugby unions is that if you have good playing surfaces you get better players,” he said.