COMING RUGBY TOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 102, 27 October 1945, Page 6

COMING RUGBY TOURS

If anything marks and seals the advent of peace after war, it is the resumption of international sport in all its forms. But before the United Nations begin their interchange of visits by athletes and football and tennis teams—for these, as yet, are the only truly international sports and games—the United Nations of the British Commonwealth usually set the example and lead the way, as, indeed, might be expected, for the tradition of these friendly rivalries between peoples of the same family is much older than the modern Olympic Games or international football and tennis matches on the Continent of Europe and elsewhere. Of all the "bonds of Empire" sport is one of the strongest, and if and when the nations of the world begin ; to play each other under the rules of their favourite games, the friendly battle on the field or court will supersede the arbitrament of deadly war and the dawn of perpetual peace will be well above the horizon. In the meantime, the 'New Zealanders, who have kicked and.carried the ball from Alamein to Trieste, are shortly to begin a more formal tour of Britain and will play through the winter till February, after which—who knows? — they might play a few games in South Africa on the way home, as their, fathers did in 1919, establishing a reputation which had much to do with the first visit of the famous Springboks to this Dominion in «1921.

This tour of the New Zealand Army team in Britain will not be exactly another All Black parade; indeed, it may be far from a repetition of the "triumphant tour" of the first All Blacks of 1904-5. The New Zealanders in this war have fought in representative numbers in all the arms of the combatant Services—tide Navy, the Army, and the Air Foree —whereas in the last war they were most of them in the Army, which had a full Division in France at the Armistice, and plenty to pick from to make up their touring team. This time the captain (C. K. Saxton), an All Black of 1935 fame, will be more limited in his selection. There will be many "dark horses," for six years' war has taken a heavier toll of the Rugby world than. did the four years of the 1914-18 episode. Time marches on, and the game is to the young in Rugby. But if the. prospect is uncertain for the New Zealanders, it may be still more obscure for British Rugby. Here we have been able to continue our games without much intermission, except in the perilous winter of 1942, but Britain has been in the front line since 1940 and doubtless, what with blitzes, and the business of war, converting football fields into airfields and turning life generally upside down, there will have been. little time for football. But nothing can still sport in a British country, and, after the thrilling series of cricket Test matches between England and Australia this summer, this should be no "winter of discontent." Great interest will be taken, both here and in Britain, in the coming tour; there should be some good football, and—"may the best side win."