RUGBY TOUR OF AUSTRALIA

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 6

RUGBY TOUR OF AUSTRALIA

-Press" Association.)

N.Z. Union Decides to Honour Agreement FAVOURS POSTPONEMENT

(By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, This Day. The council of the New Zealand Rugby Union, at a meeting_ at Wellington yesterday, deeided to rescind the motion passed at its last meeting not to send a team to Australia next year. It was deeided to honour the agreement existing with the Australian Rugby Union to send a team next year, but to ask Australia, in view of the fact that Australia would be sending a team to Great Britain late in 1939, an.d New; Zealand would be sending a team to South Africa in 1940, to consider the advisability of postponing the tour of the All Blacks to Australia till 1939. "When the position cropped iip at our lasfc meeting," said Mr S». S. Dean, iu moving that the motion not to send a team to Australia next year be rescinded, "I admit quite frankly that I did not know the agreement with Australia was still in f oree, nor .did the other members of the council renfemoer that this was the ease." Dr. G. J. Adams, Wanganui, held that the motion carried at the last meeting of the council was ultra vires, The union should admit that au oversight had occurred, and apologise to Australia. * Mr Dean said he was one who did not believe ip. rescinding Tesolutions, but this was a case .where they hadj little option, Mr G. A. Maddison, Hawke's Bay,j said that the New Zealand union should honour the agreement with Australia, It was strange that the chairman and other members of the council at the last meeting had forgotten that an agreement with Australia existed. The council had considered that the iu« terests of New. Zealand Rugby could ba best served by devoting attention next year to elub football. In the circumstances, however, he moved that the agreement with Australia be honoured, and that a New Zealand team be sent to Australia next year, but at the same time to suggest to the Australian union the advisability, tin the interests of both unions, of considering the postponement of New. Zealand 's visit to 1939. The motion was seconded by Mr R. T, Meredith. Mr J. Prendeville said that at the annual meeting of the N.Z.R.U. in 1928 ho had strongly urged that no overseae tours should be arranged without con-. sulting delegates. Canterbury and Wellington had been strongly opposed to Australia visiting New Zealand in 1936. If New Zealand sent a team to Australia next year it would mean that New Zealand would have visited Australia once more often than Australia had visited Neiy Zealand. He was strongly of opinion that there should be a let-up on^overseas tours. Great Bri.tain and South Africa were opposed to too many visits, which were upsetting to the very backbone of football, club football. Eveutually, Mr Maddison amended his motion to read: "That the N.Z.R.U. honour its agreement to send a team to Australia in 1938, and the New South Wales union be advised accordingly, but at the same time suggest for the consideration of the Australian unions the advisability of postponing the visit until 1939. ' ' In this form the motion was carried.