RUGBY PLAYERS' CHANCES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 117, 20 May 1939, Page 23

RUGBY PLAYERS' CHANCES

WELLINGTON ENGAGEMENTS

WORKING UP FORM FOR TRIALS

Wellington's first Rugby representative match of tl}e season is usually with Taranaki, but this year the opening engagement will be with Manawatu, at Palmerston North. The choice of the team to play Manawatu will be the first to be made by- Mr. Alec. McDonald in his capacity as Wellington's sole selector, and it will be a matter of particular interest to see the result of his early observations so - far on the talent offering^this season. It may be, however, that, if senior matches are played on the King's Birthday holiday (June 5), the day on which Wellington meets Manawatu, the selector will be restricted in his choice.

Whatever the composition of the team, the match with Manawatu should be a valuable try-out for the main representative matches later in the season, and this* should apply, too, with the Taranaki engagement at Hawera next nionth. Wellington has quite a big fixture list, and .with it all there should be ample opportunities for players to advance claims as candidates for the New Zealand trials. There can be no doubt that form this season will weigh heavily in choosing the players ta go to South Africa next year, and the gaining of a place in this year's trials (to be played at the end of the season) will be the big thing for players who have hopes of a trip to South Africa. It is hardly likely that Wellington will be at full strength in its first two or* three engagements. For one thing, the full extent of, form in senior football is not revealed early in the season, and then there is the question of getting players away for some of the representative matches. When August comes along the real sample of offerings in Wellington Rugby should be brought to light, for then Wellington will be entering upon the main series of matches with other provincial sides. Wellington's representative matches are:— June s.—v. Manawatu, at Palmerston North.

June 14.—v. Marlborough, at Wellington.

June 28.—v. Taranaki, at Hawera. . July 26.—v. Ashburton, at Wellington.

August 19.—v. Otago, at Wellington. August 26.—v. Canterbury, at Wellington; v. Horowhenua, at Levin. September 2.—v. Hawke's Bay, at Napier. September 6. —v. Southland, at Wellington.

September 9.—v. Taranaki, at Wellington. September 13.—v. North * Auckland, at Whangarei.

September 16. —v. Auckland, at Auckland; v. Wairarapa, at Wellington.

September 30. —v. Wanganui, at Wanganui.

scared to go to the union office he would see that the nominations were filed there. LOOSE NOMINATION. Mr. McKenzie also had something to • say about the methods of some ol the smaller union selectors. He said ! he would like to remind provincial selectors that to nominate John Brown '{as a back was no way to nominate 1 a player. That happened; no particulars were given. \ Later Mr. ; Norman McKenzie • (Hawke's Bay) also touched on this 1 point. Not only was insufficient infor--1 mation given in support of the nomination but sometimes the information was not exact. Dr. W. S. Seed (Canterbury) suggested that an Auckland proposal ' for district or regional trials would overcome the country districts' difficulties. The merits of this plan, however, i were not debated, the delegates pass-1 ing the motion they had before them I recommending the council to arrange '■ if possible a North Island v. Sourth Island minor unions' match, to be plaj- \ ed in the South Island this year. The idea is that this match should be played before the teams for the ; main North v. South match are selected so as to give the players from the smaller districts the extra opportunity of gaining higher honours.