BRITISH RUGBY TEAM

Hokitika Guardian, 20 September 1929, Page 3

BRITISH RUGBY TEAM

THE COMING VISIT. _ WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. Although' numerbus players in the Home country have been sounded by the committee selecting the British Rugby team to visit New Zealand and Australia next year as to- whether they are available for .the tour, the final selection of the team for the tour is not likely to be made until January. It is anticipated, however, that most of the players to whom the Selectors gave first preference will be able to undertake the tour. The team is being chosen by Messrs James Baxter, Adrian Stoop, John Daniell, George Stephenson and Gwyn Nicholls, and it is known that invitations have -been extended to the following players:—

Full-hacks': K. A. Sellar (England), T. W. Brown (England), and W. G. Bonner (England). . Three-quarters: G. V. Stephenson (Ireland), J. B. Ganly (Ireland), H. M. Bowcott (Wales), C. D. Aarvold (England), A. L. Novis (England), Howie Jones (Wales), I. iS. Smith (Scotland), G. 11.I 1 . S. MacPherson (Scotland), and W. M. Simmers (Scotland). Half-backs: M. Sugden (Ireland), W. C. Powell (Wales), F. Williams (Wales), J. B. Nelson J(Scobland), and H. D. Greenlees (Scotland). Forwards: W. W. Wakefield (Eng'and), G. R.. Beamish (Ireland), Ivor Tones (Wales), S. J. Cagney (Ireland), H. S. Mackintosh (Scotland), D. Parker (Wales), M. J. Dunne (Ireland), C. T. Payne (Ireland), S. A. Martindale (England), E. Coley (England), T. Arthur (Wales), H. Tones (Wales), H. Rew (England) C. D. A. Gummer (England), and J. R. Paterson (Scotland).

THE FULL-BACKS. When the preliminary selection was made the list cabled to New Zealand did not include Stephenson, while the names of some • of the other players were given incorrectly. Since then there have been additions, so that more players than are required for the tour have • been invited. It will be noticed that there are three fullbacks in the list, and it is hardly likely that three will make the tour. Sellar who has been on duty witli the Navy in South Africa and who has been playing football in South Africa this season, is possibly’ one of the players doubtful !} about / arranging leave to come to New Zealand.

•Of .Scotland’s representatives in the above list, Smith, Simmers, Nelson, Mackintosh and Paterson played in all four international games last season, Macpherspn, r pnd Greenlees each playing in, two,., Sugden, ..Cagney and Beamish represented .Ireland in all its four matches,-:last season, Stephenson, Payne , and Dunne each playing in three international 'games, and Ganly in two.” Of those' selected from England, .Rrown_wag. tli£_only one to appear in England’s four engagements last season. Aarvold, .appeared in three, Novis and Rew in two, and Giummeii, Coley and Mafitindale in one, while Wakefield, Bonner and Sellar did not have an international game. For Wales, Powell, Arthur and Ivor Jones played in four internationals last season, Bowcott and Williams in three, and H. Jones and Parker in two. Wakefield and Sellar have previously represented. England, so that only to of the players known to have been invited to join the team for New Zealand have not yet played in international football.

THE BEST YET. “There is every prospect of the team being a more representative one than those previously sent to New Zealand, and probably the best team that has represented Great Britain anywhere,” said Mr S. G. Bonsor, of Messrs T. H. Hamer and Co.’s Wellington office, in discussing , the probable British Rugby team and the outlook for the tour to New Zealand. Mr Bonsor lias been associated with numerous teams on tour irt Great Britain, among them the 1924-2 o All Blacks and the New Zealand Native team which followed that gicat combination. He transferred to New Zealand some little time ago.

“It must be very pleasing to the powers that be in New Zealand to know that at last a really representative team from the Old Country is to be seen in action here.- The English Rugby Onion is arranging the details at the other end, but in view of the representative nature of the selection the International Rugby Board might just as well be handling the matter.

“The team will be much stronger than tho British team which visited South "Africa in 1924. Rugby football in England has improved, I think, a good deal since the visit of the 1924 All Blacks. The came has been taken up more extensively, and is now even played in several of the big schools which previously favoured Soccer. There is.no doubt that much new interest was created bv the visit of the 1924 New Zealand team. “The twenty-eight players /named in the first instance for next year’s tour to New Zealand impress as a splendid combination, and if they play as well here as they do in the Home countries, the New Zealanders will have to go all out to hold their own with them,” Mr Bonsor predicted.

“The only thing which might interfere with the playing abilities of the team is that by all accounts they will be suffering from a surfeit of entertainment and travelling. This is the bug-bear of all teams on tour. In the