RUGBY FOOTBALL

Hokitika Guardian, 9 March 1929, Page 7

RUGBY FOOTBALL

NEW ZEALAND UNION

WELLINGTON, March 6

A meeting of the Management Committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union was held to-night. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union is to be held on May 16. The New South "Wales Union wrote asking if it would be possible for the tour of the New Zealand team in Australia this year to be extended by an additional week, in order to iermit of a Saturday match being played in Melbourne on a date most suitable to the Victorian Union.

In ’the discussion tdhich followed, it was agreed that the New Zealand Union must help Victoria and Queensland to encourage the game at this stage, and it was unanimously ag*cod that the request of the New South AValcs Union to extend the New Zealand team’s tour of Australia this year to six weeks should be agreed to.

It was pointed out that it would be necessary to appoint the New Zealand selectors early this season, as it would be too late to wait for the annual meeting of he Union on May 16. It was decided to call for nominations for- the position of selectors, the nominatins to be in the hands of the Union by April 3. Some discussion ‘took place as to whether the North v. South Island match should be played before the New Zealand team left for Australia, but it was decided that it would be wiser to postpone this annual fixture to the end of the season.

It was decided that a triai maid) should be held prior to the team’s departure, in ’Wellington on dune 3. It was decided to leave the drawing up of a sot of representative fixtures for submission to delegates at the annual meeting of the Union to Mr S. F. Wilson (Canterbury), and Mr J. Prendeville (Wellingtnn). The Finance Committee reported that the British team would arrive in the Dominion via Panama on June 6, 1930, and that nineteen matches would be played in New Zealand, including four test games and a match against a Maori fifteen wdiile eight matches would bo played in Australia. Ihe tour was expected to cost the New Zealand Union £II,OOO apart from the expenses of the Australian portion of the tour for'which negotiations were now being made with the New South Wales Union. The report was adopted. Oil the motion of Mr S. 6. Deans, it was decided to write to Mr James Baxter, congratulating him upon his appointment to tile managership ,;f the p.rivish Rugby team, which is to tour New Zealand in 1930. It was also decided to suggest to the International Board, through the English Union, that the time would be opportune to take advantage cl Mr Baxter’s presence in the Dominion to hold a Rugby Conference in Now Zealand, with a view to discussing national tours, uniformity of rules and rulings ,and matters appertaining to the welfare of Rugby generally, and the New Zealand Union suggest that invitations should be extended to the various Australian Unions, the South African Rugby Board, and the Rugby Union in Canada to send delegates to the Conference.