RUGBY FOOTBALL.

Shannon News, 15 March 1929, Page 2

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

THE AUSTRALIAN TOUR. The New South Wales Union has written 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 permit of a. Saturday match being played in Melbourne on a date most suitable to the Victorian Union.

"On one Saturday in each season," the letter proceeded, "the fixtures of the Australian rules, code, which predominates in Victoria, are suspended in order to hold an inter-State match, and it is on this date that the Victorian Union is most confident of securing a good attendance at any big fixture, as the public interest in the Australian l'ules inter-State fixture is not so great as in the competition matches. Furthermore, the suspension of the c6mpetition games enables the Victorian Union a choice of several good grounds. "We are finding a difficulty, however, in drafting the programme for your team's tour in order to give Victoria a match on this date, Saturday, July 13 th, owing to the sailings from and to Wellington not fitting in, but by extending the tour from Friday, June 21st, date of leaving Wellington, until Tuesday, August 6th, date of return, the difficulty can be overcome. These dates would permit of a programme of eight or nine matches all told, including a Saturday and Wednesday fixture each in Queensland and Victoria." In the discussion which followed, it was agreed that the New Zealand Union must help Victoria and Queensland to encourage the game at this stage.

It was pointed out that /to extend the New Zealand team's tour in Australia to six weeks would mean that the leading players of the Dominion would be absent during the most interesting stage of the club competitions. Mr! H. S. Leitch pointed out that 25 players selected from the whole of the Dominion should not make such a serious difference to club competitions.

It was unanimously agreed that the request of the New South Wales 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 oe necessary, to appoint the New Zealand selectors early.this season, as it would be too late to wait for the annual meeting of the union on May 16th. It was decided to call for nominations for the position of selectors, the nominations to be in the hands of the union by April 3rd. iSome 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 trial match should be held prior to the team's departure in Wellington on