RUGBY TALKS WITH FRANCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 190, 28 August 1937, Page 9

RUGBY TALKS WITH FRANCE

— Own Correspondent)

Hope That Matches May Be Revived DIPLOMATS, PART

fBv Air Mail-

LONDON, Aug. 4. Another attempt to restore good relations between the home Rugby Unions and the French Rugby Federation, in which diplomats of Britain and Friamce are said to be participating, s reported from Paris. It was in 1931 that the last international Rugby matches between France and the four Home Unions of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland were played. On February 13, 1931, the Rugby Union passed this resolution: That, owing to the unsatisfactory conditions of the game of Rugby i'ootball in France, no further fixtures could be arranged with France or French clubs until the control and eonduct of the game had been placed on a satisfactory basis in all essentials. The spread of veiled professionalism among French Rugby elubs was the reason for this measure. Efforts to regularise the game in France were made, but the Rugby Union, after close iuvestigation, Tegarded these as uasatisfactory. London Discussions. M. Delbos, the French Foreign Minister, and Sir Robert Vnnsittart, Permanent Under-Secretary for Foreign Afiairs, afe now said to have expressed their desire to see a resumption of the in'.ernational matches. An "important personality" in French port is reported to have dined recently in London with Sir Robert Vansittart and Sir Louis Greig, a onetime Scottish intermational, and to have received the assurance that a great effort would be made to ensure resumption of Rugby relations. "In official British cireles there is the wish that the British Rugby Unions should be less severe with the French body,5' the French envoy is stated to have said. "It is thought that a plain statement of Britain's grievances should be placed before the French Federation, together with the conditions under which Britain would be willing to resume relations. "The four British unions hold their meeting at the beginning of October, and there is reason to believe that they will thereafter adopt a more amicable attitude towards the French Federation." Mr Alfred Murray, the president) of. the Scottish Union, ssaid: ''This is the first I have heard about it, but I can guarantee that there will be no change whatever in our attitude until wp are satisfied that all is in order in France. I should think that the attitude of all the home unions will be the same. At the moment the affair seems to be in the hands of the diplomats, but they will have to ensure that there really has been a change in conditions in France.' ' In 1938 and ag&in in 1934 there were reports of a resumption of international matches between France and the home unions. In 1933 the president of the French Federation announced that the games were to recommence. No agreement was, however, reached.