WARTIME RUGBY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 131, 3 May 1940, Page 5

WARTIME RUGBY.

SUGGESTED RESTRICTION. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, May 1. The council of the New Zealand Rugby Union, to-night, unanimously decided to recommend to the annual meeting of delegates to-morrow that no international, Ranfurly Shield or Prince of Wales Cup matches shall he played during the war. It was also decided to recommend that no organised tours be undertaken, that representative matches he confined to weekend and holiday games, and that the annual inter-island match be postponed during the war. The chairman (Mr S. S. Dean) reported that he had interviewed the Minister of Supply (Hon. D. G. Sullivan) and the Commissioner of Transport (Mr G. L. Laurenson), who had assured him that petrol would be available to convey Rugby players to matches so long as the distribution was under control and was not abused. Rugby unions, said Mr Dean, could get all the petrol they wanted, provided they appointed a reputable person in the district to safeguard the department and the union. Where transport services were available footballers would have to travel by them. It was agreed to extend the rate of interest on loans to unions at 2-£ per cent, for the duration of the war. Mr E. McKenzie, sole selector, reported that no good purpose was served by continuing to hold the minor Unions’ inter-island match and it was decided to drop the fixture.