Rugby Tours By Australian And British Teams

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1948, Page 3

Rugby Tours By Australian And British Teams

Press Association ) k

(Per

WELLINGTON, August 5.An invitaticm for a Maori team to visit Austtalia next year provided it could take placc early, was accepted at today's meeting of tlie couneil of the New Zealand Bugby Union. . - It also decided to invite an Australian team to tour New Zealand later in that season, . ... ■, * , A It was decided to'" ifivitc? a Ffjiah sidii to a short tour of New Zealand maihi}: in Auckland Provinc^,Jl||te> this is£asO:r£ The question of thehcsuSnption of the interchange of visits between the Aua-,' tralian and New Zealand Universities,; has been held over foh further ;cou-> sideration. >. ... ^ ; The chairpian, Mr» A. St. C. .Bclcherf eaid the Maofis ha.d buift up a fine sidtj and should be a big attjaetioh'in Aus-l txalia. It was hoped tlxis tour iWould be on the saine lines as' that last year! for the- All Blacks and take place about the same time. Every ^cffort • should bii i made to have the Australian tea°m here uext season otherwise there could be no visit till 1951 as a British team would be here in 1950. ■■ '■ The'-'jsuggesied datea for the tour of ni'ere , Septcuiber 20 to October 23, but therc w.ould be no objection to an earlief , "Visit provided CKe unions could aecept' matches. ' Wlieh Mr. F. Sutliefland. mentioned that Auckland, which was mainly m.terestcd in the visit, h'ad contaeteu North Auckland, Tlfames Valley, King Coimtry ahd Waikato;'fo'r their wishes in the matter, Mf. S, o. ^B.ean stressed tlie desirability o'f a'nxatch in Wellingtaii to help recoiip the' expehses of the tour. He pointed out tlie heavy outla.v ' in sendiug the ■ New. Zpaland 'Maori team to Fiji. It woiild hot be till 195" when the British teaui toured tliis country, that the union would be able to bolster up its fuud 04 which there -had beeii very heavy deifahhds in recent jrears. Eollowi'ng a letter >:ifrpm ' the Otago Iiugby Keferees' Association on the ..r'uling ^niaking it co.mpulsory , for rqferees to biow tlie whistle every' tiuie the ba'll went into touch, it was de eided to advise that tlie N.Z.lt.U. had no power to alter the.rules. The treud of the discussion show'ed that in most unions tlie referees were using theb dwn discretiou in the matter. Nominations for fiianager and assistant-manager of the New Zealand team for South Africa are to bc in the hands of the unioh by the end ot" Oetobcr. Following an inquiry,' Mr. F. Sutherland said New Zealand had agreed to a 5s a day allowauce as the basis for future tours. After iiieinbers had pointed out there were diif'crent costs ' in various cotintries, tli'c chairman- said- the countrv which acted ^is'hbst woiilJj'meet tliis itcm, Tlie 5s would be !paid in' South A'frican curreficy.,: '■ " r A decis.ioi] favburing"' aceepting the oll'ercd se'at On the Interhat-ional -Bbard/ was reaclied. The counc'il also "agreed lo the offer to send 'a delegation to discuss the (.'ommonWealth's - possil.le diillcultics arising' out' of -the change. VO ' ' : ,